Category: DBS News and Advice

Remember the days when job hunters used to scour the newspaper for the latest vacancies? The way we look for jobs has changed beyond all recognition, with most jobs now being advertised through websites like Indeed, or social medial sites like LinkedIn. There is a newcomer in the jobs market though with the video app TikTok launching a recruitment project in July 2021 called TikTok resumes. But is a video CV something you should be thinking about?

Thousands of people in the UK decide to accept a caution from the police every year rather than going through the whole process of going to court. A caution is often seen as a minor, administrative thing rather than a serious issue but is that really the case? For people in England and Wales, there can be more implications to being invited into the police station for a quick chat than you might initially think. Even a voluntary interview on an informal basis might be recorded, and should the police decide to take things further in the future, form the basis for a legal prosecution.

Employers across the UK are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to help them make recruitment decisions. When used properly, AI can help streamline recruitment processes and help to eliminate human bias and error. AI is typically used to sift CVs at the first stage of the application process, to crawl through an applicant’s social media feed, or to schedule interviews. AI is all about taking the administrative burden off the HR team, and making the recruitment process quicker, especially in organisations which are handling a large volume of applications, or who have multiple vacancies.

A Yorkshire MP has hit the headlines after starting a high-profile campaign to stop people convicted of sex offences from changing their names and falling off the radar. Deed poll paperwork, which allows anyone over the age of 18 to legally change their name and leave their old identity behind, costs as little as £42. The concern is that this loophole in the law permits sec offenders to change their name and move into a new job, potentially having access to more vulnerable adults or children.

The controversy over DBS checks for Birmingham drivers does not seem to be coming to an end any time soon. The problem first arose in September 2020 when the council switched providers for their school transport service, which provides taxis to take children with special educational needs to schools across the West Midlands.

In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the government consulted on new proposals for screening people who apply to hold a firearms licence in England, Wales, and Scotland. The numbers of people in the UK with a firearms licence are surprising; almost 600,000 people on the UK mainland have a firearm certificate, shotgun permit, or both. The police play a critical role in the licencing process for people who are either applying to hold a firearms certificate for the first time or renewing an existing certificate. The police vetting process is designed to weed out applicants who might pose a danger to the general public. If the police service believes that the applicant does present a risk, then they will refuse a licence.

Most businesses in the UK have to deal with the issue of DBS checks, and other background checks on their members of staff. It’s a necessary evil in the minds of most business owners, a way of protecting their business and customers from the risks associated with a rogue employee. But there’s no getting away from the fact that processing multiple DBS checks for employees is time consuming. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many managers have decided that the way forward is by outsourcing their DBS checks to third party companies. So, could your company benefit from doing the same thing?

It’s often said that the wheels of justice turn slowly, and it can take many months between being arrested and charged with a matter to appearing in court and being acquitted or found guilty. If in that intervening time you decide to switch positions and move into a role which requires a DBS check, what do you do about telling your employer about your pending court appearance? Will any matters which are pending appear on a DBS certificate?

There is a lot of confusion around young people under the age of 18 and whether or not they need a DBS check. This is mostly down to a 2012 change in the legislation around criminal records checking, with people confused about which system to follow.

Much as we all love our furry friends, the safeguarding processes just aren’t the same as they are for human beings. In most cases, people working with animals don’t need a DBS check, but there are a few important exceptions.