The Disclosure and Barring Service have just announced their new Update Service is launching on 17th June 2013. This is great news for social care employers as it will generate much needed savings in both time and money.
Soical care employers DO NOT NEED to subscribe to the DBS update service or pay a fee, however the holder of the DBS Certificate needs to be subscribed to the Update Service. To make a Status Update Check an employer needs:
• Consent of the individual.
• Sight of the original Certificate. You need to check it is at the level and type you are entitled to request, confirm the right checks have been carried out and risk assess any information disclosed.
• Check the identity of the individual.
• Check the name on the DBS Certificate exactly matches the name of employee or volunteer.
• Record the DBS Certificate reference number, the person’s name and their date of birth
• Comply with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed at www.gov.uk/dbs
What should you do to prepare:
• Encourage staff and volunteers to subscribe to the Update Service when they are next due a check in line with your existing re-check procedures.
• Review your recruitment and employment procedures to see how status checks can be integrated. One change may be to include a clause in contracts that provides on-going consent for Status Update checks.
• Sign up to receive announcements from the DBS electronically at www.gov.uk/dbs
This is great news for employers as it will allow workers to keep their criminal record certificate up to date, so that they can take it with them from role to role, within the same workforce.
