There’s recently been a lot in the news about a backlog of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and the stress that this has caused people. For example, a mother in Wales waited 122 days for her check to be returned, leaving her unable to start her new job. This not only causes issues for individuals but for businesses too. We may be biased but we are firm believers that those who don’t invest in a robust screening strategy and Updating Service are playing with fire. In this blog, we explain why it should be a priority for businesses and SME’s in particular.
In our opinion, anyone who doesn’t sign up for the Updating Service is foolish. It is a fantastic tool which keeps records constantly up to date, meaning that all changes to criminal records are logged instantly, leaving employers less vulnerable and it saves candidates the stress of applying for new DBS checks.
Last month alone we saw three changes to our Updating Service, meaning that three people who previously had no criminal records now do. If they weren’t on our Updating Service, their employers may not have known about this and potentially could have allowed them to continue working with the most vulnerable in our society. They cannot afford to have this happen and with the resources available, it shouldn’t.
We understand that for SME’s, having the right people in the team is essential to the success and growth of your business. You want to hire people that you can trust and that can deliver results. This is why it’s crucial to have a pre-employment screening process in place. However, once an employee is recruited into your company, having a valid background check is still just as important. This is where the Updating Service comes in.
The Updating Service means that employees (with permission) can constantly keep criminal records up to date, meaning that you don’t have to keep applying for a DBS check. For an annual fee, you can skip the delay and potential backlog with instant results. This means that you can ensure that everyone in your business is in a suitable role and their situation has not changed since their last criminal check. It will help save you time and money which equals less stress for your HR team and leaves you with a reliable safeguarding solution in place.
If you would like more information about the Updating Service or would like to speak a member of our team regarding any other background screening services, please contact us by emailing: info@cbscreening.co.uk or call us on 01443 799 900.