All You Need to Know Regarding DBS Checks
It is common that for most jobs people apply for, that they can expect a DBS Check to form part of the recruitment process. These are typically completed online and conducted by the Disclosure and Barring Service (which used to be known as the Criminal Records Bureau).
There are various levels of DBS Check and depending on what job role a person will be doing, Barred Lists for children or vulnerable adults may be checked, plus information held by local police forces, that is relevant to the jobs role.
DBS Checks help employers to decide within the recruitment process, as to whether the person they are hiring, is suitable to do the job, without causing risk to customers, other staff, or the business itself.
This article will look at some key questions that often arise around DBS Checks, including:
- Where is the DBS Check relevant in the UK?
- What Levels of DBS Check exist?
- Do Self-employed have DBS Checks?
- How do DBS Checks work for people who are Transgender?
- Do DBS Checks have an expiry date?
Where is the DBS Check relevant in the UK?
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems of background checks (Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI). So, the DBS Check is only for England and Wales.
What Levels of DBS Check exist?
There are 4 main checks: Basic, Standard, Enhanced and Enhanced with Barred Lists.
The Basic Check looks for unspent convictions. Anyone can request a Basic Check, and this can be used for most jobs.
The Standard DBS Check will look for spent and unspent convictions, official cautions, warnings, or reprimands. Only an employer or agency can request a Standard DBS Check on an employee’s behalf. Standard DBS Checks are usually for jobs that hold some social responsibility, and may include positions such as: accountants, legal positions, financial advisors, healthcare staff, dental assistants, locksmiths, and airport workers.
The Enhanced DBS Check covers unspent and spent convictions, plus official warnings, cautions and reprimands, like the Standard DBS. But it also contacts the local police forces for every address a person has lived for the past five years to see if they hold any other information that is relevant to the job role. An Enhanced Check can also include Barred Lists, to see if a person is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults. Working unsupervised with these groups of people is termed ‘regulated activity.’ Regulated activity could be required for teachers, childminders, social workers, or healthcare workers. If a person appears on a barred list they are not legally allowed to work in regulated activity, they shouldn’t legally have applied for the job, and it would be against the law for an employer to employ them.
The Adult First Check isn’t one of the main Levels of DBS Checks, but it is another check that the DBS conduct. An organisation (typically a care home) can ask the DBS to do a quick check to ensure that a person does not appear on the Barred Lists, then they could start work, until their full Enhanced Check is received. Their work though would need to be supervised at all times.
An employer cannot request a Barred List check for every employee, it is only if the job legally requires this to be checked.
Do Self-employed have DBS Checks?
A self-employed person could be contracted somewhere that they are required to have a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check. The organisation would need to request either of these Checks on the person’s behalf. A self-employed person may only request a Basic DBS themselves.
How do DBS Checks work for people who are Transgender?
If a person is transgender and they don’t wish their employer to know about their identity history they can request a confidential DBS Check. There is a specific email to assist with this: sensitive@dbs.gov.uk
Do DBS Checks have an expiry date?
DBS Checks are only truly accurate on the day they are issued, as ever after that, a person could commit a new crime. For this reason, some employers decide to do DBS Checks on their employees every two to three years to keep up to date. Applicants may also choose to use the DBS Update service.
