About Self Employed DBS
Self Employed DBS is a specialist online DBS check service for eligible self-employed people, sole traders, freelancers, contractors, single-person companies and personal employees in England and Wales.
The service is operated by MJD Ventures Limited, a UK DBS Umbrella Body with more than a decade of experience supporting DBS applications, safeguarding checks and online compliance systems.
It was built for one reason: self-employed people needed a clearer, more suitable way to understand and apply for the right DBS check.
Since the January 2026 rule change, eligible self-employed people and personal employees can apply for Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List DBS checks through a DBS Umbrella Body, where the role meets the legal criteria.
That opened a route for people working independently in roles involving children, vulnerable adults, safeguarding, regulated activity, care, education, childcare, sport, therapy and other sensitive settings. But it also created confusion.
Not every self-employed person can get an Enhanced DBS check. The level of check depends on the role, the duties, the setting, the workforce and whether the work meets the legal eligibility rules. Self Employed DBS is here to make that process clearer.
A brand from MJD Ventures Limited
Self Employed DBS is a brand from MJD Ventures Limited.
MJD Ventures has been operating since 2015, building DBS, identity and compliance systems for individuals, employers, organisations and specialist providers.
Our wider DBS platform supports:
- self-employed individual applications through Self Employed DBS
- employer and organisation DBS checks through EasyDBS
- white-label DBS platform capability for specialist providers and franchise-style models through DBS Expert
- flexible HRIS-style functionality for organisations that need more than basic DBS processing
- right to work checks
- automated DBS Update Service checks
- internal messaging
- applicant tracking
- notes, reminders and custom reporting
- knowledge base articles and support resources
- configurable workflows for different client needs
Self Employed DBS is part of this wider DBS technology platform — one built to handle real applications, applicant support, identity verification, DBS submission, tracking, reporting and certificate management. It is not an enquiry form with a phone number at the bottom.
How It Works
There are a few stages. None are complicated, but knowing what to expect saves time.
1. Check eligibility first
Not every self-employed role qualifies for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check. Use the eligibility checker before anything else. Applying for the wrong level is a common mistake and means starting again.
2. Create an account and start your application
Once you know which check applies to your role, create an account and complete the application online. The form covers personal details, address history and role information, with guidance available at each step.
3. Verify your identity
DBS checks require identity verification. Depending on your circumstances, this can be done digitally or through a document-based route. The platform will tell you which applies to you.
4. We submit your application electronically
Once your application is complete and your identity verified, we submit it to the Disclosure and Barring Service through the e-Bulk system. Nothing to post, no offices to visit.
5. Track progress and receive your certificate
You can track your application through your account. DBS issues the certificate directly to you. Timescales depend on DBS and, for Enhanced checks, local police forces — we have no control over that part, but we will keep you updated.
What Is a DBS Umbrella Body?
A DBS Umbrella Body is an organisation registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service to submit DBS applications on behalf of individuals and organisations.
Most DBS checks cannot be applied for directly. Standard and Enhanced checks have to go through a registered body. Employers often handle this themselves, which is why employees usually apply through HR or a safeguarding team. Self-employed people do not have that — no employer, no HR team, no one to act on their behalf.
An Umbrella Body is how that gap gets filled.
MJD Ventures Limited is a registered DBS Umbrella Body. That means we can submit Standard, Enhanced and Enhanced with Barred List applications on behalf of eligible self-employed people and personal employees, where the role meets the legal criteria.
We are accountable to the Disclosure and Barring Service for every application we submit. That accountability is real — we have a responsibility to check eligibility properly and only submit applications that are lawful to process. If your role does not qualify, we will tell you.
If anyone tells you they can get you an Enhanced DBS check regardless of your role, that is worth questioning.
Built around e-Bulk DBS submission
MJD Ventures has access to the DBS e-Bulk system.
e-Bulk is the electronic system used to submit DBS applications securely and receive application updates and certificate information directly from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Not every provider has e-Bulk capability. It requires approved technical infrastructure, secure data handling and a system capable of communicating with DBS electronically.
For applicants, this means fewer delays. No paper forms, no manual handling, no chasing someone who is chasing someone else.
Through Self Employed DBS, eligible applicants can complete their DBS application online, verify their identity, receive updates and move through the process with support from a specialist DBS platform.
Why Self Employed DBS was created
For many years, self-employed people could usually only apply for a Basic DBS check themselves.
That left a gap.
A private tutor, self-employed carer, personal assistant, sports coach, therapist, childminder or contractor might be asked by a client, parent, household, agency or organisation for a higher-level DBS check — but the route was not always there.
The January 2026 change helped address that by allowing eligible self-employed people and personal employees to apply through a DBS Umbrella Body, where their role qualifies. Self Employed DBS was built specifically around this new route.
The platform is designed to help applicants:
- understand whether their role may be eligible
- choose the correct level of DBS check
- avoid applying for the wrong check
- complete the application online
- verify identity digitally where possible
- get support if they are unsure
- access clear DBS guidance written for self-employed workers
We are not GOV.UK
Self Employed DBS is not GOV.UK and is not the Disclosure and Barring Service.
We are a DBS Umbrella Body service operated by MJD Ventures Limited.
Official DBS guidance is published by GOV.UK and the Disclosure and Barring Service. We use that guidance to help applicants understand the process and apply correctly where their role is eligible.
If you are not sure which DBS check you need, use our DBS eligibility checker before applying. That is the right place to start.
Application Process Transparency
What we do with your application
Your application is submitted electronically to the Disclosure and Barring Service through the e-Bulk system. We hold your information securely in line with our data protection obligations and do not share it beyond what the process requires.
What we cannot control
Once submitted, processing time is out of our hands. Standard checks tend to be quicker. Enhanced checks involve both DBS and local police forces, and how long they take varies. We would rather tell you that upfront than give you a timescale we cannot back up.
What your certificate shows
Your DBS certificate is issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service, not by us. It goes directly to you at the address you provided. We do not receive a copy.
A modern platform, not a paper process
The Self Employed DBS platform has been rebuilt to make DBS applications simpler and faster to manage.
It supports both individual applicants and larger organisational workflows, with tools that can be switched on or off depending on what each user or client needs.
For self-employed applicants, that means a clean online journey with clear steps, secure account access, identity verification, helpful guidance and support throughout.
For organisations using the wider MJD Ventures platform, it can also support internal messaging, custom reports, notes, reminders, applicant tracking, right to work checks, automated DBS Update Service checks and HRIS-style functionality.
The same idea runs through everything we build: compliance should be easier to understand and complete correctly, not harder.
Support from people who know DBS
DBS checks can be confusing, especially if you are self-employed and do not have an employer, HR team or safeguarding lead to guide you.
That is why Self Employed DBS includes access to guidance, knowledge base articles and support from a UK-based team.
We help applicants understand the process, but we do not overpromise.
No provider can guarantee how quickly DBS or local police forces will complete an Enhanced DBS check once it has been submitted. What we can do is make everything before and after submission as clear and efficient as possible.
Our role
Our role is to help eligible self-employed applicants understand, prepare and apply for the right DBS check through a secure online process.
That includes:
- explaining DBS eligibility clearly
- helping applicants avoid the wrong level of check
- providing role-specific DBS guidance
- supporting Standard and Enhanced DBS applications where eligible
- helping applicants understand barred list checks where regulated activity applies
- submitting applications electronically through the DBS process
- supporting applicants with guidance, updates and next steps
Self Employed DBS is here to make a complex process easier, without cutting corners on the safeguards DBS checks are designed to protect.
Start with eligibility
If you are self-employed, a sole trader, freelancer, contractor, single-person company worker or personal employee and you think you may need a Standard or Enhanced DBS check, start by checking whether your role qualifies.
Not every role qualifies for every level of check, and barred list checks are only available where the legal criteria are met.
Use the DBS eligibility checker before you apply.