DBS checks are a type of criminal background check used in England and Wales – they play a vital role in safeguarding, helping employers make safe & informed recruitment decisions.
DBS checks display a range of information held by the police about an individual. This allows the employer to see any potential employee’s criminal history (or lack thereof).
Aaron’s Department is an Umbrella Body, helping employers to get the DBS checks they need for their staff. To this end, we’ve designed a system to make this process as quick, easy, and affordable as possible.
As an Umbrella Body, we have had plenty of experience dealing with DBS checks for employers, so we can offer as much guidance and support as you require. Using our online system, DBS checks are fast, easy, error-proof, and affordable!
Thanks to our direct connection with the UK Government’s Gateway, those getting DBS checks for employers through us will receive their results as quickly as possible – which means getting your new-hires into work as quickly as possible.
What DBS Checks For Employers Are On Offer?
We offer Basic, Standard and Enhanced DBS checks for employers.
To read more about these checks, simply select one below:
(with Barred Lists checks if necessary)
With our expert guidance and error-proof system, you don’t need to worry about getting the wrong type of check. After requesting a DBS check, our countersignatories will ensure that everything is in order and that the correct disclosure type has been selected. Any mistakes found will be corrected, saving you time and money that would otherwise be wasted on a rejected application.
Unlike some other companies, we don’t have any hidden fees, subscriptions, or start-up costs – just pay for what you need, when you need it.
We offer great discounts to businesses that pre-pay for their DBS checks, with admin fees starting from as little as £3.11 for a Basic check!
Every single DBS application we receive is fast-tracked. If we receive it before 4:00pm, we guarantee it will be processed the same day.
Why You Should Use Aaron’s Department
Those who use our DBS Checks for Employers online application service benefit from the user-friendly interface, inbuilt error checking, and fast service.
Take a look below at the benefits of getting your DBS checks for employers with us:
We’ll also mention one of our favourite features here – our applications are error-proof. Our automatic error checker flags potential mistakes while the application is being populated, helping you to catch them early.
Then, our experienced team of Countersignatories will check each application thoroughly to weed out anything we can’t train a computer to detect. For example, because there are so many ways to format addresses, a computer can never be 100% certain with them – we always pay particular attention to areas like these!
This accelerates the DBS process by preventing applications from being rejected over little mistakes. Not only does this save time, but also the cost of re-applying with the correct details.
Why Get DBS Checks For Your Employees?
- Safeguarding – The main purpose of DBS checks is to prevent unsuitable individuals from working with vulnerable groups, or from working in roles in which they cannot be trusted.
- Legal requirements – Of course, we all are keen to safeguard the vulnerable, but whether you personally want to or not – DBS checks are a legal requirement for many roles! This is a particularly compelling argument for getting your staff DBS checks.
- Confidence – Having your staff DBS checked gives you, your colleagues, and your patrons, confidence in your employees. The knowledge that your staff are background-checked can put everyone’s mind at ease!
DBS Checks for Employers – How To Apply
To get started, just click the button below to fill out our registration form. You can then apply for DBS checks within minutes.
We don’t make you sign contracts or subscriptions tying you in, but rather use a ‘pay as you go’ system, meaning there is no minimum number of DBS checks required.
If you’d like to know more or see the system in action, we offer demos! Use the button below to book yours.
DBS Checks for Employers: Getting Your Results
Once the DBS has completed the check and sent the certificate for posting, we will email you a summary of the results in advance (if requested).
This summary will simply state whether the check has returned any information, or whether the check was completely clear. In either case, you must wait to see the official certificate before the applicant can legally start working. This will be posted to the applicant’s current address given on their application.
The Different Levels Of DBS Checks For Employers
Only Basic DBS checks can be applied for by an individual, whilst organisations and employers can request Basic, Standard, and Enhanced DBS checks.
Basic DBS Check for Employers
A Basic Disclosure is available to anyone who currently lives, works, or is planning to work in England or Wales.
Can an employer request a basic DBS check?
It can be requested by the individual, or by their employer with the individual’s permission.
This Basic DBS check will inform of any unspent convictions or unspent conditional cautions an applicant has.
A conviction is deemed spent after a period of time has elapsed and other factors such as the age of the person, the severity and nature of the offence, as well as the length of the sentence received. We go into more detail on spent & unspent convictions in our blog post, linked here: Spent and Unspent Convictions
Standard DBS Check For Employers
The Standard DBS check is only available for specific occupations, the potential or current employee must be undertaking a role listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. In addition to listing job positions, this act also lists certain eligible professions, licences and activities.
A Standard DBS check will give you the candidate’s information about:
- Unspent convictions
- Spent convictions
- Cautions
- Final Warnings
- Reprimands
Only employers and organisations can apply for a Standard DBS check for their candidates, and this requires the use of an Umbrella Service, such as Aaron’s Department. To request a Standard DBS check, employers must be eligible to ask an exempted question – this just means they have the government’s permission to request a DBS, essentially.
A Standard DBS check will inform from any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, final warnings or reprimands the applicant has.
Enhanced DBS Check For Employers
The Enhanced DBS check is only available for specific occupations. To be eligible, the employers’ applicant must be undertaking a role or duty listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 or the Police Act 1997. For any roles where the employee will have close contact with vulnerable adults and/or children, it is also required by law for them to be checked against the Children’s Barred List and/or the Adults’ Barred List.
An Enhanced DBS check will give you the candidate’s information about:
- Unspent convictions
- Spent convictions
- Cautions
- Final Warnings
- Reprimands
- Other information considered relevant by the police force.
As with the Standard checks, for an employer to apply for an Enhanced DBS check online for their candidates, it is necessary to use an Umbrella Service, such as Aaron’s Department. To make sure that an employer can apply for an Enhanced DBS check, they need to be eligible to ask an exempted question.
What happened to CRB Checks?
In 2012, the CRB and the ISA merged responsibilities and became the DBS. CRB checks and DBS checks are functionally identical, so if you’ve been searching for CRB checks for employers, it’s DBS’s you’re after.
DBS Checks For Employers – Get Started!
To get started, just click the button below to fill out our registration form – it only takes a couple of minutes. Once you’ve signed up (free of charge, no subscriptions), you can apply for a DBS check online within minutes. Thank you for your time – we look forward to your business!
DBS Check FAQs!
If you’ve got any questions about DBS checks for employers, have a browse of our FAQ section, linked here. If you’d prefer, feel free to get in touch with our team – we’re available between 8:00am and 5:00pm on 0113 877 0171, or email us at contact@aaronsdepartment.com.