Businesses and organisations can carry out identity checks for various reasons, and the types of assessments will depend on the circumstances. The following is an overview of the different checks that businesses can carry out and examples of how various identity checks are used.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check
A DBS Check is also known as a criminal record check, and there are three variations which are as follows:
- Basic DBS Check
- Standard DBS Check
- Enhanced DBS Check
Which type of DBS Check is carried out will depend on the role. Those working with children and vulnerable people often need an enhanced DBS check, whereas a straightforward background check will usually only require a Basic DBS Check.
An Enhanced DBS Check will not only provide details of serious convictions but will also advise where a person is placed on either of the Barred Lists, allowing employers to make an informed decision when hiring new employees.
Driving Licence Checks
There are several reasons why driving licence checks are part of many background checks. In addition to varying a person’s identity, a driving licence check will also allow employers to ensure there are no driving bans in place and how many points a person has on their licence.
Businesses that use vehicles are responsible for ensuring drivers can operate vehicles safely, and part of the process is carrying out a driving licence check. Driving licence checks are also carried out to ensure the documentation given to a business is genuine.
Police Check – ACRO
Many often assume a police check is another name for a DBS Check, but this isn’t the case. Whereas the Disclosure and Barring Service provide DBS Checks, police checks are carried out by ACRO, the Criminal Records Office.
A police certificate is needed for those wanting to emigrate from the United Kingdom to another country and ensures those entering another country are of good repute. Although some details may be similar to that contained within a DBS Check, the two checks serve different purposes.
Credit Check
Although some roles will only require applicants to carry out a credit check, some businesses may request a credit check along with other background checks. Companies can use credit checks to verify a person’s identity and assess their financial background if the role requires it.
Hard credit checks are recorded on a person’s credit file, which could be detrimental to their score in some instances. As such, a person must give permission before carrying out a credit check.
How Long Does a Background Check Take?
Understandably, many businesses are keen to carry out a background check as soon as possible, but the time it takes can depend on the type of check made and how many. However, some agencies can take care of all background checks, often with a quick response time.
Although some checks can be carried out by the applicant, companies wanting to carry out a thorough identity check will need to register a corporate account to make a request.
