Disclosure & Barring Service:  MPharm Pharmacy & MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year

Please note that the information below applies to students joining a Pharmacy course in September 2024.  Students starting the course in September 2025 will be send further information in August 2025.

An Enhanced DBS check is a compulsory requirement for any courses where trainees may be placed in a position of trust working with children and/or vulnerable adults. The  MPharm Pharmacy courses at the Reading School of Pharmacy (RSOP) will involve working closely with both patients and members of the public. In order to be able to undertake placements or visits in hospitals, pharmacies, and General Practice, which are a compulsory part of the Pharmacy courses, you will need to apply for and obtain a satisfactory Enhanced DBS certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service.  Students who have lived outside the UK for 6 months or more in the past 5 years will also need to obtain a letter of good conduct from the relevant country or coutries that they have lived in.

How do I apply for an Enhanced DBS certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service?

STAGE 1 - Complete your online application

Complete an online application through the First Advantage Online Disclosures system by no later than the following dates:

• If you are joining the MPharm Pharmacy programme in September 2024 - no later than 27 September 2024.

• If you are joining the MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year programme in September 2024 - no earlier than 1 December 2024 and no later than 17 January 2025. 

Please visit the First Advantage registration page and follow the instructions in The Applicant User Guide.

The PIN and secret word, which you will need to use when registering to access the First Advantage Online Disclosures application service, will be sent to you via email in late August 2024.

STAGE 2 - Document Verification

After you have submitted your online DBS application through the First Advantage Online Disclosures system, you will need to provide a minimum of three ORIGINAL forms of ID.  Please refer to our advice on providing the correct identity documents for the DBS check for a list of acceptable documents.

• If you are joining the MPharm Pharmacy programme in September 2024:  You will be contacted by the placements team during October 2024 with available time slots and details of where to bring the three original documents for the Document Verification Stage.
  
• If you are joining the MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year programme in September 2024:  You will be contacted by the placements team during January/February 2025 with available time slots and details of where to bring the three original documents for the Document Verification Stage.

STAGE 3 - DBS Certificate Payment

Once the documentation verification process has happened, you will receive an email from First Advantage with instructions on how to pay for the DBS check (currently £45.20*). The DBS application process will be complete once the payment has been made.

The Disclosure and Barring Service will send your Enhanced DBS certificate to you in the post once they have completed the check. Please note that the certificate will be sent to the address listed as your current address on your DBS application.

*We have been advised that the government will be increasing the cost of the Enhanced DBS check from 2 December 2024.  The new fee will be £56.70.

STAGE 4 - Register for the Update Service

Once your application is complete you will need to register for the update service to renew your DBS certificate on a yearly basis.  This will cost £13* a year.  More information will be made available during the documentation verification process.

Do I need to send a copy of the DBS certificate to the university?

You will need to upload a copy of the certificate in the Pathways portal. Further instructions will be sent you at a later date.

How long will it take the Disclosure and Barring Service to complete the check?

The amount of time that a DBS check takes can vary depending on a variety of factors such as the time of year that an applicant applies, where the applicant lives or has lived, and how many different area police forces are involved in the check. You can monitor the progress of your application through the First Advantage Online Disclosures system. A number of agencies are involved in the checking process and the university cannot influence the amount of time taken to perform the check once it is in progress.

Do I need to obtain a letter of good conduct (overseas criminal records check)?

If you have lived outside the UK for 6 months or more in the past 5 years, you will need to obtain and provide a letter of good conduct from the country or countries that you have lived in during that period. The letter(s) of good conduct will need to be provided in addition to the Enhanced DBS check 

The application process for letters of good conduct (overseas criminal record checks) varies from country to country. You can find guidance on applying for overseas criminal record checks on the government's overseas criminal records check page.

You should request that the letter of good conduct is issued in English or obtain a certified translation of the certificate.

If you are still resident in the country that you need the letter of good conduct from, we advise you to apply for it before you leave as, in many cases, it is easier to obtain the letter of good conduct from within the country.

You should then send the letter to the placements team. 

Who should I contact if I have any queries?

If you have any questions relating to the Enhanced DBS check or the letter of good conduct, please contact the placements team.