How To Apply For A DBS Check Online
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is a criminal record search that reveals an individual’s past offences.
Many employers request that potential employees complete a DBS check before they can start work. In days gone by, the only way to do this was to fill in a paper form by hand, post it, then wait for it to be processed before receiving a DBS certificate in the post several weeks later.
These days, you can apply online. There are many benefits to using an online DBS check service, which we’ll explain in this article, along with details on how to go about applying for a DBS check online.
History of online DBS checks
The option to apply for a DBS check online has only come about relatively recently, in January 2018. No longer do you have to fill out a paper form and post it off. You can now go to an online portal and fill out and submit a digital form.
The digital form is sent directly to the DBS who then process it and create a certificate based on the results, which is posted out to the individual.
The reduced paperwork and reduction in postage makes it a quicker and more convenient way to apply for a DBS check.
Benefits of Applying Online for a DBS Check
There are a number of advantages of using an online service to get DBS checks done:
- Less paperwork – there are no paper forms to fill in, it’s all done through a digital form.
- Faster results – you don’t have to wait for the form to be posted through to the DBS as they receive it automatically.
- Less chance of mistakes – the online form will automatically highlight missing sections or common mistakes.
- Convenient bulk submissions – if you’re an employer that requires lots of DBS checks to be processed regularly, why waste time processing the checks individually when you can use an online service like ours to do it all for you?
Can you apply for all types of DBS check online?
There are three types of DBS check and all can be applied for online, but there are different rules for each.
- Basic DBS Check – Reveals only unspent convictions. Anybody can apply for a Basic DBS Check, even the individual themselves.
- Standard DBS Check – Reveals spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands. The Standard DBS Check must be submitted by the employer or a registered third party, not the individual themselves.
- Enhanced DBS Check – Reveals the same details as a Standard DBS Check, as well as police notes that are relevant to the role. Again, this needs to be submitted by the employer or registered body.
The Enhanced DBS Check can also be carried out with a barred list check which checks DBS records for people that are banned from working with children or vulnerable adults.
All of the above DBS checks can be applied for online, but for a standard or enhanced DBS check, there are extra ID checks that need to be carried out, which means a registered organisation must be involved.
Online DBS checks – the easy way to run background checks
There’s no doubt that online applications have made it easier than ever to get criminal record checks carried out on potential employees.
If you are interested in finding out more about online DBS checks, including how you can set up an account for multiple submissions, then get in touch with one of our expert advisors today.
