Check and check again: What you need to know about updated DBS ID checks

As an employer, applying for an updated DBS ID check for potential employees is an important step towards ensuring that you have all the information about the people you are hiring and that you are managing the risks of fraudulent applicants.   However, to be effective you need some information from your candidates to validate their identity in order to carry out the proper procedure for these checks.

There have been some recent updates as to what documents are now accepted, so we have pulled together the following guide to help you collate the correct documents required to complete a DBS ID check quickly and efficiently. 

You need to ensure that the people you invite to join your company really are who they claim to be. In order to do this, you need to have the correct documents provided to you from a candidate as proof of their ID to go through the DBS process. Regulations have now been changed to state that paper licenses issued after 1998 cannot be included as proof of identity so this needs to be considered when accepting documents from your candidate – here are a few more things to look out for.

• Documents provided have to be original, they cannot be photocopies
• Documents printed from the internet, such as bank statements, cannot be accepted, as you need to make sure documents aren’t altered
• You should also look for documents that feature photographs so that you can compare the candidate with this image (a driving license or passport would be a good example of this)

Read more here for a full list of what you need to look for.

There are three main routes to take when validating employee ID: Route 1, Route 2 and Route 3. Each requires different levels of information and numbers of documents.  The information needed for each route is outlined on the government website.

• All applicants must initially go through this process
• Need one document from group 1
• Two further documents from group 1, 2a or 2b – View full document list here.

• The applicant must produce three documents from group 2 consisting of two further documents from group 2a or group 2b
• One of these documents must verify a current address – View full document list here.

• Both other alternative routes need to be considered before Route 3
• If your candidate cannot fulfill the requirements for Route 1 and 2, you need to have a discussion to see why this has not been possible. This may be due to a change of name that hasn’t previously been declared.
• The candidate will need to supply and birth certificate and four documents from Route 2. – View full document list here.

As an employer, you need to validate the information provided. If there are any problems with it, you will need to discuss issues with your candidate.  A key question to ask is whether they have disclosed all possible names which information may be attributed to. Without this, your DBS check will not be guaranteed to be completely reliable and neither will your hire.

If an identity cannot be correctly clarified, you need to consider the possibility of fraud so you need to be mindful of this and need to consider contacting fraud services if you become suspicious of an individual.

As an employer, you have a responsibility to your team to create a safe working environment, so you don’t want to bring in someone who may damage the calm workings of your business. That’s why it’s so important to get your DBS checks right.

Gathering information about potential employees can sometimes take longer than expected, making it very time consuming for your HR team. If you want to skip this process of information research, you can turn to an external DBS screening agency, like us. We will save you valuable time and allow your HR resources to be spent on other areas of your business. If you want to know more about our full DBS services you can speak to one of our team members at: info@cbscreening.co.uk or 01443 799 900

For more information on DBS check guidelines, you can visit the Government website.