Disclosure and Barring Service
Frequently Asked Questions
| Q. | Where can I get more information about the update service? |
| A. |
More detailed information is available on the DBS website: |
| Q. | Will Wakefield Council be using the update service? |
| A. | The Council have taken a decision not use the update service for current employees and will not reimburse any individuals who have subscribed to the online service neither will it require them to maintain their subscription. |
| Q. | What if my successful candidate already subscribes to the Update Service. Will they still need a DBS? |
| A. | If a new recruit has already subscribed to this service and the existing check they hold is for the correct workforce and correct level of check and they give us permission to view their record online it will not be necessary to undertake a new DBS check. Once the new recruit becomes an employee rechecks will take place in accordance with normal arrangements. |
| Q. | Can we accept a current DBS Disclosure certificate for new recruits? |
| A. | The Council will undertake a DBS check for all new recruits and will not accept current manual certificates held by the candidate. See Q & A above Update Service |
| Q. | What will be shown on a DBS certificate? |
| A. | Standard and Enhanced DBS certificates will include details of convictions and cautions (including youth cautions, reprimands and warnings) recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC).
In addition to information from the PNC, an Enhanced certificate may also include information taken from police records that a Chief Officer of a police force considers relevant to the application and/or details of whether an individual is included on one or both of our two lists barring people from working with children and/or vulnerable adults. Some PNC information will now be filtered and will not appear on the certificate. Cautions and convictions filtered out are set out in legislation. June 2013 v1.1 |
| Q. | What does ‘filtering’ mean? |
| A. | Filtering is the term that the DBS is using to describe the process which will identify and remove convictions and cautions which should no longer be disclosed on DBS certificates due to changes to legislation. |
| Q. | What PNC information will be filtered from inclusion on a certificate? |
| A. | The rules as to when a conviction or caution will be filtered are set out in legislation. This states that a certificate must include the following:
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| Q. | Why does the Registered Body not receive a copy of the applicant’s DBS Certificate? |
| A. | The Government have changed the law so the DBS can now only send the DBS certificate to the individual. This allows the individual to dispute the information contained on the certificate |
| Q. | How will the applicant know that they need a Disclosure Certificate? |
| A. | Managers should bring this information to the attention of applicants when advertising and recruiting to a post.
This information is also included in offer of appointment letters for applicants requiring a DBS. Applicants are also advised by the DBS service when the DBS certificate is issued. |
| Q. | Can certificates be shared with managers/schools? |
| A. | In accordance with section 124 of the Police Act 1997, certificate information can only be
passed to those who are authorised to receive it in the course of their duties. It is a criminal offence to pass this information to anyone who is not entitled to receive it. |
| Q. | How can an applicant check the progress of their DBS Check? |
| A. | The eDBS system will provide an online tracking service where the applicant will receive confirmation of their E-Form reference and also an email when the DBS is complete confirming a certificate has been issued. Or the applicant can use the DBS tracking service. To do so they will need their E-form reference number and their date of birth. |
| Q. | What if an applicant has lived abroad during the last five years, do they need any kind of check other than DBS? |
| A. | Yes, the DBS will only provide information for the UK, so foreign nationals or anyone who has lived outside the UK during the last five years. The applicant will need to provide a certificate of good conduct (CGC). Confirmation of this will need to be added to the online DBS form before a result can be released. Contact details for foreign embassies can be found on the link below:
www.gov.uk/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk or Further information can be obtained at : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants |