Both DBS and Disclosure Scotland have policies and support in place for transgender applicants. Please follow the relevant advice below to ensure the information included within your check is correct.
If you're transgender, you do not have to tell the organisation asking you for a disclosure what your previous gender was. You only have to tell Disclosure Scotland or the Disclosure & Barring Service inline with their internal policies.
You also do not have to give your Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) to the organisation.
Completing a disclosure application with Amiqus
Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
Completing a disclosure application with Amiqus
- Fill in the details of the disclosure application using your present name and gender.
- For the question, Have you been known by a different name?, you do not have to answer “Yes”, unless you have had other names related to your present gender. You do not have to disclose previous names that relate to your previous gender.
- For the question, What is your gender?, select your present gender.
- For the question, Would you like to be able to track your application?, make sure to select “Yes” to ensure you are sent your Application reference number. This is required when notifying Disclosure Scotland of your previous names.
Disclosure Scotland
Notifying Disclosure Scotland of your previous names
Even though you do not need to disclose the previous names on the application, you will need to provide these to Disclosure Scotland separately so they can accurately check your criminal record.
- Once you have completed your disclosure application with Amiqus following the instructions above, wait to receive email confirmation that your application has been submitted. This email will contain your application reference number.
- Send an email to dsoperations@disclosurescotland.gov.scot and include the following information:
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Your application reference number
This will be emailed to you as soon as your application has been reviewed and submitted to Disclosure Scotland provided you opted to track your application. If you did not opt to track your application, please contact Amiqus Support who can help you obtain your application reference number. -
Your contact details
Present name, phone number and address -
Details of your previous names
First name, Middle name(s) (if applicable) and Last Name for each instance.
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Your application reference number
Disclosure Scotland's Operations Management will let you know when they have received your information, so you can be sure only Disclosure Scotland will handle your information.
What will my disclosure certificate show?
Your disclosure certificate will show your current name. It will not include any previous names.
I don’t have my Application reference number?
If you selected to track your application, it might be that the organisation you’re completing the disclosure for has not submitted your details to Disclosure Scotland yet. You will be sent your Application reference number by email as soon as the application is received by Disclosure Scotland.
If you know then organisation has submitted the application and have not received an email or you didn’t opt to track your application, please contact Amiqus Support who can help you obtain your application reference number.
Get help with the process
If you need help filling out your application or obtaining your application reference number, please get in touch with the Amiqus Support team at support@amiqus.co.
If you would like to discuss anything to do with notifying Disclosure Scotland of your previous names, call Disclosure Scotland directly on 0300 020 0040 and ask to speak to the Vetting Operations Manager.
Their helpline is open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm, and Friday 9am to 3.30pm (Find out about call charges).
They have also published information about how Disclosure Scotland deals with transgender applications.
Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants in accordance with the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This is known as the sensitive applications route, and is available for all levels of DBS check - basic, standard and enhanced.
The sensitive applications route gives transgender applicants the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate, that could reveal their previous gender identity.
The sensitive applications team
If you are asked to complete a DBS check and have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed to your employer and/or on your DBS certificate, you should call or email the dedicated sensitive applications team before submitting your application. The team is experienced in dealing with sensitive cases and will advise you of the process and what you need to do.
How to contact the sensitive applications team
To contact the sensitive applications team, please telephone 0300 106 1452 or email sensitive@dbs.gov.uk. Please note, that the telephone number also has an out-of-hours answering machine where you can leave your details, and a member of the team will call you back.
If you are happy to have your previous identity disclosed on your certificate, you do not need to contact the sensitive applications team and can simply submit this information under the ‘any other names’ section of your application.
Please note, an applicant using the confidential checking service, will still complete the same application form as any other applicant.