Changes to DBS legislation now allow self-employed professionals to apply for Enhanced background checks through registered umbrella bodies. The reform closes a long-standing gap in the safeguarding framework and highlights a wider challenge: ensuring safeguarding systems keep pace with a labour market increasingly shaped by independent professionals and flexible work, writes Tim Stokes, Sales Director at the employment screening and background checking agency Matrix Security Watchdog.
A changing workforce
The UKโs safeguarding systems were largely designed for a world where most people worked for a single employer, within clearly defined organisational structures and HR processes. Yet the reality of the modern workforce is very different, with a growing number of services now delivered by independent professionals operating outside traditional employment models.
Recent changes to Disclosure and Barring Service legislation, which came into effect on January 21, 2026, recognise that shift. The reform allows self-employed professionals and personal employees to apply for Enhanced DBS checks through a registered umbrella body, addressing a long-standing limitation in the safeguarding framework.
Previously, self-employed professionals could only obtain a Basic DBS check independently, with Enhanced disclosures typically requiring an organisation or employer to submit the application on their behalf. While the eligibility criteria for Enhanced checks have not changed, the updated rules now enable independent professionals to access the appropriate level of disclosure without relying on a traditional employer to initiate the process.
Reshaping the labour market
The change reflects a broader shift already underway in the UK labour market. According to Office for National Statistics labour market data, more than 4.3 million people in the UK are now self-employed, representing a significant share of the workforce. Alongside this, research from the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self- Employed (IPSE) estimates that there are over two million freelancers working across the UK economy, many operating directly with clients rather than through a traditional organisation.
These professionals are increasingly visible across sectors such as education, care services, creative industries and specialist consultancy. In many cases they work closely with individuals and families, delivering services that require a high level of trust and accountability. Yet safeguarding systems have historically been structured around employer- employee relationships, creating challenges when applying consistent standards to independent professionals working outside those frameworks.
Closing a structural safeguarding gap
The new legislation helps address this disconnect. Under the previous system, for example, a tutor employed by a school could undergo an Enhanced DBS check including barred list information, while an independent tutor working directly with families might only be able to obtain a Basic disclosure. Allowing eligible self-employed professionals to apply for Enhanced DBS checks, and where appropriate barred list checks, brings safeguarding expectations more closely into line with the responsibilities involved in these roles.
It is important to note that the reform does not alter the underlying eligibility criteria for Enhanced DBS checks. Roles must still meet the existing DBS definitions for enhanced disclosure. What has changed is the route through which those checks can be accessed, with applications now submitted through registered umbrella bodies that verify identity and confirm eligibility before passing the application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
A decentralised workforce
As workforce models become more flexible, the responsibility for verification inevitably becomes more complex. Independent professionals often work with multiple clients across different environments, meaning safeguarding assurance cannot always sit within a single organisationโs HR framework.
This is why the role of registered umbrella bodies and specialist screening providers remains central to the DBS system. These organisations ensure that identity is verified correctly, eligibility for the appropriate level of disclosure is confirmed, and applications are submitted in line with DBS requirements. Maintaining this structured oversight helps ensure safeguarding standards remain consistent and trusted across different workforce models.
Trust and verificationย
The growth of the independent workforce also highlights the broader importance of robust verification processes. According to IPSEโs research into the self-employed landscape, the UKโs solo self-employed contribute more than ยฃ300 billion to the economy each year, underlining their importance within the modern labour market.
As more services are delivered through flexible working arrangements, background screening and identity verification are becoming increasingly important elements of workforce infrastructure. Independent professionals themselves are recognising the value of verified credentials, helping to reassure organisations, clients and families who rely on their services.
Allowing self-employed professionals to access Enhanced DBS checks represents an important step towards aligning safeguarding systems with the realities of the modern workforce. As the labour market continues to evolve, frameworks designed to protect vulnerable individuals must adapt alongside it, ensuring safeguarding remains robust regardless of how work is structured. Ultimately, safeguarding is not only about compliance. It is about maintaining trust and confidence across a workforce that is becoming more flexible, more independent and more interconnected than ever before.
