Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) Screening Service
| News update: From 17th June 2013, the DBS Update Service guidance for employers is available online. We are currently updating the University’s guidance to reflect these changes. For further advice and information in the meantime, please contact the Security Service Vetting team on extension: 272945 / 282152. |
- Background and formation of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
- When to apply for a DBS check
- How to apply for a DBS check
- Portability of DBS checks
- Confirmation of employment offers
- Where DBS clearance is not available or applicable, but screening is required
Background and formation of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
The primary role of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is to help employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups including children.
The DBS was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and merges the functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
When to apply for a DBS check
A DBS check is indicated for posts where there is a requirement to work with young people under the age of 18 or with vulnerable adults (a vulnerable adult is a person aged over 18 whose ability to protect him or herself from neglect, abuse, or violence is significantly impaired on account of disability, illness or otherwise)
The DBS provides two different levels disclosure: standard, and enhanced, as follows:
- Standard checks identify spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer.
- Enhanced checks contain the same information as the standard check but with the addition of any relevant and proportionate information held by the local police forces. For those regularly caring for, supervising, training, or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults the check will also contain information held by the ISA.
The level of pre-employment checking will be determined by the duties of the position to be held, although posts within the University usually require an enhanced check. The University Vetting Office (tel.: (2)82152) located within the University Security Service (USS) will advise as to which kind of disclosure is needed in individual cases and this advice will be discussed with the designated individual in the department concerned.
How to apply for a DBS check
The University Security Service is registered with the DBS to act on behalf of the University. In order to register, the University must comply with the DBS code of practice, and have a policy on the employment of ex-offenders. The latter requirement is fulfilled by pre-employment screening notes for candidates provided to applicants through the Core system. All disclosure applications must be sent via the Vetting Office.
To initiate DBS screening designated individuals in departments or colleges should request an application form from the University Vetting Office, which should then be completed and signed by the candidate, with authentication of the form completed by the designated person.
| A designated person is someone whom a department/college nominates to represent them on all DBS issues, and is the person with whom the Vetting office will normally liaise in the event of any issues arising from DBS applications. Upon nomination, designated persons are invited to attend the Vetting Office in Security Services, to receive a personal briefing on the completion of all vetting applications. |
Should the individual express any concern about a completed form being seen by departmental staff the individual may have a confidential discussion with the Head of Vetting (272945), or the Vetting Administrator (282152). Such concerns may arise where, for example, an applicant is transgendered and has concerns about revealing information about previous names to departmental staff, or for other reasons, and it is important to respect the individual's right to privacy.
The form is then returned to the University Vetting Office with a purchase or service order from the department or college, which will allow the DBS office to invoice the college, or debit the department for payment of the DBS's administrative charge for this service. (The fee is currently £50 and will only increase in line with any Government increase for the service, or as directed by the University.)
It is anticipated that each application, regardless of the level of disclosure, will take a minimum of four weeks to process owing to the current service standards of the DBS. Departments should not make appointments prior to receiving DBS clearance. If this is unavoidable, it should be made clear to the appointee that his or her continuing employment is subject to a satisfactory disclosure being received. Where an appointment is made prior to clearance, departments will need to undertake a careful risk assessment of the situation before deciding whether access to sensitive information and, in the case of employees in clinical departments, to children and vulnerable adults, should be restricted or closely supervised until clearance is confirmed.
It is important that the confidentiality of those being screened prior to employment is strictly maintained at all times. Therefore only individuals already authorised within departments to offer employment and sign letters of appointment should initiate screening and handle information disclosed by the DBS. Members of the University Security Service staff have the same duty of confidentiality.
Applications received and DBS responses will be recorded in a confidential database. On receipt of the check the University Vetting Office will contact the designated person in the department and arrange to discuss the check. Where checks indicate an anomaly, further advice should be sought from the University Vetting Office and from Personnel Services before any decision to amend or withdraw an offer of employment is made.
Initiation and completion of DBS checks must be logged on CoreHR. Refer to REC03 Manage Online Applications 
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Portability of DBS checks
In some cases candidates will have an existing DBS check, which they may offer in place of a new DBS check. It is important to note that a DBS check is a 'snapshot' of a moment in time, and the information provided by the ISA and local police checks will relate to a specific post (for example if a check has been requested with reference to a post involving work with children, only the list of those barred from working with children will be checked and information about those who are barred from working with vulnerable adults will be not be disclosed) and therefore departments will need to undertake a careful risk assessment of the situation before deciding whether to accept a previous DBS check or to submit a new application.
The risk assessment should cover matters such as: the nature of the post and duties to be carried out; whether the level of clearance held matches that required for the new post; whether the information provided by the existing DBS check impacts on the candidate's suitability for the post. In any event, departments should not accept DBS checks that are older than six months, other than in exceptional circumstances, or where a risk assessment has highlighted a very insignificant risk.
Where the previous DBS check has been undertaken by the University it is possible, on application to University Security Services, to request confirmation of the authenticity of the document. However, in order to comply with DBS regulations, disclosures which have been requested by University Security Services are not retained for longer than six months.
For further information see the GOV.UK guidance 'accepting a previously issued DBS check'.
In early 2013 the government intend to launch an online checking service which will improve the portability of DBS checks.