If you own or work in a construction company, you should know that employers will quite often ask if you have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check with a check of the barred list. This definitely does depend on the type of establishment that you will be working in and hence seems like it isn’t something that’s intrinsically essential for a construction company. That being said, many construction company owners are still wondering, are employers always entitled to do this level of check, and what is the purpose of having DBS?
Well, look no further – in this article, we are going to explain to you just why disclosure & barring is all that important.
First things first – what is a DBS check?
Now, in order for you to understand why disclosure & barring is, it’s important to be familiar with the basics first. So, what DBS Checks are is, most simply put, the government’s process for providing all sorts of useful information to your employers and organizations when it comes to whether you are actually suitable for the particular type of work, one of them being construction. DBS check is carried out, naturally, by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Who exactly do DBS checks protect?
DBS checks help when it comes to revealing the criminal record of an individual. Any serious offenses are going to show up on the check, making it safer for an employer to assess whether or not to hire a contractor in question.
So, a basic DBS check is going to reveal unspent convictions, while a standard or enhanced DBS check will reveal both unspent and spent convictions as well.
DBS checks are designed in such a manner that they can be used as a safeguard when it comes to employers, so it’s understandable why having one is going to make you a suitable contractor over other options.
Who must have a DBS check?
There are different types of work that people may be barred from in one way or another. This is commonly known as “regulated activity”. It is your construction companies’ legal responsibility to check that people doing the regulated activity are not barred. You can easily achieve this by applying for an Enhanced Disclosure with a barred list check.
What’s the role of a DBS check?
The Disclosure and Barring Service of England & Wales also has a role of gathering information from regulated activity employers in case an employee leaves their role after hurting somebody.
It should also be mentioned that it’s against the law for any person who has knowingly been barred from working in DBS regulated activities to readily apply for a job or work with any type of a vulnerable group from which they have been barred.
How to apply for a DBS check
In case you are not working with a recruitment agency that’s well versed in DBS checks, you can apply for a Basic DBS Check yourself. It should be noted though that only an organization is able to apply for a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check.
On regular occasions, you should receive a copy of your DBS Check within four weeks, but you should be aware that at certain times of the year, the DBS happens to have a backlog of applications to process which can cause a delay in the response.
To wrap things up
In the end, it’s always good to have a safety check that’s able to back you up when your employers ask you for any proof of your credibility. Having a DBS check really isn’t all that much of a hassle, and it can definitely go a long way, so – be sure to acquire one!