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Difference Between Spent and Unspent Convictions

Difference Between Spent and Unspent Convictions

Pre-Employment checks are becoming increasingly common in the UK jobs market. Employers want to spend a bit of time and money looking into the backgrounds of the people who they are thinking of employing, as an attempt to guard against damage to the business from a rogue employee, or someone with a long criminal record in fraud. One of the most common parts of the recruitment process is the use of DBS Checks, also known criminal records screening. These checks serve as a tool for potential employers to look at whether someone has a criminal record, an assess the relevance of an individual’s convictions to the job role in question.

Which Background Checks for Which Roles?

Which Background Checks for Which Roles?

In the increasingly competitive jobs market, background checks have expanded their role from being primarily associated with positions involving children to encompass a much larger range of positions. Google searches for terms like “best background check” is up by 100% since last year, and “best background check site” searches have risen by 200%, underscoring the heightened interest across diverse employment sectors. If you’re in the market for a new job, the level and type of checking will in large part depend on the job you are applying to. Here are some of the most common background checks which are requested through organisations such as Clear Check, and the types of jobs where you might expect to come across them.

Student Placements and DBS Checks

Student Placements and DBS Checks

Work experience and placements are an essential aspect of many college and university courses. Students on apprenticeship or “sandwich” courses will take a few days a week or a month at a time out of education to gain real-life work experience, and others will search for work related to their course during holidays from their study. Universities can often be a good source of information about how to get a DBS check, or will work with partner organisations such as Clear Check to process applications.

School Governors and DBS Checks

School Governors and DBS Checks

School terms are wrapping up all over England and Wales, and many governors will be thinking about stepping down and letting someone else take over the responsibility. School governors have an important role to fulfil in overseeing the management of the school by setting policy and dealing with issues such as recruitment and complaints. If you’re considering getting involved, here’s what you need to know about DBS checks for school governors.

Security Vetting for Government Work

Security Vetting for Government Work

Understandably, the depth of security vetting needed for a working in government positions is higher than for many other similar positions. Job advertisements for positions working in central government or related departments will usually state what sort of screening is needed. There are four main levels of security clearance for government jobs.

RAAC Surveys and DBS Checks

RAAC Surveys and DBS Checks

Most of us hadn’t heard of RAAC a few months ago. RAAC is a type of cheap, lightweight concrete which was widely used in the construction of public buildings like schools, hospitals, or student accommodation. Over time, the concrete degrades and in serious cases, can cause buildings to collapse. The Department for Education (DfE) is currently conducting hundreds of structural surveys each week to identify schools with potentially unsafe concrete structures in England, with similar action being taken in other parts of the UK.

Apostille or Attestation?

Apostille or Attestation?

We are all living in an increasingly global society, and there are numerous occasions where paperwork from one country must be presented in another. This could be an academic transcript from a British university for a job overseas, or a will written overseas which is required by a British bank to release funds to a family member. Both attestation and apostille are legal methods for verifying the authenticity of documents in one country for use in another.

What Happens if you Lose the Right to Work?

What Happens if you Lose the Right to Work?

Employers in the UK have the legal responsibility to make sure that their employees have the legal right to live and work in the UK. This is why it is common practice to ask applicants to bring a passport to interview with them, or another way of proving their nationality. Employers who fail to carry out nationality or Right to Work checks, and are found to be employing illegal workers are liable to both huge fines and potential criminal sanctions.

New Advice on Safeguarding for Music Teachers

New Advice on Safeguarding for Music Teachers

Teaching of music to children and adults ground to a halt during the pandemic years, but now music teachers across the UK are seeing a boom in people wanting to learn to play the piano or have formal singing training. As a consequence of this rising demand for music teaching, the Musicians Union has issued new guidance for its members. Although aimed at teachers, lots of the advice is relevant to parents too when looking for a music teacher for their children.

Getting a Copy of Your DBS Record

Getting a Copy of Your DBS Record

For many job seekers, how the DBS check system works is a bit of a mystery. Most of us are familiar with the system of making a DBS application, filling in the form and then waiting for the certificate to arrive in the post. But what actually happens at the DBS, and what information they can access to make their decisions is kept confidential, for obvious reasons. If you have run into an issue with your DBS check or think there is something on your record which shouldn’t be there, then there are processes for allowing you limited access to your file.