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The short answer
Ask only for information you are legally allowed to collect for that role. Decide what you need and why before writing the questions. A volunteer’s signed declaration does not replace a required DBS check.
Scope: DBS in England and Wales; sector-specific rules may also apply
Set up the form before sending it
Start with the duties. Check whether the law allows you to ask about spent convictions for this role. Do not issue a form asking about spent records to every volunteer by default. [1]
Name the person who will receive disclosures, provide a confidential submission route and link the privacy notice. Explain what happens after a “yes” answer so applicants know they can discuss relevant context privately.
Decide when the declaration is necessary in recruitment. A booking form shared with every event administrator is usually the wrong place for detailed criminal-record information.
Different roles need different questions
For most roles, any justified criminal-record question should ask only about unspent information the person must disclose. Some roles allow questions about spent records too. Even then, your questions must respect the rules that protect certain convictions and cautions from disclosure. [2]
DBS provides example questions and explanations. Use these when writing your form so you ask only about the records the person needs to disclose for that role. [3]
Do not use a single “Have you ever had a conviction?” question. A blanket history question is not made appropriate by adding a consent tick box.
Download a form-planning template
Download the editable text template
The template includes an organiser setup checklist, applicant details, a place for the approved role-specific question, a confidential disclosure route, an accuracy declaration and a separate organiser decision record. You must add the correct question for the role before sending the form.
Use separate forms where the roles allow different questions. Remove organiser instructions before sending it and retain the version used, so the decision maker knows exactly what the applicant was asked.
A declaration is not a DBS result
A signed form is the applicant’s response to the questions asked. It is not an official criminal-record certificate, a barred-list search or verification that every recruitment step is complete.
Keep the declaration status separate from identity verification, references, the DBS result and the appointment decision. If a form and certificate appear inconsistent, first check the scope and wording: the applicant may have answered a narrower question correctly.
Handle the information carefully
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) explains how to handle criminal-record information, including declarations. [4] Record your lawful reason and legal authority for collecting this information. Check whether you also need a data protection impact assessment: a written review of the risks to people’s privacy. Consent alone is not a reason to ask for otherwise inappropriate information.
Limit who can see the information. Decide how long you need it for its purpose and delete it when that need ends. A “no convictions” response still needs appropriate handling; it is not simply ordinary event contact data.
Sources and further reading
Last accuracy check: 25 September 2026. We review this series monthly against official guidance. Follow the linked guidance for the full conditions and any later changes.
- DBS eligibility guidance↩
- Ministry of Justice: Rehabilitation of Offenders Act guidance↩
- DBS: filtering guide↩
- ICO: pre-employment vetting of candidates↩
Government guidance is attributed to the bodies linked above. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, where applicable. This guide provides general information; decisions depend on the specific role and setting.