In the United Kingdom, a DBS check stands for a check conducted by the Disclosure and Barring Service. It’s a non-departmental public body of the home office of the United Kingdom that performs background checks to regulate the criminal activities of an individual.
Today, let’s go over the basics of a DBS check in the UK and figure out how it helps UK employers maintain a safe and trustworthy workplace environment.
What Is A DBS Check?
A DBS check is essentially a screening process. It’s designed to check a worker’s background before they can enroll in a workplace in the United Kingdom.
In other words, it reveals the individual’s criminal history to the employers so that they can make informed decisions as to whether they should be hired.
The concept of the Disclosure and Barring Service i.e. DBS checks came into existence in 2012 in the UK. Right now, the DBS wing operates under the authorization of the Home Office itself.
In the UK, employers need to conduct mandatory DBS checks especially if they are looking to hire individuals who are going to actively work with children, aged, or vulnerable people. Upon conducting a DBS check, the employer gets access to the applicant’s criminal history.
Depending on the type and level of DBS checks, the employers can access the criminal records including conviction reports, cautions, public reprimands, legal warnings, etc. of the applicants.
Generally, these records are preserved on the Police National Computer i.e. the PNC database. Upon receiving the data, employers can easily make conscious and informed decisions about hiring an individual.
Types Of DBS Checks
There are primarily three types of DBS checks. Depending on your job type, you will need to go through specific levels of checks so your employer can discern whether you’re suitable for the job.
Here’s a brief overview of the three primary levels of DBS checks:
Basic DBS Check
If you live or work in England or Wales, you can apply for a basic DBS check yourself. With a basic DBS check, any employer can easily access your general criminal record that showcases your prior convictions.
Additionally, they can check your unspent cautions.
Standard DBS Check
The standard DBS check covers a detailed record of both spent and unspent convictions and cautions. Additionally, employers will be able to overview the central police records of your official reprimands and final warnings. However, they would not be able to access the protected files of your prior convictions.
Enhanced DBS Check
An enhanced DBS check is pretty similar to a standard DBS check i.e. your employer will be able to access everything starting from unspent convictions to final warnings except for protected convictions.
So, what’s the difference?
In enhanced DBS checks, the reports include additional information relevant to your job type obtained from local police records for a better evaluation.
There’s a type of Enhanced DBS check that’s popularly known as an Enhanced DBS Check with Barred Lists. If your workplace consists of vulnerable or at-risk individuals, you will need to pass this check to ensure that you are capable of working with such individuals.
Why Do Employers Need DBS Checks?
Here’s a brief overview as to why UK employers need DBS checks before hiring someone:
To Manage Risks
A DBS check ensures that you are hiring a reliable person with an insignificant criminal record. As such, you minimise the risks of future altercations in the workplace. You can avoid hiring someone who can potentially harm the clients, co-workers, etc. later on.
To Comply With Regulations
According to the Health & Social Care Act of 2008, some specific job roles in the UK legally require DBS checks. For instance – while hiring teachers, school staff, nurses, drivers, etc. it’s mandatory for employers to conduct DBS checks to uncover the applicant’s criminal history.
To Ensure Accountability
Transparency is key to running a business. With the help of DBS checks, employers can hire reliable workers. This, in turn, promotes accountability within the workplace and helps to spread a positive message about the business to the public. In essence, it works to boost your business’s credibility before potential clients.
Implementation Of DBS Checks: A Complete Guide For UK Employers
Here’s a brief step-by-step guide as to how UK employers can implement DBS checks:
Step 1: Check Role Eligibility
You can use the DBS Eligibility Tool online to check whether a specific role requires a DBS check. You can also determine the level of checks with this online tool.
STep 2: Choose The Application Process
Online applications are more common nowadays as it’s considerably faster and hassle-free. If you run a small business, you can directly apply for a basic DBS check. Alternatively, to conduct standard or enhanced DBS checks, you will need to partner up with an organisation that’s authorised to conduct such checks.
Step 3: Inform The Designated Applicants
The next step is to inform your applicant of the screening process and obtain their consent. The applicant will need to fill up the required forms and provide their original ID (such as – passports, driving licences, etc.) for an accurate overview of their records.
Step 4: Review The Reports
Once the reports come in, analyse them against the risk policies of your business. Remember that – having prior convictions doesn’t automatically lead to disqualification. Depending on the type & intensity of convictions, decide whether or not to hire the person.
Step 5: Get Future Updates
Some employers prefer to conduct routine DBS checks to regulate their employees. In that case, you can simply subscribe to the DBS Update Service for just £13 annually and check their criminal records anytime!
Wrap-Up
So, what’s a DBS check? In essence, it’s a vetting process for professionals to ensure they are suitable for a particular type of job, especially if they are going to be working with children or at-risk individuals.
