Category: DBS News and Advice

A recent change in the law is set to significantly reduce the time individuals with criminal convictions are legally obligated to disclose them to potential employers after completing their sentences. These changes aim to eliminate barriers to employment post-prison and contribute to the reduction of re-offending rates. Any employer can ask an applicant whether they have any convictions which are not considered spent under rehabilitation laws, and this question is separate to any DBS checking process, which is usually carried out for specific types of roles.

Right to Rent has been around for ten years, and in that time the rules surrounding checking the residence status of people wishing to rent property in the private sector have changed several times. In essence, these are identity checks, designed to make sure that anyone who is a tenant has the legal right to be in the UK. The government has recently promised that changes to the “Right to Rent” rules will simplify the process for letting agents and landlords to verify tenants’ status. Despite the recent announcement of a general election, these changes are still likely to take effect and will mainly have an impact on people from the European Union who have found that their status may have changed after the Brexit negotiations.

Work experience is a short-term employment placement in a workplace, typically lasting less than 15 working days and usually for a week. Work experience is unpaid, although reasonable expenses may be covered by the employer or host company. Work experience is typically undertaken by students or school pupils to help shape their ideas about what career they might go into after completing their education, or to give them practical experience which they can add to their CV.

One of the main things which is looked at during background checks before starting work is your work experience and history in employment. For many businesses, this is the most important check after identity checks to verify your right to work in the UK. Your work history is seen as an important indicator of your reliability, skills, and work ethic. But how far back with they actually look?

Around 90% of small businesses said in a survey that they now conduct at least one background check on people applying for a job with them. For small businesses, background checks are essential to uphold their reputation, ensure employee and customer safety, and make sure they are screening job applicants safely. If you are a small business owner, or are thinking of applying for a position in a small business, here’s what you need to know about background screening from identity checking to DBS checks.

Thousands of people apply for a police check through the Disclosure and Barring Service, or DBS, every month. Most of them will breeze through the process without any difficulty, but figures show that delays in DBS checks are becoming more common. There are lots of things which you can do to minimise your chances of falling foul of lengthy delays, by taking care over the completion of your DBS form. Following our helpful suggestions will help you steer clear of errors that could potentially lead to delays in receiving your DBS certificate.

If you have applied for a job in the UK but were born overseas, one of the things you might be asked to provide as part of the identity checking process is an apostille of your birth certificate. Similarly, someone from the UK moving overseas may have been asked for similar for their British certificates. Navigating the process of obtaining an apostille for your birth certificate doesn’t have to be challenging.

A recent press released from the Home Office has announced that businesses failing to conduct the necessary identity checks on employees are to face even higher fines. Penalties are set to triple from early 2024, so what can employers do to protect themselves?

According to Unison, nurses and other public sector workers are facing a “lottery” around the criminal record checks or DBS checks which are essential for most roles in the healthcare sector. The union’s recent research indicates that 42% of frontline workers in roles requiring these checks are being asked to pay the fees to apply for their own DBS checks, rather than their employer paying the money on their behalf.

In the last 20 years the way we get our takeaways has changed beyond all recognition. Go into any city or town centre and you’ll see many different delivery companies, using cycles or motorbikes to get your pizza or burgers to you as quickly as possible. There has been growing concern though over the rules around employing riders to deliver food, and ongoing arguments over whether they are employed, or self-employed. In the most recent development, food delivery companies, including Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat, have been strongly urged by the government to implement checks on all delivery drivers to safeguard the public and curb illegal working.