You apply for your DBS through Personnel Checks, tiney's DBS provider. The application is online, costs £60, and most checks come back within 4 to 8 weeks.
Household members use the same link to start their applications.
Why Personnel Checks?
tiney partners with Personnel Checks to run the actual DBS submissions. Your application will be set up so it has the right "home-based" status that childminders need. If you apply through another provider, you might get the wrong type of DBS. Always check with your advisor first.
What to have ready
Before you start, gather:
5 years of address history with month and year for each address
Any previous names with from/to dates (skip if you've never changed your name)
Your ID documents (see below)
A payment method, debit/credit card by default, or Klarna if you'd like to spread the cost
ℹ️ If you'd like to spread the cost, tiney offers Klarna as a payment option for the £60 DBS fee. Message your advisor before you start and they'll set it up.
ID verification
Two routes. You'll try the first one in the Personnel Checks app; if it doesn't work for you, you'll be sent to the second.
1. Online ID Verification (tried first)
You upload two ID documents through the Personnel Checks app and they're verified digitally. This happens before you complete the rest of the application and is the smoothest, quickest route.
Accepted documents (pick any two):
Passport (accepted from 200+ countries)
Driving licence (accepted from 100+ countries)
National identity card (accepted from 60+ countries)
UK CitizenCard
UK Young Scot Card
UK Post Office PASS Card
Most trainees use a passport and a driving licence. If you only have one of these (or neither), one of the other accepted documents will work.
2. Post Office In-branch Verification (the backup)
If online verification doesn't go through (a document doesn't read clearly, your face doesn't match the photo well enough, etc.), Personnel Checks will redirect you to Post Office In-branch Verification. You take your documents to a Post Office and they verify them in person.
You'll need three documents: 1 primary + 2 supporting.
Primary (pick one):
Passport (valid, or a UK passport expired no more than 6 months)
Driving licence (full or provisional)
National ID card
Biometric Residence Permit (showing indefinite leave to enter/remain)
Supporting (pick two from different sources):
Utility bill (gas, electric, water; received in the post in the last 3 months)
Bank or building society statement (full statement; received in the post or printed at the branch; last 3 months)
Council tax bill (last 12 months)
Broadband or landline bill (last 3 months)
Birth or adoption certificate (UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man)
Mortgage statement (last 12 months)
Marriage/civil partnership certificate
Bank opening letter (last 3 months)
Benefit statement, e.g. child allowance, pension (last 3 months)
HM Forces ID card or Veteran Card
Paper driving licence (not the counterpart style)
P45 or P60 statement (last 12 months)
Financial statement, e.g. pension, ISA (last 12 months)
PASS Card (still valid)
If your online ID verification doesn't work, Personnel Checks generates a letter confirming which documents you said you'd bring and the time period to attend your chosen Post Office. All documents must be valid, current, and original (no photocopies, no internet printouts).
Personnel Checks publishes the full list of accepted documents if you'd like to check edge cases.
Common errors to avoid
The most frequent reasons applications get delayed (from Personnel Checks's own guidance):
Names not matching ID. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport or driving licence, including middle names. If your passport says "Jonathan", don't enter "Jon".
Date of birth. You select your DOB from drop-down menus, not by typing it. If it's wrong after submission, you'll need to contact Personnel Checks to fix it.
"Other Names" left blank when you've changed your name. If you've ever changed your name (e.g. for marriage, deed poll), enter the previous name with the from/to dates you used it.
Address history gaps. You need a continuous 5-year history. Every month must be covered.
Unticked consent boxes. All boxes in the Consent section must be ticked before you submit.
If something is wrong after you submit, you may need to complete the form again and pay again.
Address history tips
The 5-year address history catches a lot of applicants out. A few specific cases.
If you have "no fixed abode" for a period
Fill the address fields for that period with "NO FIXED ABODE" (in the street, postcode and other fields) and the dates you had no fixed abode.
If you were a university student
Use your parents' address (or another permanent home address) as your current address, and list student accommodation in "other addresses" with month and year dates. Personnel Checks will use the parents' address to fill any gaps between student tenancies.
If you'd rather list your student address as current, you can, but you still need to list the parents'/permanent address under "other addresses" with full dates.
Don't write "current", "still there", or "present" in any date field. Use the actual month and year.
If you spend time at a second address for work
If you spend months at a time at a work-related address that isn't your home, list it under "other addresses" with month/year dates. You don't need to list hotels or short stays.
If you've lived abroad
Include the overseas addresses with month/year dates. Your DBS still goes through Personnel Checks. You may also need a Letter of Good Conduct from any country you lived in for 6+ months.
What happens after you submit
Application submitted. You'll get a confirmation email and a reference number.
ID verified. Either online (passport + licence) or manually by Personnel Checks based on documents you upload.
Submitted to DBS. Once your ID is verified.
DBS processes the check. Typically 4 to 8 weeks.
You'll get an email at each stage. You can also check status by logging in to your Personnel Checks account.
How long it takes
Most come back within 4 to 8 weeks. The DBS doesn't fast-track applications, and neither tiney nor Personnel Checks can speed yours up.
A few things can extend the timeline:
A police force needs to do additional checks (more common for some areas)
The DBS asks for additional info from you (you'll get an email if so)
You've moved a lot in the last 5 years, so more local force checks are needed
Errors in the application (see common errors above)
You can keep working on the rest of your training while you wait.
If you don't hear anything after 8 weeks
Message your advisor and we'll check the status with Personnel Checks and the DBS.
If you change your name during the process
If your legal name changes (marriage, deed poll, etc) while your DBS is in process, you'll need to apply for a new one in your new legal name. Neither tiney nor Personnel Checks can amend a DBS; only the DBS service can re-issue one. Let your advisor know.
After your certificate arrives
Take a clear photo of every page and store it somewhere safe. If your physical certificate gets lost or damaged, you can get a replacement from gov.uk directly (there's a fee).
Consider signing up to the DBS Update Service (£16/year). It lets your check be re-checked online instead of redoing it every three years. If you plan to be a tiney childminder for more than 3 years, the Update Service pays for itself.