Category: DBS News and Advice

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.

A wide range of jobs in the UK require a DBS check, and applying for one is becoming standard practice in many recruitment processes. A DBS check looks into your criminal record, and the level of details disclosed on the certificate will be determined by the type of job you are applying for. Whatever the level of the DBS check, the application route is always the same. First, the applicant completes a form, giving all of their personal information such as date of birth, address history and details of any convictions or cautions. The employer then verifies their identity by looking at a range of documents which prove they are who they say they are. It is at this stage of the process that you might be asked to provide bank statements and utility bills.

The statistics around employment fraud are shocking. Worldwide, 72% of all business fraud cases involve an employee, making financial losses an “inside job”. Managers may be at a bit of the loss about what to do to prevent this situation, apart from checking CVs for lies, and chasing up references. Could a DBS check weed out the fraudsters?

It’s a simple enough question – will a motoring offence appear on my DBS certificate? Unfortunately, the answer is less straightforward. The simple answer is maybe; some offences will appear, and some won’t. If you are worried about your driving record, then it should be relatively easy to work out whether your offences will appear on a certificate.

There is a long list of reasons by why someone might change their given name, surname, or both. Perhaps the most common reason for a name change is because someone has got married or divorced and wishes to change their surname. However, there are lots of other reasons too, ranging from adding another name for religious reasons, or changing the spelling of a name which is complicated to spell or pronounce.

One of the newer roles in the NHS is that of social prescriber, so it’s perhaps understandable that the exact nature of the role and duties are widely misunderstood. If you’re applying for a role as a social prescriber, or have responsibility for recruiting one, here’s everything you need to know about DBS checks and how they might apply in your situation.

Many jobs require a DBS check, and in order to establish whether an individual caution or conviction will appear on the certificate, it’s important to understand the system in general terms and the three levels of disclosure check. In the most basic terms, what shows on your DBS certificate will depend on which level of check you have had.