DBS checks, or Disclosure and Barring Service checks are designed to help employers make a safe decision when they recruit staff. Within the dental industry this is particularly important since employees work with vulnerable adults and children.
DBS checks work by searching barring list information and police records before issuing a DBS certificate to the applicant. Since the information supplied during a check is very sensitive, there is, therefore, a code of practice in place to ensure that the information will always be handled and used fairly and correctly.
Employers are able to ask prospective job applicants to make a DBS check application as a part of their recruitment process.
The Three Kinds Of DBS Check
There are three different kinds of DBS check:
Standard checks – these check for reprimands, cautions, final warnings, and unspent convictions.
Enhanced checks – these check for reprimands, cautions, final warnings, unspent convictions and any other information that the police hold about the subject.
Enhanced check with a list check – these checks for any reprimands, cautions, final warnings, and unspent convictions as well as any additional information that the barring lists and police hold about the subject.
Who Requires A Disclosure & Barring Service Check?
Currently, there are no requirements for any non-clinical members of staff to undergo DBS checks, however all clinical staff who work with patients directly must have enhanced DBS checks performed.
In practice, many practices require at least some of the non-clinical team members to undergo DBS clearance checks for patient safeguarding purposes and also to reassure themselves that they’ve hired somebody suitable for the post.
DBS Checks Are Required For CQC Applications
Any CQC application for registered managers and new providers requires DBS checks that are countersigned by the Care and Quality Commission. The check only remains valid for a period of six months while the application process is underway, and a reapplication must be made if registration fail to take place within that period.
A nominated individual will require no CQC countersignature for their DBS check, however the provider will be required to perform DBS checks of their own and supply evidence.
How Are DBS Checks Obtained?
To obtain a DBS check, the employer must obtain the relevant form either from the Disclosure and Barring Service itself or from an accompanying body which gives DBS check access. The applicant completes the form and then returns it to their employer along with the relevant identification documents and the completed form will then be sent off either to the accompanying body or DBS by their employer.
Once the DBS has performed the relevant check, they issue a certificate to the applicant. The employer has to request the applicant’s permission to view the supplied certificate, although if they have signed up for the online DBS update service, their certificate can be checked by the employer online.
How Long Are DBS Checks Valid?
There isn’t an official date of expiry for a DBS check so it is down to individual employers to decide when or if new checks should be carried out.
For more information or for expert advice on business or personal legal issues, contact us at info@carterbond.co.uk or email us at www.carterbond.co.uk or call us on 020 3475 6751.
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