Category: DBS News and Advice

Recruitment was turned on its head during the Covid-19 pandemic, with more people than ever working from home. We all had to get used to Zoom meetings rather than meeting colleagues in person, and getting applicants for a job into the office for an interview became impossible too. Remote recruitment poses its challenges, and even as we move back into having more people in the office, many employers are retaining remote recruitment as a way of cutting costs and time. But are there any disadvantages to recruiting in this way for either recruiter or candidate?

Back in 1974, new legislation was passed which was designed to help people who had been convicted of crimes to slot back into life and make a fresh start. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 allows people not to disclose older convictions in many situations, such as when applying for a job or buying insurance. There are limits to the Act, which means that most convictions resulting in more than 4 years in prison cannot ever be considered spent. For other convictions and cautions, they will be deleted from your record in most circumstances after a set period of time.

More and more employers are choosing to undertake at least some background screening on the people applying for jobs with their organisation. This could be as simple as ringing up a previous employer for a chat, but other employers dig a lot deeper. Checking everything from academic qualifications to vetting a social media profile takes both time an expertise, so it’s perhaps no surprise that many employers choose to subcontract this process out. But how do you work out which companies are reputable and will deliver what they promise? Recommendation from friends in the business world are always the best way to source trusted suppliers, but if you are coming at the process with no recommendations and no experience, here are some key aspects to consider when choosing which screening organisation to go with.

As part of the government roll out of digital services, it has recently been announced that the Disclosure and Barring Service, or DBS, is to be one of the first parts of government services to use the One Login system to confirm their identity. This is part of the Government Digital System, or GDS, which is all about integrating different government departments together, and making things easier for end users.

There have been substantial changes to the processes for licensing both black cab and private hire taxi drivers over recent years. All of the changes are designed to make things safer for passengers, guaranteeing that both the vehicles and the drivers undergo a basic level of checking to ensure that they are safe. Many local authorities now require that CCTV is installed as standard in all vehicles, mainly for the protection of passengers but also to protect drivers from assault or theft. DBS criminal records checks are also standard and must be renewed each time the driver applies for a new taxi licence. Renewing DBS checks involves a considerable amount of paperwork, so it’s perhaps not surprising that many licensing authorities are asking drivers to sign up to the DBS Update service instead.

A recent court case in Croydon has highlighted the need for all organisations, irrespective of size, to thoroughly background check the skills, qualifications, and experience of anyone applying for jobs. The Croydon case involved a woman who managed to secure a senior position within the NHS, after lying about both her academic background and work experience.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK in 2020, more of us have been working at home than ever. Many business experts are predicting that this shift to working more at home could be permanent, suggesting a hybrid model going forward with some days in the office and the rest at home. In several sectors, roles which were traditionally done in a clinic or educational setting are being carried out in private homes. A home-based position check is a little-known service offered by the Disclosure and Barring Service which allows people undertaking certain activities at home to access a full enhanced disclosure check.

Pre-Employment checks are becoming increasingly common in all sectors of employment. Employers will look at a range of factors, and checks will vary between organisations. For an entry-level position, employers may just carry out the basics of a Right to Work check, to make sure they aren’t employing anyone illegally. For senior positions in other organisations, the checks may be extensive and include credit checks, enhanced disclosure or DBS checks, formal reference checking and fact-checking of CVs. One of the most common checks carried out is a social media search – it’s free to look at someone’s social media profile and may give a good indication of their personality and what they get up to in their spare time.

A lot of the information which has been written about criminal records checking refers to the Disclosure and Barring Service, or DBS. This is the records checking body which covers England and Wales, but if you live in Northern Ireland of Scotland, you will be dealing with a separate body. This is mainly down to the different legal systems between the separate nations which make up the UK. There is often no direct comparison between offences in Scotland and England, for example, and the terminology used varies wildly too. You don’t have any choice over which body will do your check as your home address determines which body you will use for your check.

If there’s one thing which has changed since the pandemic, it’s the explosion in next-day services. Retailers can deliver almost anything to your door within 24 hours, if you’re prepared to pay for express delivery. So, it can come as a bit of shock when this option isn’t available. If you’re thinking about taking a new job which requires a DBS check, what are the options for getting your check quickly?