Introduction – Will A DBS Check Include Information About My Mental Health?
To answer the question, Will a DBS Check include information about my mental health? A Basic or Standard DBS check will not include any details about your mental health either now, or with any issues you may have experienced with mental health in the past.
However, an Enhanced DBS check may include specific information from local police records, referred to as ‘relevant information’ This information could potentially involve aspects related to your mental health, such as instances when the police placed you in a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
It’s worth noting that it’s uncommon for the police to include non-conviction information on an Enhanced DBS check, and no information from your medical records is ever included in any DBS check.
Will A DBS Check Include Information About My Mental Health? – How Do The Police Decide What Information To Incorporate Into A DBS Check?
Before including any information on your DBS certificate, the police must have a reasonable belief that it is relevant and should be disclosed. Each piece of information is assessed individually for inclusion or exclusion from the DBS certificate. The police consider the following factors:
- Relevance to the role being applied for, with a focus on seriousness and recency.
- Source reliability of the information.
- The potential impact on the applicant when this information is disclosed.
- Whether the applicant should be provided the opportunity to comment on the information before disclosure. However, this is not always guaranteed.
- Balancing the risk posed to the public against the applicant’s right to privacy.
The UK Government provides guidelines to assist the police in making these decisions. According to these guidelines, being detained under sections 135(1) or 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 is generally not something the police should disclose.
However, they will consider whether the circumstances surrounding your detention posed a risk or harm to others, such as involving threats or violence.
Conclusion – Will A DBS Check Include Information About My Mental Health?
In summary, to answer the question, “Will a DBS check include information about my mental health?”
An Enhanced DBS check may include specific information from local police records, referred to as ‘relevant information’ This information could potentially involve aspects related to your mental health, such as instances when the police placed you in a place of safety however this will depend on whether it is relevant to the role you will be undertaking and how long ago it was. No information from your medical records will be on your DBS check.
Further Reading
If you have found our article, Will A DBS check Include Information About My Mental Health, interesting, why not have a read of one of our other useful DBS articles?
Are Employers Legally Entitled To Ask For A DBS Check?
What Happens If I Make A Mistake On My DBS Application?
About The Author
Kellie Dawson
Kellie is our in-house legal expert when it comes to DBS checks. With a background in the legal sector, she has become a recognised authority in this area.