DBS Renewal FAQ's

Once a DBS Certificate has been issued, ECB will invite the applicant to register their certificate to the update service so that it can be rechecked/renewed annually.

The ECB only give clearance for a period of 1 year and the certificate will be rechecked annually in order to renew clearance for the regulated role in cricket.

We do not give clearance for 3 years (this has been the case since July 2020)

1. What is the DBS Update Service?

The Update Service is an online subscription service that lets you keep your standard and enhanced DBS certificates up to date. It also allows employers to check a certificate online, with your consent.

You can use your certificate again when you apply for a position within the same workforce, where the same type and level of check is required.

2. Why do the ECB use the Update service?

Once an individual has completed vetting for a regulated role in cricket, it is the ECB’s policy to recheck that individuals ‘status’ annually.

As the original certificate was applied for and vetted by the ECB the only way to recheck the status is via the Update Service to understand if any changes have occurred in the individuals circumstances over the year.

3. What happens if I don’t register my certificate to the Update Service?

The DBS only allow a period of 30 days for the certificate to be registered.  If you choose to opt out or miss the deadline, then you will only be issued 1 year clearance in your regulated activity role from the date of your certificate being issued.  You will need to reapply the following year if you continue in regulated activity. For those in paid roles, this will mean paying the application fee of £38 again.

4. Is there a cost to registering to the Update Service?

The service is Free of Charge for Volunteers, however there is an annual charge of £13 per annum for those in paid roles.  This is paid directly to the DBS Update Service (online) when registering and renewing your subscription.

5. What happens during the annual recheck?

ECB access the DBS Update Service portal and run a check against the original certificate.  A result is returned as follows:

1. This DBS certificate did not reveal any information and remains current as no further information has been identified since its issue = renewal can be completed
2. This DBS certificate is no longer current. Please apply for a new DBS check to get the most up-to-date information = renewal cannot be completed – a new application would be required if continuing in regulated activity
3. The details entered do not match those held on our system = renewal cannot be completed – Update Service subscription has ended / certificate has been removed

If the result returned is 2 or 3, then a member of our Customer Support team will contact you to discuss next steps.

6. What if I am no longer involved in regulated activity in cricket?

You can contact us at any time to update your ECB record and opt out of any future checks of your certificate.

You would also need to log onto your DBS Update Service account independently to update / remove your certificate / cancel your subscription.  Which roles are classed as regulated activity in cricket – CLICK HERE.

7. Can I use my ECB Certificate and Update Service Subscription for other roles outside of my volunteering/work for the ECB?

It will depend on the recruiting Company/organisations safeguarding policy in relation to accepting DBS certificates issued via another organisation.

It may depend on the role you are undertaking, and the level of checks required.

You can give consent for another employer/organisation to check your ECB DBS Certificate on the Update Service.  They may also request to see the original certificate if you still have it.

8. Do I receive a new certificate each year when I have my clearance renewed?

No, your original certificate is the only one that is ever issued – so please keep it safe.

The renewal check is done online, and your ECB records will be updated to reflect that you are cleared for your regulated role.  This database then feeds other systems such as Memberships, Safe Hands Management System etc.

You will not need your paper certificate again after you have cleared initial vetting and are not required to show your certificate to anybody in Cricket unless requested to do so by the ECB Safeguarding team.

If you wish to use your certificate for purposes other than cricket and no longer have the original then you would need to apply for a new one via that organisation.

9. When/how will I be contacted to renew my DBS clearance?

You will receive email notifications directly from the ECB - email address: [e-mail] 30 days before your renewal date, asking you to log into our DBS portal to consent to your recheck and complete your annual confirmation of your role/club/contact details.

In addition to this, you will receive an email directly from the DBS update service - email address: [e-mail] to confirm renewal of your registration and may say that you do not need to take any action.

IMPORTANT Please note that this does not come from the ECB and if you do not action the email that you receive from [e-mail], your certificate will not be rechecked. For paid applicants you will need to ensure you have paid your annual fee of £13 and that any existing payment method you use is still valid, however for volunteers no action is needed as your subscription will continue unless you cancel it.

10. What if I don’t act upon or receive the renewal notification from the ECB?

If you have not logged in and consented/reconfirmed your details, then your renewal will not take place.  Your ECB DBS clearance will expire on your renewal date.  However, if you are still in regulated activity and wish to renew, please contact Customer Support and we can restart the renewal process for you.  There is no need to start a new application.

11. I have received an email directly from the DBS Update Service to renew my subscription, why do I need to do this?

The DBS Update Service is external to the ECB and your account is personally registered to you.  To maintain your registration, you will be invited to renew annually.  If you are in a paid role you will need to pay your annual fee of £13, if you are a volunteer, there is no charge. For any queries regarding your Update Service subscription, you will need to contact the DBS directly: https://secure.crbonline.gov.uk/crsc/subscriber

12. What if I have changed roles/clubs in the last 12 months?

As part of the renewal questionnaire, we will ask you to confirm your role and the club/organisation you are associated with.  Dependant on your answers we will confirm if your renewal can take place, or if a new application will be required.  This is normally only the case if your new role equates to a different level of checks.

13. I have changed my legal name, or my name is not correct on my existing certificate?

It is the policy of the DBS that a certificate must be applied for/issued in a person’s Full Legal Name.  If there has been an error or you have changed your legal name since your certificate was issued, then your certificate is no longer valid.  A new application would be required.  This can be confirmed via the renewal questionnaire and our Customer Support team will contact you to start a new application.

14. I have moved address in the last 12 months

You will be asked to confirm your current contact details (address / telephone number) upon renewal.  This will not impact the ECB’s ability to renew your certificate, and we will ensure our records are updated accordingly with the new contact information you have supplied.  We also suggest logging into your update service account to amend your address directly with them.

15. How will I know that a check has taken place against my certificate?

If you log onto your DBS Update Service account you will be able to view any checks that have taken place, which will include the name of the person / organisation and date.

16. How do I know that my DBS clearance with the ECB has been renewed?

We aim to conduct renewals in Realtime upon completion of the annual questionnaire, however as the check is dependent on the availability of the online service, there could be slight delay, therefore we will always follow up with a separate email communication to confirm completion of renewal.  This will usually be sent no later than 5 days after your renewal date.

17. I am unsure if my ECB DBS Certificate is registered to the DBS Update Service

If you are in a paid role, then you would receive an annual subscription reminder email for the Update Service directly from the DBS and would be required to log in and pay the annual fee of £13.  For volunteers you will also receive an annual subscription email but are not required to pay.  We do recommend keeping a note of your login details (Update service ID number) however, your registration will not expire if you do not login.

If you think you are registered, then please contact ECB Customer Support and we can send you a link for you to opt in and we can then carry out a check on your certificate.

If it is found that your certificate is not registered then we will initiate a new application for you.