Our DBS-Verified badge is a useful baseline, but it isn't a real-time check. If you'd like extra peace of mind on a specific tutor before booking lessons, you can verify independently. Here's how.
What our badge means
A DBS-Verified badge on a Tutorperch profile means a member of our team personally reviewed an Enhanced DBS certificate for that tutor and confirmed it was clear at the point of review. The badge is valid for three years from our verification date; after that we re-verify the certificate to keep the badge current.
What the badge doesn't tell you:
That the tutor's record is still clear today. We don't auto-recheck, so anything that happened after our review wouldn't show on our system.
That the certificate was issued for tutoring specifically. Enhanced DBS checks are job-specific in theory; in practice the most recent clear certificate is usually accepted.
That a tutor without the Identity Verified badge has had their identity checked. Identity verification is a separate step; see about identity verification.
In short, it's a meaningful baseline that most other tutoring platforms either skip or automate. It isn't a substitute for your own judgement, especially for tutors working with younger children or unsupervised.
What you can do yourself
Ask to see the certificate. It's normal and reasonable to ask a tutor to show you their physical DBS certificate at the start of working together. Compare the certificate reference to anything they've cited on their profile, and check the issue date is recent enough for your comfort.
Use the DBS Update Service. If the tutor subscribes to the gov.uk DBS Update Service, you can ask for their certificate number and date of birth and run a free online status check. The check tells you whether the certificate is still current, meaning whether anything has been added since it was issued.
Do the usual due diligence. Ask for references, ask previous students how they found the tutor, run a trial or intro lesson, and keep early lessons supervised or in a public space such as a library until you've built confidence. None of this is unique to online platforms; these are the same checks you'd run on any tutor you found locally.
A note on scope
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. The specific rules around DBS checks for self-employed tutors and private engagements vary, and the canonical source is gov.uk.