The Disclosure and Barring Service
Anyone who wants to adopt a child must have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Anyone over the age of 18 years who lives in the household must also have this check.
The DBS searches police records and barred list information and then issues a DBS certificate to the applicant.
Having a previous conviction, caution, reprimand or warning will not necessarily prevent a person from being considered as an adopter but it is helpful to let your Agency know as soon as possible if this is the case.
There are some specified offences which would prevent an Adoption Agency from considering a person as an adopter. Specified offences include nearly all crimes against children and some sexual offences against adults. They are set out in the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005.
If the DBS certificate reveals offences which are not specified and don't stop the assessment from going any further, they may still be relevant to suitability. For example, if someone has several recent drink driving or public disorder offences - this may suggest an alcohol problem.