DBS and Occupational Health Check Guidance

An email link to complete your DBS application will be sent to your inbox according to the email address registered on the course application to the University.

Check your spam/junk emails to ensure the email has not been sent there if you still do not have a link, please contact FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk / FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk with your details including your student number, to check and request another link for you.

Please open the email and follow the instructions carefully to activate your DBS account with First Advantage/Know Your people.

This does NOT mean your DBS is completed. There are further actions for you to progress.

Log into Know Your People to complete your application.

Complete the DBS application.  If you are an overseas student and require​ further assistance, please contact FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk ​/FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk.

If you are an overseas student you will not be issued a DBS link until confirmation of acceptance to study is evidenced. You will not be asked to do a UK Enhanced DBS check until you reach the UK.

Process your ID documents through the option given which is digital, if the digital check fails, you will be redirected to the portal that will carry out the ID checks. Please ensure you take the scan/bar code to the Post Office with you as this is your identified for your DBS application.

Await the outcome of the DBS process.  Please note the university cannot intervene with the DBS checking process performed e.g Police database search, due to GDPR.  Please note a DBS can take up to a maximum of 90 days from application to completion until it is returned.  Therefore, you are urged to complete your application as early as you can. 

Your certificate will be posted to the address you included on your application. 

There is no requirement to notify the University, your result is automatically available and actioned by the DBS Team.​ The only exception is if your DBS is returned with a criminal entry and you will be asked to send it to the Suitability team.

For FEHW Initial Teacher Training applicants only:  A UK overseas and residency check will need to be completed on the course application.  This check will require you to disclose any occasions you have worked or resided outside of the UK. You will be asked to provide overseas police check(s) from each country you have declared to reside or work in.  You will not be able to proceed to enrolment without these checks being cleared.

You will receive a link by email noreply@heales.com, from our OH provider, Heales Medical.  You must complete this questionnaire and submit it as soon as possible. 

If no health condition has been declared a Course Clearance email will be generated and your course entry requirement cleared, resulting in your Occupational health check no longer being a barrier for enrolment.  Please be advised you will need to ensure all other course entry requirements are met before you will be able to progress to enrolment.

If you have declared a health condition on your health questionnaire, this will be triaged by a medical professional and Heales Medical will contact you directly. This may be to arrange either a telephone call or a face-to-face appointment to discuss this further.  If you are unable to attend your appointment it is your responsibility to notify Heales Medical and inform them in good time.

You will also be prompted to submit any vaccination evidence you have to studentoh@heales.com along with your student name, number and date of birth. You can obtain this from your GP Practice.

If you are unable to obtain and submit your vaccination evidence then please do not worry, as you will be invited to a scheduled future vaccination session. The nurses will administer a blood test which will denote what you are or are not immune to. Upon receipt of your blood results, vaccinations will be provided accordingly.

As an overseas applicant you will be required to provide an International Certificate  of Good Character (INTCC) translated into English and stamped by the relevant official authority of your home country. This will be requested by the External Partnership Team/DBS Team.

Allied Health or a Nursing applicant - Please see the conditions below:

If you are an Allied Health student, you ned to have lived in the UK for at least 2 years on application to the University.  If you have lived in the UK less than 12 months you will be asked to provide an International Certificate of Good Character from your home country.

Education Applicants - Please see the conditions below:

ITE Education applicants to the University of Wolverhampton must have been resident in the UK  before the age of 10.   If you move to the UK and you were age 10 or above you will need to provide an International certificate of good character check from your home country, for example, if you moved to the UK at the age of 18 you are required to provide an International Certificate of Good Character from the age of 10 to 18.

Guidance to obtaining an International Certificate of Good Character check:

Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This is a course  entry condition along with a UK Enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check  applicable and OH clearance to your chosen course.

Providing you have a clear INTCC check you will be able to complete your DBS application once you arrive in the UK.

On arrival in the UK, please ensure you have a registered address and open a bank account so this can be used as identification.

The list of ID accepted can be found here:

ID checking guidelines for standard/enhanced DBS check applications from 1 July 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In addition, please ensure you indicate your date of arrival to the UK to FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk.  Please note you will not be permitted on to placement until a UK DBS is cleared.  This will prevent any delays in enrolment

The email link for the DBS application activation will be sent to the email address you registered with the University. 

If you have any difficulties with the DBS  process or you cannot find a DBS link, please contact the DBS Team on 01902 518630 or FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk including your student number in the subject category.

As a condition of your chosen course of study, all applicants are required to undergo a UK-enhanced DBS check and an Occupational Health check (OH), and the process is explained in detail below. Please note that failure to complete the following process in full within 30 days of receiving this notification will prevent you from taking up your place on your chosen course. Before you are made an offer you will be asked to make declarations about your health and your criminal record.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 you are exempt from the provisions of Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Therefore, you are not entitled to withhold information about convictions that for other purposes are spent under the provisions of the Act. Please ensure that you make full disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns, please seek appropriate guidance via our Admissions Team: email admissions@wlv.ac.uk.

Declaring a health problem or possession of a criminal conviction does not necessarily make you unsuitable for undertaking a professional programme. However, hospitals and other healthcare organisations can prevent access to your placement if you do not have a disclosure certificate. Furthermore, your full enrolment on the course is dependent upon meeting all conditions of your offer applied to you.

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions in relation to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Should you already have a recent DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate, you are still required to apply for University DBS as they are not transferrable between organisations, unless you have signed up for the update service (www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service) and the level of check already done matches the level of check required by the University. If you have signed up for the update service, then please bypass the process below and email FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk /FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk  to arrange an online status check. Please note you will be required to provide your original disclosure certificate alongside your student number and photo ID (passport or driving license).

First, Check your spam/junk emails to ensure the email has not been sent there, if you still do not have a link, please contact FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk / FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk with your details including your student number, to check and request another link for you.

You will be asked to complete a digital ID check, if this fails then you will automatically be redirected to the Post Office verification check.  You must take your ID to a Post Office to verify your ID documents and process your application to the next stage. 

A list of available Post Offices can be viewed here.

What happens after this?  

Your application is electronically submitted to the DBS for processing.  The process is not completed until you have been issued a DBS certificate.  This will be posted by the Disclosure & Barring Service to the address you used as your current address in the DBS application.  

You may contact the DBS directly at 03000 200 190 or by sending an email at customerservices@dbs.gov.uk  quoting her DBS reference number to check if they will be able to speed up the processing of her DBS check.

Once the checks have been completed your Disclosure Certificate will be sent to the address you provided in your application. If you change the address after you have submitted your form, you should make arrangements for the Disclosure certificate to be redirected to your new address.  Important Information: The Disclosure and Barring Service will not issue a second copy of your Disclosure certificate so if there are changes to your address you will need to ensure you notify them before the checks and dispatch are completed.

If there are no convictions, cautions, or reprimands listed no further action is required. You do not need to notify the University when you receive your Disclosure certificate, but ensure safekeeping as placement providers (Schools, Hospitals, etc) may ask you to produce it or may not be permitted to attend your placement without your DBS certificate.

Please note the University has no control over the length of time a disclosure application takes to complete. In certain cases, the DBS are not able to meet its 90-day target for a number of reasons. For example, if you have a common surname, it can take time for the Police to distinguish between one person and another, especially if two people with the same name share the same date of birth. Other reasons for delay can be if the applicant has lived at several addresses in different areas of the country, or simply if your application is made at a particularly busy time of year.

If you have not received your DBS certificates 15 days after the certificate issue date you can request a re-print by calling the DBS on 03000 200 190, option 1 to speak to a DBS representative.

Your place on the course is only at risk if you have not engaged e.g.  Submitted DBS application.  If this is with the DBS and is being processed (i.e. you have done everything you need to do), there is no threat to your place on the course. You are encouraged to commence the DBS process as early as you can however to ensure that your enrolment is not compromised or delayed.

No. We receive electronic notification of your DBS result.  

If you have a conviction, caution, or reprimand you will need to provide us with a sight of your original DBS certificate and you will be required to complete a self-declaration if you did not declare as part of the University application process. If you have declared offenses to us, or if your DBS Disclosure shows offenses or information from the police, then you will be subject to the Faculty Fitness to Practice process.  In these instances, you will be contacted by the Faculty’s Quality Placement Administrator.

Your DBS will cover you for the duration of your course unless you take a leave of absence for more than 12 months. In this example, you would have to apply for a new DBS certificate by contacting FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk or FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk before you return from your leave of absence.

Additionally, if you are involved in any incidents of a criminal nature throughout your course you are required to declare this, and this will be subject to the Faculty’s Fitness to Practice procedures.  The University reserves the right to ask you to apply and pay for a new DBS certificate.

The Disclosure and Barring Service will not issue copies, and nor can the University get another DBS certificate, you would have to apply again from the very beginning of the process and this would incur another cost of £61.40 paid direct to Know Your People once you are sent a DBS link. It  is imperative that you keep your DBS certificate safe. The University relevant DBS Team can help support you with this process.

If you receive a caution, reprimand, or conviction AFTER you have received an Enhanced Disclosure certificate, you must inform the University immediately by contacting FEHWsuitability@wlv.ac.uk /FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk – do not disclose any detail at this stage, we will contact you upon receipt of your initial email.

You will receive a link from our OH providers, Heales Medical.  You must complete this questionnaire and submit it as soon as possible.  If you have any health issues to discuss they will contact you directly and arrange a follow up meeting, sometimes with a Nurse or Doctor.  This will be to discuss your answers in more depth.

If you do not receive an OH link for completion, then please email FEHWOccyhealth@wlv.ac.uk or FSEoh@wlv.ac.uk according to the faculty you will be studying with.

You will receive communication from Heales medical asking for evidence or to attend an appointment on the relevant campus to either take bloods or have a vaccination for any outstanding vaccines required. This email will come to you directly from noreply@heales.com

Please contact FEHWOccyhealth@wlv.ac.uk or FSEoh@wlv.ac.uk according to your course of study.

The DBS check is completed by an external company, but you can contact staff who liaise with the company at our university by email, via: FEHWDBS@wlv.ac.uk or FSEDBS@wlv.ac.uk.