The Disclosure and Barring Service brought in new changes to eligibility requirements for Standard DBS checks in July this year.

There are 4 levels of DBS checks available:

1. The Basic DBS check, almost anyone can apply for this as you may wish to have a basic check as part of your safeguarding policy for pre-screening employees or if you are managing volunteers, this will give you peace of mind you are acting responsibly when bringing new people into your organisation. For Basic DBS checks, both the individual and the employer can apply.
2. A Standard DBS check, is often used by companies and organisations that need an additional level of scrutiny, often industries like financial services, accounting, and legal services.
3. The Enhanced DBS Check, is an essential criteria for all jobs in education, health and social care, this is a deep dive into an individual’s criminal history. An enhanced DBS check will include unspent and spent convictions, cautions, warnings and reprimands. Depending on the role, this may also include the Adult and Children barred checklist.
4. The Enhanced with Barred Lists (DBS Service) this is the same as the enhanced but will also include if an individual name is on the barred lists from working with children and vulnerable groups, where the role is in regulated activity

Historically an employee needed to apply for a new DBS Certificate every time they changed job roles, but this has now been removed as long as the candidate is subscribed to the DBS update service. This only applies if you remain working in the sector, ie you are currently DBS checked for Adults you can transfer to another job working with Adults, if you move to work with Children you would need to apply for a new DBS certificate.

As an employment agency, we are responsible for ensuring that have confirmed and checked the person’s identity, there are a specific set of guidelines we need to follow (here) This check is not the same as a ‘right to work check’ we would be expected to carry out an independent check to confirm the candidates right to work here in the UK.

Recruitment companies can also request the candidates cover the charge associated with applying for a DBS certificate, but this cannot be a condition of the provision of their work-finding services.

The DBS service is a Government organisation, which provides disclosure and barring services in England, Wales, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man and currently generates £209.4m in annual incomes.

We are a recruitment agency that places SIA guards for clients across various sites in Essex, London and the South East and are used to the checks needed to place any new candidate in a workplace. If you are looking for a recruitment partner you can rely on get in touch today.