What Care Check does

Care Check is a UK-based Disclosure and Barring Service registered umbrella body that processes criminal record checks and supplementary pre-employment screening services for UK organisations. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Evesham, the company operates a fully digital eBulk platform handling Basic, Standard, and Enhanced DBS checks for over 45,000 organisations, processing more than 250,000 applications annually. Core products comprise three tiers of DBS checks, supplemented by an integrated screening suite covering digital identity verification via TrustID, social media profiling via SP Index, employment references via RefNow, BPSS checks via Konfir, and digital right-to-work verification.

The company's underlying technology centres on a paperless eBulk DBS application platform that integrates directly with the Disclosure and Barring Service's electronic bulk application interface, with secure encrypted submission, real-time application tracking, and digital ID validation. Free API integration is offered for high-volume HR software users, enabling automated application submission and centralised record management. The platform operates from an ISO 27001 secure data centre and holds Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation. Reported processing performance includes 65% of Enhanced checks returned within 24 hours and 85% of all checks completed within 5 days, with accounts established within 15 minutes of registration.

Care Check operates on a transactional fee model, charging a DBS fee passed through to the Disclosure and Barring Service plus a volume-tiered administration fee starting from approximately £4 per application, with no registration, set-up, or membership fees. Its go-to-market combines self-serve online registration, phone-based account support, and an API-first distribution model for high-volume enterprise clients, with supplementary services sold as standalone products or bundled screening packages. The customer base spans healthcare, education, charities, financial services, transportation, recruitment agencies, MOT testing centres, hospitality, and now self-employed individuals following January 2026 legislative changes permitting direct Enhanced DBS applications.

Name

Care Check

Legal name

Care Check Ltd

Website

https://carecheck.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Care Check is a UK DBS check umbrella body operating a digital eBulk platform that processes Basic, Standard, and Enhanced criminal record checks and supplementary pre-employment screening for over 45,000 organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Background Screening Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Caregiver Vetting, Screening & Background Check Services (HSAAALAN)

Keywords

• DBS check processing
• Criminal record checks
• Background screening services
• Pre-employment screening
• Identity verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Evesham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. DBS Check Processing Fees: Care Check charges a DBS fee (passed to the Disclosure and Barring Service) plus an administration fee. The admin fee varies based on volume tiers, starting from as little as £4.00 per application. No registration, set-up, or membership fees are charged.
2. Supplementary Screening Services: Additional revenue from pre-employment screening services including Social Media Checks (£25-£43), Employment Reference Checks (£21), BPSS Checks (£85), Digital ID Checks (£5), Right to Work Checks (£5), and Adult 1st Checks (£10.80).
3. Volume-based Pricing Tiers: Discounted admin fees for higher application volumes, with bulk discounts available. High-volume clients can access lower admin fee bands and may qualify for free API integration with HR software.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Care Check is a UK-registered DBS umbrella body that processes Basic, Standard, and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service criminal record checks on behalf of employers, plus supplementary pre-employment screening (Social Media Checks, Employment Reference Checks, BPSS Checks, Digital Identity Checks, Digital Right to Work Checks). Applications are submitted and managed through the paperless eBulk online platform, which supports real-time tracking, digital ID verification, and free API integration with HR software for high-volume clients.

Product overview

Care Check is a UK-based DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check provider offering a comprehensive suite of background screening services. The core offering centers on three levels of DBS checks (Basic, Standard, and Enhanced), supplemented by a digital platform called the E-Bulk DBS System that enables paperless online applications. Additional screening modules include Social Media Checks (via SP Index), Employment Reference Checks (via RefNow), BPSS Checks (via Konfir), Digital Right to Work Checks, and Digital Identity Checks (via TrustID). The company also offers API Integration for HR software systems to enable seamless workflow automation. Products are sold both as standalone services and as part of bundled Pre-Employment Screening packages targeting various industries including healthcare, education, charities, finance, and driving sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basic DBS Checks Basic level DBS checks that reveal unspent convictions from police records. Available to anyone for any reason and can be applied for directly by individuals or via organisations on the eBulk platform.
• Standard DBS Checks Comprehensive criminal record checks for positions involving financial services, prisons, security, government buildings, and healthcare establishments with incidental contact with vulnerable groups. Includes spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands.
• Enhanced DBS Checks Highest level of DBS Check for positions involving work with vulnerable groups such as children or vulnerable adults, including Enhanced with Barring List or Enhanced without Barring List options. Discloses spent convictions, unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, reprimands, and checks against ISA-barred lists.
• DBS Adult 1st Checks (POVA) Checks an individual against the DBS Adults' Barred List, also known as ISA Adult First or POVA check. Allows individuals to start work under supervision while waiting for full DBS check results.
• List 99 Checks Confidential register check of individuals barred from working with children by the Department for Education. Maintained by the children's safeguarding unit containing names, aliases, dates of birth, and national insurance numbers.
• Social Media Checks Comprehensive social media profiling reports via SP Index that assess an individual's online behaviour across a 2, 3, 5, or 10 year period, evaluating brand/reputation risk, undesirable characteristics, connections to proscribed organisations, and policy breaches.
• Pre-Employment Screening Suite Comprehensive suite of pre-employment screening services including UK Financial Probity Checks, Anti-Money Laundering Checks, UK Directorship Checks, International Sanctions & PEP Checks, FCA Regulated Checks, Basic DBS Checks, Essential Social Media Checks, Digital ID Verification, BPSS Checks, Employment Reference Checks, and screening packages.
• Employment Reference Checks Employment reference checking service via RefNow that verifies candidates' employment history, credibility, and professional background, including advanced fraud detection, GDPR compliance, and verification through verified referees.
• BPSS Checks Baseline Personnel Security Standard Checks consisting of Right to Work Check, Identity Check, Basic DBS Check, and Employment References Check (RICE), available via Konfir for government and private sector pre-employment screening.
• Digital Right to Work Checks Digital verification of an applicant's legal right to work in the UK, automatically verifying status using acceptable documents such as passports and share codes generated via the Government website.
• Digital Identity Checks Comprehensive digital identity verification via TrustID that automatically verifies passports, biometric ID cards, and driving licences from over 200 countries using biometric data scanning, liveness detection, and face matching technology.
• E-Bulk DBS System Online DBS application platform via the DBS e-Bulk interface that enables applicants to complete applications online with electronic ID verification, immediate submission to DBS, and real-time tracking through a completely paperless secure encrypted connection.
• API Integration Free API integration service linking Care Check's e-Bulk Platform with HR software systems for high-volume users, enabling single-source DBS record management alongside HR and screening information and qualifying organisations for the lowest admin fee bands.
• DBS Checks for Self-Employed DBS check services for self-employed individuals and personal employees, including nannies, tutors, drivers, and carers. Following January 2026 legislation changes, self-employed persons can apply directly to Care Check for Enhanced and Enhanced with Barred List DBS checks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of Enhanced DBS checks completed within 24 hours
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SP IndexcoreTechnology or IntegrationSP Index provides social media checking services integrated into Care Check's eBulk platform. The partnership enables comprehensive social media profiling across 7 key measures of online behaviour, assessing candidates' public digital footprint over 2, 3, 5, or 10 year periods for pre-employment screening purposes.
• RefNowcoreTechnology or IntegrationRefNow provides employment reference checking services integrated with Care Check's platform. The partnership delivers GDPR-compliant employment verification with fraud detection, enabling verification of candidates' work history through personal email prevention and HR/manager confirmation.
• TrustIDcoreTechnology or IntegrationTrustID is a government-certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP) providing Digital Identity Checks via IDVT technology. Care Check integrates TrustID services to enable applicants to upload identity documents and capture selfies for remote ID validation, replacing manual document checking.
• KonfircoreTechnology or IntegrationKonfir provides BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) checking services integrated into Care Check's platform. The partnership enables automated processing of Right to Work, Identity, Basic DBS, and Employment History verification checks.
• StripeminorOthersStripe provides payment processing services for Care Check's online transactions. Stripe cookies enable secure credit card transactions on the website without storing credit card information.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• uCheck: One of the largest DBS umbrella bodies in the UK, offering Basic, Standard, and Enhanced DBS checks alongside pre-employment screening services. Directly comparable in product mix, customer segments (employers, schools, care providers), and digital delivery model.
• Disclosure Services: DBS umbrella body providing online Basic, Standard, and Enhanced DBS checks plus identity verification. Directly competes in the same UK employer and self-employed/applicant segments.
• Vetting.com: UK-based screening provider offering DBS checks alongside broader background screening services. Comparable as a digital-first background screening provider targeting UK employers and HR teams.
• Aaron's Department: UK DBS check provider offering online application processing for employers and individuals, operating as an umbrella body. Directly competes in the same mid-market employer segment with similar product offerings.
• Online DBS Checks: UK-based DBS check provider offering online Basic, Standard, and Enhanced DBS applications with a paperless platform. Competes in the same self-serve employer channel and offers similar pricing tiers.

Broad incumbents

• HireRight: Global background screening and workforce solutions provider with UK presence. Broader portfolio (criminal, employment, education, credit checks across multiple jurisdictions) but overlapping DBS and pre-employment screening offerings.
• Onfido: AI-based digital identity verification provider that complements or competes with Care Check's digital ID checks and broader identity validation. Larger scale and broader geographic footprint but adjacent product overlap.

Emerging players

• Veremark: Background screening platform offering digital reference checks, identity verification, and employment screening. Comparable in targeting modern HR teams for pre-employment screening, with a more technology-forward product.
• RefNow: Employment reference checking service that is itself a partner of Care Check. Comparable in delivering one of the screening modules (GDPR-compliant references) but operates as a standalone product as well.

Regional players

• Personnel Checks: UK-based DBS and background screening provider with comparable Basic/Standard/Enhanced DBS offerings and pre-employment screening add-ons. Smaller competitor focused on the UK market with similar customer profiles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dbs_checks
• Facebookfacebook.com/carecheckdbs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/care-check-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Care Check