In certain niches – especially those involving close contact with children or vulnerable adults – there are a range of protective measures in place to help safeguard people in these environments. For a lot of people, however, it can be somewhat confusing working out what that process actually looks like, but there is a relatively simple way of approaching it.
Before doing anything else, pin down what the role actually involves. Hands-on personal care, health care, or help with money and daily living usually counts as a regulated activity with adults. An office coordinator who never provides that kind of direct assistance often won’t. More close contact kinds of help often necessitate an in-depth DBS check, while those involving less contact won’t.
Choose the right kind of check
For most posts that involve providing direct support to adults at risk, you’ll need an Enhanced DBS check with the Adults’ Barred List. That’s the most in-depth DBS check available, and it confirms whether someone is inappropriate for or barred from regulated activity.
If your role falls short of those duties, you may only be required to pass a Standard test, or a Basic one for lower-risk posts. Over-checking breaches a host of specific regulations; under-checking, however, risks potentially even more serious safeguarding breaches.
Gather identity details
Most delays in these kinds of checks are self-inflicted: missing middle names, inconsistent dates, patchy address histories – things like that. Get all legal names (including previous names), date of birth, and a five-year address history.
If you use a certified digital identity provider, run this check early, so likeness and document checks don’t end up causing delays for you later. Accurate information early on helps you to avoid issues further on.
Apply through a Registered Body
For most checks, use a registered body such as Personnel Checks to submit the application for you. If you’ve assessed it as regulated activity, select the Adults’ Barred List option as well.
Keep the candidate informed throughout the process, and make sure that they fully consent to what you’re checking, who will see the result, and how long you’ll retain records. Clear, human updates lower anxiety and speed up later cooperation.
Treat the findings appropriately
An Enhanced certificate can show spent and unspent convictions and, in some cases, relevant police-held information that relates to the role that’s being applied for.
Ask four questions about the findings: How relevant are they to the duties? How serious are they? How recent? What evidence of rehabilitation is there? The decision you come to about whether they’re appropriate or not will need to be based on clear hiring practices, which in turn need to be based on the relevant legislation.
Hiring people for roles involving close contact with vulnerable adults requires a little extra care compared to other roles. By taking safeguarding practices like DBS checks seriously, you can make sure that you’re protecting those under your duty of care, while also complying with the relevant laws that govern your sector.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.