How do I get a DBS check for an employee? Whether your organisation legally requires DBS checks or not, it’s still possible to get them for our staff. Here, we’ll go over the steps involved in getting DBS checks for your employees.
How Do I Get a DBS Check For An Employee? Choosing An Umbrella Body
First of all, you’ll need to decide which Umbrella Body you’ll use for your DBS checks. Organisations cannot apply directly to the DBS for checks, it has to be done via a 3rd party – such as ourselves, Aaron’s Department.
The government has done this to reduce their expenses – this way, Umbrella Bodies can compete with one another to provide the fastest, easiest, and cheapest service. It also means that the DBS applications will be checked more than once before received by the DBS. This significantly reduces the errors made, meaning less money and time is wasted by everyone!
We won’t give you a sales pitch here and now, but if you’re interested in DBS checks for your staff, you’re in the right place! Click here to visit our page for employers.
What Type Of Check Do Your Staff Need?
Next, you’ll have to work out what level of check your staff are eligible for. Anyone can request a Basic check, while Standard and Enhanced checks have strict eligibility requirements.
This takes a bit of research – you can have a Google, or use the government’s eligibility tool, which is pretty good. Or, feel free to get in touch with us over the phone or via email, we’ll be happy to advise – click here for our contact page!
Creating User Profiles/Applications
At this point, we can only speak about our own service, but if you decide to go with us, the next step is to create profiles for the staff you’ll be checking. All you need is their basic details like name, DOB, and their contact details. Our system will automatically email each user their login details, whereupon they’ll be able to fill out their applications online.
If it’s more convenient, you can also create and populate an application yourself – handy if the applicant is sat with you in the office (or they’re not the best with computers).
Evidence Checking & Filling Out The Forms
Once the application has been populated, someone at your organisation will need to check the applicant’s form, and documents. This is to make sure details on the form are correct, and the applicant really is who they say they are.
You can view the government’s document-checking guidelines here, and the list of required/accepted documents here.
The users’ application forms can be filled out online, but you must see the documents in-person before the application can proceed.
Payment
At Aaron’s Department, we only take a payment whenever an application is sent to us. This means there are no upfront charges, subscriptions, or sign-up fees.
You can also opt to have the applicant cover a percentage of the costs themselves.
Once this is done, we’ve got to do our bit before the application is sent on to the DBS.
Countersigning (we do this bit)
Once we have received an application, we countersign it. This involves checking the application for potential mistakes (these can cause the DBS to reject applications, and they don’t offer refunds!), verifying that the correct level of DBS check has been requested, signing the check, and sending it on to the DBS.
If our Countersignatory Team spots a possible mistake, they will return it to you with a query or suggested amendment, giving you the opportunity to put things right before it’s sent off.
Waiting For The Certificate
Now, all that’s left to do is to wait for the certificate. You can track each application’s progress online using our tracking system, and once the certificate is delivered to the applicant’s address, it’s your responsibility to view the certificate in-person. If all’s well, your applicant can now begin work!
How long does it take?
On October 13th, 2023, the DBS provided the average time taken for each level of check to be completed, from the DBS receiving the application through to it being printed (so not including postage time).
- Basic DBS checks took 1.3 days on average.
- Standard DBS checks took 1.5 days on average.
- Enhanced DBS checks took 11.8 days on average.
The reason for the variation is that each level of check involves different processes and organisations – but that’s a topic for another page.
Summary: How Do I Get A DBS Check For An Employee?
To answer the question, “how do I get a DBS check for an employee?” you’ll have to work out which level of check your staff need, find an Umbrella Body (DBS provider) you like the look of, then use their application forms to apply for your staff DBS checks.
Aaron’s Department offers this service, so get in touch if you’re interested! You can email the team at contact@aaronsdepartment.com, and we’ll get right back to you.
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Further Reading – How Do I Get A DBS Check For An Employee?
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About The Author
Matthew Dugdale
Matthew is our go-to when it comes to all things related to Recruitment & DBS checks. His experience and expertise helps make sure that everyone gets the correct level of check.