When it comes to the healthcare industry, the level of professional responsibility involved in the workplace is in many ways the greatest there can possibly be. In caring for the general public when we are at our most vulnerable, success within such a field is wholly dependent on a significant degree of trust between the professionals involved and the individual whose health is at stake, and their loved ones too. However, unfortunately many individuals have been prevented from joining the industry so far this year due to a backlog of DBS checks, held up by police processes. We believe that this is an issue which can be easily combated, through the DBS Updating Service, which is a system which keeps DBS records constantly up-to-date without having to apply for a new check.

The backlog

It has been reported that an estimated 150,000 jobseekers across a range of sectors in the UK are currently in limbo due to such errors, with 17 out of 45 police forces missing the government target of completing 85% of applications within 14 days. Quite simply, such a degree of backlog cannot be allowed to happen. Not only is awareness of such issues beginning to compromise public attitudes to DBS checks, meaning recruitment processes are simply taking much longer than expected, it is also potentially putting vital public services at risk too.

Earlier this year the Guardian reported on a DBS backlog due to a delay with police forces dealing with the checks, which meant that nurses, carers and other healthcare professionals could not start work until their verified checks had been cleared, with one individual in particular left waiting over 150 days for her DBS check to be returned. Not only did this result in her being left severely out of pocket, but on a wider scale such instances mean nurses and other health professionals are not getting into their job roles within the correct time scale, and the level of service provision required by such a service is jeopardised too.  In a sector already under so much pressure with budget and staffing shortages, this is just not acceptable, or sustainable.

If nurses and other healthcare experts were included on the DBS Updating Service, as a matter of routine however, delays such as this could well be less frequent. Currently there are high levels of demand placed on police forces across the UK to carry out individual DBS checks. However, inclusion on the Updating Service as a matter of routine would mean less stress for local authorities and that criminal record checks would remain consistently up to date, saving individuals from having to re-apply for a new DBS check for each new job role or as part of a renewal. For £13 per year this low cost solution could not only help prevent the DBS backlog described above from arising in future, but also continually ensure the most reliable candidates are always on board and in employment.

Safety first

With this in mind, it is essential all members of staff come to any kind of healthcare setting both suitably qualified and highly verified at all times. It is an unfortunate fact, therefore, that DBS check backlogs have proved an issue for many healthcare applicants already this year, and in turn affected an industry with staffing issues already known to be well documented. CBS believes background checks are essential to public safety and should remain crucial at all times, while the Updating Service can and will continue to help combat issues for the many individuals that such a situation has otherwise impacted.

The fact remains (and quite rightly so) that it is a legal requirement for those who work in certain industries such as healthcare or childcare to have a DBS check in place, which makes ironing out any potential glitches within the clearance processes involved of utmost importance at all times.

In not subscribing to the Updating Service, individuals and businesses are otherwise contributing to the problem. It is understandable that when entering an industry for the first time, initial checks through the DBS must be made, but after that there is no reason why candidates or the industry that require their services, sometimes urgently, should be left to wait time and again.

If you would like more information about our background screening services or require any background checks, you can call us on: 01443 799 900 or email us on: info@cbscreening.co.uk