This can be quite confusing, as there are 3 types of check.
To help you we briefly describe all 3 types below.

Only one applies to petsitters. This is “Basic Disclosure”. 

Police Check Certificate - Basic Disclosure (Petsitters may need this one) Unsupervised petsitters staying in or visiting client’s homes may wish to have a Basic Disclosure.  This is provided by Disclosure Scotland for the whole of the UK. The CRB office does not yet offer the service. Official Position If you require a disclosure for employment purposes, please contact Disclosure Scotland on: or via their website www.disclosurescotland.co.uk The lowest level, the Basic Disclosure (termed as a “criminal conviction certificate” in Part V of The Police Act 1997 – the “1997 Act)” is available to anyone for any purpose subject to confirmation of identity of the applicant and payment of the appropriate fee.  The Basic Disclosure will contain details of convictions held in central police records which are unspent according to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (the “1974 Act”) or will state that there are no such convictions.

The other two types of certificate

1. Personal Data held by Police (Subject Access Request)

Your Agency must not request you to provide a copy of this report, although for personal reasons you may wish to see it.

Official Position

The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 98) gives you the right to access personal information (information about yourself) held by organisations, including the police.

Requests for information for employment purposes

The police do not provide PNC disclosures for employment vetting services. The current procedure whereby companies require individuals to exercise their rights under Subject Access provisions at section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998, as a form of vetting, has been considered to be unlawful for many years and is against the spirit of the legislation. When Section 56 of the Act is implemented, it will become a criminal offence for the employer to ask individuals, as a condition of employment, to go through this process.

2. Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Check - Standard and Enhanced

Petsitters and their Agencies are neither required nor able to apply for a CRB check.

Official Position

Standard & Enhanced disclosures

If, because of the nature of your job, you need to apply for a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure, you must do this through your employer or an umbrella body.

Applying through an employer

If you have been asked for a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure by your employer or a potential new employer, they will have to manage the application process. Applications for these disclosures can only be processed by the CRB when countersigned by an individual registered with the CRB for this purpose.

Applying through an umbrella body

An umbrella body is an organisation which has registered with the CRB and is able to apply for Standard and Enhanced Disclosures for individuals, for positions which are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974.

If you are going to work as a paid employee or as a volunteer for an organisation and your work will bring you into contact with children or vulnerable adults, you will be asked to have a CRB check.  For example, if you are to work as a teacher, care worker, scout & guide leader, registered childminder, sports coach, youth club worker, foster carer or adoptive parent.

Many thanks to NACRO for providing clarification on all the above.

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