What does expired mean?

If an application is showing as expired, then this indicates that the applicant’s personal information has been removed from our system in line with Data Protection. An application expires from our system 6 months after the result has been issued.

This does not mean that the check has expired, there is no predetermined expiration date for DBS checks. This is because the subject of the check could have a conviction or other matter recorded against them at any time after the date of the check.

Although there is no legal timeframe for when DBS applications need to be renewed, the DBS states this should be done every three years for best practice. However, as the organisation it is your decision on how often renewals are done for existing staff members. If you are regulated by a specific organisation, such as OFSTED or CQC, it might be worth checking with them to see if they do have  specific renewal timeframes.