The hiring process in the UK is a highly regulated one to ensure maximum safety in the workplace. Hence, DBS checks are a top priority for employers here.
Generally, a basic DBS check is enough for employers to cover matters of legal compliance in the UK. However, if the workplace involves children or vulnerable people, the equation is a bit different.
In that case, employers are required to conduct standard or enhanced DBS checks. So, when it’s standard vs. enhanced DBS checks, which one do you need?
If the workplace doesn’t contain any vulnerable groups of people (for instance – children, mentally disabled patients, etc.), conducting a standard DBS check is enough. But for the role of a teacher, nurse, etc., it’s important to conduct enhanced DBS checks with barred lists to ensure the safety of vulnerable people.
What Is A Standard DBS Check?
A standard DBS check entails detailed records of a person’s criminal history. It generally covers –
- Spent convictions (old or low-level convictions that are no longer considered relevant after a certain period and don’t require disclosure)
- Unspent convictions
- Cautions
- Reprimands
- Warnings, etc.
In a standard DBS check, minor or irrelevant legal offences are usually omitted from a person’s record. This is done in order to ensure that the individual doesn’t face any unfair bias in the workplace.
Again, in a standard DBS check, employers cannot access protected records of an individual’s police file.
What Is An Enhanced DBS Check?
An Enhanced DBS check is an extremely thorough screening process that targets job-specific convictions in an applicant’s police records. Like the standard DBS checks, the enhanced DBS checks also provide records of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, etc.
However, it goes one step further. An Enhanced DBS check doesn’t only cover public criminal records, but it also targets and identifies concerning patterns with the help of local police intelligence.
Additionally, it cross-checks the individual’s identity against the DBS-approved barred lists. If the person is found on the list, they are actively prohibited from working with children or vulnerable groups of people.
STandard Vs. Enhanced DBS Checks: Key Differences
Now that you have the preliminary ideas about standard and enhanced DBS checks, let’s look into their key differences a little more closely:
Information Depth
While a standard DBS check only provides information related to recorded and proven convictions and cautions, an Enhanced DBS check enlists the help of local police intelligence and includes barred list details.
Eligibility Requirements
A standard DBS check is more common and accessible while an enhanced DBS check is required for jobs with strict guidelines for safeguarding at-risk individuals.
Legal Obligations
According to the Education Act of 2002, a school authority is legally required to conduct enhanced DBS checks before hiring teachers. You can use the DBS Eligibility Tool to learn more about the type of DBS check you need to conduct as a UK employer.
Cost
A standard DBS check usually costs around £18. On the other hand, an enhanced DBS check costs around £38 i.e. a whopping £20 more. Again, if you want barred list details as well, you will need to pay £44.
Time Limit
It takes roughly 2-4 weeks to conduct a standard DBS check. An enhanced DBS check, on the other hand, can take at least 4-6 weeks to provide a detailed report.
FInal Thoughts
According to the DBS guidelines in the United Kingdom, both dbs standard or enhanced check serve distinct but equally important purposes. The Standard check provides a detailed record of the spent and unspent convictions of an individual to the employer.
On the other hand, the Enhanced check goes a step further and digs out criminal records that are specifically relevant to your job role. For instance – if an individual has been previously reprimanded for domestic violence, child abuse, etc. the Enhanced DBS check will highlight the instances after obtaining the criminal records.
In essence, both standard and enhanced DBS checks provide a detailed overview of a person’s criminal record. However, enhanced DBS checks are necessary for employers looking to hire people to work with children and at-risk individuals to ensure their safety.
