Blog

Would it surprise you that according to official statistics, around 10 million people in the UK have a criminal record? Of course, the types of criminal records vary from minor brushes with the law as a teenager through to the habitual career criminal, but there are probably more people with a police record than you may have thought. One of the main worries for anyone with a criminal record is that their past will hinder them getting a job, but is this necessarily the case?

Often when you are browsing through job adverts in the UK, you’ll see phrases such as “subject to enhanced disclosure check” or other phrases relating to protecting vulnerable groups. If you’ve not come across this terminology before it can be confusing, but there are very sound reasons behind the need for this sort of check in certain occupations.

If you’ve been browsing through job advertisements, or looking at qualifications needed for certain occupations, you’ll more than likely have come across the abbreviation DBS. Part of the reason for the confusion is that DBS recently replaced another scheme called Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, and these terms and abbreviations are still commonly used.

Part of the standard application process for many jobs is the completion of some sort of Police check. There is nothing to worry about if your employer asks you to undergo a disclosure check or police check as for many roles it is a legal requirement to do so. Basic police checks are also often carried out when someone is applying for some types of immigration visas in order to support their application and show that they are of good character. Having criminal convictions in your past does not mean that your employer will automatically disregard your application or that your visa will be refused. Whether or not they decide to give you the job will depend on the circumstances of offences, the number of offences, and how long ago they took place. It is always better to be honest about crimes and cautions received as these will show up on a police check.

There are many different types of Police checks carried out by individuals and employees in Scotland, and often you will be told what sort of check your new employer will carry out on you. There are also types of disclosure which you can apply for yourself, in order to support an immigration application or similar. A standard disclosure is a fairly basic type of check, and one which your employer will complete on your behalf – the individual cannot apply for this type of disclosure by themselves.

The terminology surrounding the different sorts of paperwork and checks which are done on a new employee can be confusing and keeps changing over time. For some jobs in Scotland, you may be asked to consent to a Basic Disclosure. The organisation which administers these checks is called Disclosure Scotland. The aim of a Basic Disclosure check is to check whether the person presenting themselves for employment has any criminal convictions.

Understanding all of the terminology around police checks in the UK can be confusing, as terms keep changing, and to complicate matters further, there are separate systems running in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The body which carries out checks in England and Wales is called the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), so the certificates they issue are normally referred to as DBS too. This body replaces the Criminal Records Bureau checks, which were known as CRB. There are many different reasons why someone may apply for a standard DBS check, and the length of time to receive the certificate will depend on the individual’s circumstances.

It’s a commonly seen phrase when you’re browsing through job adverts or even on boards advertising for volunteers – “subject to satisfactory references and CRB or DBS check”. Most people are clear about what the references mean, but there is a lot more confusion about the other part of the process. CRB, or Criminal Records Bureau, is actually an obsolete term. In 2012, CRB merged with another body called the Independent Safeguarding Authority, and a new body called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) was set up. The functions of this new body are broadly similar, and in the future this is the organisation which will carry out whatever checks may be required.

The most detailed type of Police check carried out in Scotland is the Enhanced Disclosure. Until very recently, this was the type of check carried out on people working or volunteering with children or other vulnerable people, until that sort of checking was replaced by the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. Enhanced Disclosure still exists though, and there are a number of situations in which you might have to apply for one.

A Basic Disclosure form is the simplest form of police check available from Disclosure Scotland, for those people intending to apply for certain jobs in Scotland, or applying to the Home Office for an immigration visa and who are living at an address in Scotland. The form is the starting point in the process of having your police record officially checked, and to make things easier, this type of form can be completed and submitted online.