Category: DBS News and Advice

One of Birmingham’s most senior police officers is leading calls for new regulation on who can run hostels for tenants who are often vulnerable.

Unlike other forms of residential care, where owners and staff require enhanced disclosures, people who operate multi-occupancy housing for other vulnerable tenants require no checks at all. Calling on the government to close this loophole in the legislation, Chief Superintendent Steve Graham raised concerns that the current situation made it all too easy for criminals to get involved in purchasing and running hostel-style accommodation, with the aim of exploiting the vulnerable.

Recent research by Disclosure Scotland – the organisation which provides disclosure checks north of the border – has revealed that during the pandemic, 74% of jobseekers have been scammed into applying for jobs which are not genuine. Forbes magazine goes further, claiming that for every genuine job vacancy there are as many as 60 scam postings. How do you avoid becoming one of the scam victims?

Police checks are a standard part of applying for many positions in the UK and most job seekers are aware that they will have to go through some checking process when applying for positions involving a degree of responsibility or to work with children or vulnerable adults. There is a lot of confusion around the process though, and part of the problem is that the jargon and terminology changes on a regular basis. So, what exactly is the difference between a CRB check and a DBS check?

The SIA is the security industry body, set up 20 years ago to improve standards, and turn an industry with a poor reputation into something altogether more professional. The SIA covers not only door supervisors, but also a range of associated industries such as cash in transit, security guarding and people managing and operating CCTV systems. Anyone wishing to work in one of these roles will need a SIA licence, which involves a DBS check on criminal records. So, does this mean that people with a conviction in their past are wasting their time applying?

Most workers and employers are aware that a DBS check involves a criminal records search, and that it is essential for many jobs. These checks are carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service though, which is a government organisation independent of the police. There are, however, some circumstances in which a DBS check will be looked over by a police officer too.

One of the criticisms of government guidance across the board is that it is too general, and that it’s hard to find guidance which is tailored to individual circumstances. This is especially the case with DBS and disclosure checking guidance, and to be fair to the government, it would be impossible to come up with a set of guidance which takes into account every conceivable set of circumstances. Recently however the DBS has working with a body called Strengthening Faith Institutions (SFI) to create DBS guidance aimed at a range of religious groups.

The current job market is competitive and set to become ever more so as the economy emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. As the market becomes flooded with more people looking for a job, the inevitable consequence for employers is a deluge of people applying for every position. And from an applicant’s point of view, the temptation to exaggerate experience or tweak qualifications to be the perfect candidate is obvious. Many companies are already carrying out background verification and screening, and this is even more important when you have a large number of applicants. Luckily, there is technology on hand to help make the process a lot easier.

One of the many downsides of the current job market is that the pandemic has created ideal conditions for anyone who is out to scam job seekers. The scams are numerous and will usually involve employers asking for money for a training course, or accreditation, or as an “administration fee”. The mention of paying out money before starting work should always ring alarm bells. However, when it comes to one of the most common scams, asking workers to pay for a DBS or disclosure check, the grain of truth around payment makes it an even cleverer scam.

This year’s Disclosure and Barring Service conference is – unsurprisingly – online. Although there are obvious drawbacks to doing everything online, the benefit of online is that anyone can log on, watch presentations, listen to keynote speakers, and even take place in breakout sessions with other likeminded professionals. The event is aimed at HR and safeguarding professionals but will also be of interest to anyone who is involved in recruitment or in arranging DBS checks for workers. The programme runs across two days, with participants being encouraged to sign up for up to 6 workshops over the two-day conference.

Birmingham City Council’s report into what went wrong with DBS checking for their school transport contractors was released in December 2020 but raises more questions than it answers. Parents are still raising concerns about the city’s whole school transport system, so what exactly has gone wrong, and what is being done to resolve it?