5 Steps that Your Application Goes Through When Received by DBS
DBS is an acronym for the Disclosure and Barring Service. It was formed in 2012, when the old Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) merged with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). DBS Checks are carried out by businesses who want to check prospective staff member’s criminal history, before hiring them to a position, to ensure that they are suited and safe for the role.
If you have been asked to complete a DBS Check, you may wonder what stages your DBS Application goes through once the DBS receive it, this article will help to explain this.
Step 1 – Receipt and Validation
Once you have completed your DBS Check application, and it is preferable and sensible to do this online where possible, rather than a paper copy. The DBS will let you know they have received it and it is valid. If there are any issues with the application, DBS will contact you and will reject the form, if necessary, at this stage.
Step 2 – PNC Check
Your application will be checked against the Police National Computer (PNC). This database has up to date information about your past criminal convictions and whether these are spent or unspent, whether you have an arrest warrant, or have received cautions or reprimands. If you have applied for a Standard DBS Check, then you can move to Step 5. However, if you have applied for an Enhanced DBS Check, then look at the next Step 3.
If the organisation you want to work for, has applied for an Enhanced DBS Check on your behalf, the local police forces connected to your address history, will be asked if they hold any information on you that is relevant to the job role you have applied for. This could be information that didn’t lead to a criminal conviction, but the police have flagged up as an area of caution.
Step 4 – Checking Barred Lists
If the organisation you want to work for has applied for an Enhanced DBS Check with Barred List on your behalf, because the job you will be doing involves regulated activity, whereby you will be teaching or providing guidance to children, or caring for vulnerable adults, then DBS will check Barred Lists. If your name is on a Barred List, you are unsuited to working with children or vulnerable adults due to past criminal behaviour, which may be violent, or include neglect or abuse.
It can take a varying amount of time for local authorities, to work through steps 3 and 4 of the DBS Checks. Sometimes this may be a few weeks. Other time it can take as long as two months or more. If an application faces delays this could be due to:
- A complicated address history, where you have moved many times
- If you haven’t declared past convictions
- If you have legally changed your name
- If there were errors in your address history
- If a police department is busy or short-staffed
Step 5 – Completed Certificate
Once all your check is completed, DBS will send a printed copy of your DBS Certificate to the business that requested it, and a copy to yourself too.
