Professional checks for Health and Education courses

You will need to hold a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced disclosure certificate to ensure that you have no criminal convictions which could pose a threat to vulnerable individuals in your care. You will not be able to register at UWE Bristol until the DBS check is complete. 

• Education courses: All applicants (excluding IQTS) need a UK DBS, regardless of where you currently reside. In addition to the DBS check, if you have lived in another country for more than five months, in the last five years, we will also require a criminal record certificate from that country. For IQTS courses, the requirements will depend on where you currently reside. You will either need a UK DBS or an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC). Further details will be provided during your application process.
• Health courses: You will need a UK DBS if you live in the UK. If you have never lived in the UK, please complete a criminal record certificate from your home country. If you have lived in any other country for more than five months, in the last five years, we will also require a criminal record certificate from that country.

Application process for a UK DBS

You will complete the DBS process via an online external company called KnowYourPeople. The timing of this will depend on when you hold a firm offer with us and the start date of your course, for example from June onwards for courses starting in September. Please follow the instructions to complete your application form as soon as possible. The University will meet the cost of your first enhanced disclosure application. 

You need to have a UK address to complete this application form. If you need to obtain a UK DBS but are not currently resident in the UK, please wait until you arrive in the UK. We advise arriving with plenty of time to complete the application before the start of your course. 

Once you have completed your application, you will be asked to take your supporting ID documents to a Post Office offering the ’CRB & ID Verification Service’. Please note there is a Post Office charge for using this service. 

Your DBS application

We will track the progress of your application online and will only ask you to provide a physical copy of your DBS certificate if a conviction and/or caution is disclosed. In such cases you will receive further communication from us and will not be able to proceed with placements until this has been checked. If you have not disclosed a conviction to us and are aware of one which will appear on your DBS, please inform us urgently.

Having a criminal record will not automatically mean that the University will withdraw the offer. The University’s decision will be based on the requirements of the course, professional suitability and the circumstances, nature, and background of any offences. As a registered body, the University complies with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants fairly and not to discriminate unfairly based on a conviction or other information revealed in a disclosure from the DBS. A copy of the DBS Code of Practice is available on request. The deliberate provision of false information, or failure to declare a conviction without good reason, may result in your offer of a place at UWE Bristol being withdrawn. If at any point the University becomes aware that you made a false declaration it will require you to withdraw from the course immediately.

UWE Bristol's criminal convictions policies

By submitting the DBS application form you are agreeing to the University sharing the DBS enhanced disclosure certificate reference number and date with your placement institution.

Please note some placement providers may wish to see the physical copy of your DBS certificate, as part of their own safeguarding measures, regardless of whether a conviction and/or caution has been disclosed. 

DBS Update Service

If you are currently on the DBS update service for an existing enhanced disclosure certificate, you may not need to complete a new application form. This certificate will need to cover the appropriate level of check for your course.

If you have a recent enhanced DBS certificate, which covers the appropriate checks for your course, you can provide a copy of that as an alternative to registering online for a new one.   

If you have lived in another country for more than five months, in the last five years, we will require a criminal record certificate from that country, dated no earlier than three months before your course start date. We can provide a letter to support your request for a criminal records check.

International students (who require a Student Route visa to study in the UK) will need to provide evidence of requesting an overseas criminal record check as part of the CAS process. You will not be able to register at UWE Bristol and start the course until we have received evidence of this check. 

Education courses: All applicants need a UK DBS. If you are overseas, you will need to complete a UK DBS in addition to your overseas criminal records certificate(s). For IQTS courses, the requirements will depend on where you currently reside. Further details will be provided during your application process.

You will need to undertake an occupational health check prior to beginning your studies with us. Offers are subject to Occupational Health clearance and applicants are expected to disclose pre-existing and historical health conditions. You will not be able to register at UWE Bristol and start the course if you do not complete the health check.

UWE Bristol prides itself on being disability friendly, therefore disclosing any needs you might have through the health check will enable us to create reasonable adjustments to suit your needs.

We use Avon Partnership NHS Occupational Health Service for the health check. You will be required to complete an online questionnaire and must be prepared to undergo a medical examination if required. 

You will receive a link to the questionnaire by Avon Partnership NHS Occupational Health Service via email. The timing of this will depend on when you hold a firm offer with us and the start date for your course, for example from June onwards for courses starting in September. You will need to complete the questions fully and honestly within five days.

In order to complete the questionnaire, you will need: 

• your UWE Welcome ID number – when asked for your student ID 
• your National Insurance number 
• details of your health history, allergies and immunisations
• details of your course. 

Health courses: You must be in good health and up-to-date with all routine immunisations that are required for working in health and social care settings. You will be asked to confirm your status in relation to a number of infectious diseases and immunisations such as tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, varicella, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV antibodies and be prepared to have all required vaccinations. You will be expected to be up-to-date with your routine immunisations such as tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR. If your vaccinations are not up-to-date this will affect your ability to continue on your course. The Occupational Immunisations leaflet (PDF) provides useful information about the immunisations required. Please note that the list of required vaccinations may change, in response to advice from the Department of Health and Social Care. If you have any concerns please raise this as soon as possible.

Once finished, select the complete option which validates that all compulsory questions are answered and sends the questionnaire to Occupational Health for processing.

If for any reason completing the form online is not practical, please contact Avon Partnership NHS Occupational Health Service on +44(0)117 342 3400 who will be able to provide advice.

If you are joining our teacher training courses you must complete a Suitability Declaration form to determine your suitability to train to teach.

Please answer all questions fully and honestly. The University may withdraw any offer of a place if you provide false information or withhold relevant details that are later declared via your DBS check.

You must provide evidence of all your relevant qualifications to Admissions. 

For PGCE applicants: It is a Department for Education (DfE) requirement, that we verify your original degree certificate (not a photocopy or an online version) in person. This requirement is for all students joining our PGCE courses, even if you have already uploaded scans of your certificate.

Please bring your original degree certificate with you when arriving at UWE Bristol for the start of your course. You will need to bring your degree certificate to a registration session.

We must verify your degree certificate for you to fully enrol on the course and gain access to student funding and/or bursaries. Failure to provide your degree certificate will result in us withdrawing your place on the course.

If you are in the final year of your degree and you will not receive your certificate prior to joining the course, please email Admissions at aid.processing@uwe.ac.uk to discuss your options.  Similarly, if have already completed your degree but you do not have access to your original certificate, please contact us.

Please note that if you studied your undergraduate degree with us, we do not need to verify your degree certificate in person.