When you're recruiting for your country estate, farm or rural household, understanding the requirements around DBS checks and reference checking can feel overwhelming. The regulations differ significantly depending on whether you're hiring a nanny, an estate worker or a gamekeeper, and getting it wrong can have serious consequences for both your business and the vulnerable people in your care.
This guide explains exactly what DBS checks and reference checks you need for different rural roles, how to obtain them properly and what common pitfalls to avoid when building your team.
#Understanding DBS Checks and Their Importance
The Disclosure and Barring Service processes criminal record checks that help prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups. Previously known as CRB checks, DBS checks reveal an individual's criminal convictions, cautions and other relevant information held by police forces across the UK.
For rural employers, DBS checks serve several crucial purposes. They protect children and vulnerable adults in your household or on your property, demonstrate due diligence in your recruitment process and provide peace of mind that you've taken reasonable steps to employ trustworthy staff. However, not all rural roles require the same level of checking, and some positions don't legally qualify for any DBS check at all.
#The Three Types of DBS Checks
Understanding which level of DBS check is appropriate for your vacancy is essential, as requesting a higher-level check than legislation allows is unlawful and could breach the Data Protection Act 2018.
Basic DBS checks reveal only unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Costing approximately £45, these checks can be applied for directly by the individual through the online DBS application system. Basic checks are suitable for general estate maintenance roles, groundskeepers or gardeners who have limited access to sensitive areas or vulnerable people.
Standard DBS checks show both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. At around £55, standard checks must be requested through registered employers and typically process within two to three weeks. This level is recommended for roles involving significant household access or financial responsibility, such as estate managers or household staff with access to your private quarters.
Enhanced DBS checks represent the most thorough background screening available, costing approximately £68. Enhanced checks include everything in a standard check plus any information held by local police considered relevant to the role. When accompanied by a barred list check, they also confirm whether the applicant is on the list of people barred from working with children or vulnerable adults. Enhanced DBS checks are essential for nannies, childminders, carers and anyone providing unsupervised care to children or vulnerable adults in your household.
#DBS Requirements for Different Estate Roles
This is where many rural employers encounter confusion. The answer depends entirely on what the role entails and whether it involves regular contact with children or vulnerable adults.
Roles that typically don't require DBS checks:
- Gamekeepers, farm workers and general estate maintenance staff
- Outdoor workers with occasional incidental contact with children
- Grounds staff, gardeners and forestry workers working exclusively outside
- Equipment operators and agricultural contractors
If your gamekeeper occasionally encounters your children whilst working on the estate but has no caring responsibilities, a DBS check is not legally required.
Estate workers with household access may require standard DBS checks if they regularly work in areas of your property where children or vulnerable adults live and have opportunity for contact. This might include cleaners, housekeepers or maintenance workers who work inside the family home on a frequent basis.
Multi-skilled estate staff who combine outdoor work with household duties need careful assessment. Someone employed primarily as a gardener who also assists with childcare would require an enhanced DBS check due to the childcare element, regardless of how much time they spend on that aspect of their role.
#The Nanny: A Common Complication
Here's a situation that catches many rural households by surprise. If you're hiring a nanny privately without using a registered recruitment agency, you technically cannot request an enhanced DBS check directly, even though the role clearly requires one.
This is because enhanced DBS checks can only be processed by registered employers, licensing authorities or regulatory bodies when the role involves regulated activity. Private families, despite being employers in every practical sense, are not classified as registered employers under DBS regulations.
The solution involves using an umbrella body or recruitment agency. Nannies must obtain their enhanced DBS check through an approved childcare organisation, local authority or specialist recruitment agency like Larstone Recruitment. The agency acts as the intermediary, requesting the check on behalf of the nanny and providing you with verification.
Many nannies already hold valid enhanced DBS certificates from previous roles. You can accept an existing certificate provided you verify the applicant's identity matches the certificate, the certificate is the right level and type for your role, and nothing has changed if the applicant has signed up for the DBS Update Service.
#Understanding the DBS Update Service
The DBS Update Service costs £13 per year and allows individuals to keep their DBS certificate updated. Rather than applying for a new check each time they change employers, certificate holders receive a unique code they can share with prospective employers.
Key advantages for rural employers:
- Check a candidate's DBS status online instantly with their permission
- Save weeks of waiting for new applications to process
- Reduce administrative burden on your estate
- Verify status changes without repeated applications
However, the Update Service only works if the new role requires the exact same level and type of DBS check. You must always see the original DBS certificate alongside the Update Service subscription, as the subscription is invalid without the physical certificate to verify against.
#Processing Times and Practical Considerations
Processing times vary considerably, but you should typically expect results within four to six weeks. Some straightforward cases return within days, particularly basic checks for candidates with limited address history. Complex applications involving multiple addresses, common names or international background checks can take two months or longer.
For roles requiring immediate coverage, such as seasonal gamekeeper positions or temporary farm work during busy periods, this timeline poses practical challenges. Many rural employers address this by requesting that candidates begin the DBS application process as soon as they accept a conditional job offer, allowing work to start once the certificate arrives.
#Reference Checking: Your First Line of Defence
Whilst DBS checks reveal criminal history, reference checks provide equally valuable insight into a candidate's work ethic, reliability and suitability for rural life. For estate managers, farm supervisors and household staff, thorough reference checking can prevent costly hiring mistakes.
Many rural employers believe they can only request confirmation of employment dates and job title, but this is a common misconception. Former employers in the UK are permitted to provide detailed information about work performance, attendance, reasons for leaving and whether they would re-employ the individual, provided the information is accurate, fair and given without malice.
What you can legitimately ask referees:
- Details about attendance, punctuality and reliability
- Examples of work quality and problem-solving abilities
- How they handled specific rural challenges (isolated locations, livestock management, seasonal demands)
- Reasons for leaving their previous role
- Whether the referee would re-employ them
Reference checks should always be conducted after making a conditional job offer and with the candidate's explicit consent. For live-in estate positions, speaking with previous employers about how the candidate adapted to living on site provides invaluable insight. Rural roles often involve isolation and living where you work, which doesn't suit everyone despite their technical capabilities.
#Moving Forward with Confidence
Rural recruitment comes with unique challenges, from isolated locations to roles that blur the boundaries between work and home life. DBS checks and reference checking form essential components of safe recruitment, but they're just one part of building an effective team.
Remember that whilst DBS checks reveal criminal history, they cannot predict future behaviour or guarantee someone's trustworthiness. They should always be combined with thorough interviews, appropriate reference checking, clear job descriptions and comprehensive induction processes. If you're uncertain about requirements for a specific role, seeking professional advice from specialist rural recruiters or employment law advisers is worthwhile.
Need expert support with rural recruitment and staff vetting? Larstone Recruitment specialises in country estate, farming and private household positions across the UK, handling all aspects of DBS checks and reference verification as part of our comprehensive service. Contact our experienced team today to discuss your staffing requirements and ensure you're recruiting safely and compliantly for your rural business.