It's vital employers fulfil vetting requirements including completing required Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. DBS checks are an essential tool when recruiting safely and fairly.
You can find out more about what kind of check is right for your employee on gov.uk. In the following videos, the DBS Regional Outreach Team explain the service and what to expect. You can contact them for further support if needed.
The DBS adult first check is a supplementary check exclusive to the care sector. It allows someone to be checked against the DBS adults barred list, but only in exceptional circumstances and where a person will engage in regulated activity.
Even when a DBS check raises no concerns, it is still important to consider other avenues to ensure you are being thorough in collecting safeguarding information. Find out more in our round-up of what you need to know about safe and fair recruitment.
Understanding the update service
What to do when a DBS check is taking longer than expected
Understanding the process for an enhanced DBS check
Understanding stage 4 of the enhanced check process
Further guidance
You can find out more about best practice when gathering information effectively and safely whilst following legal requirements in the Better Hiring Institute toolkit.
Our Safer recruitment guide and Safer recruitment checklist offers best practice recommendations to employers gathering criminal record information for all applicants, including UK and non-UK nationals, as well as displaced people.
The DBS checks for adult social care roles leaflet addresses the eligibility of a range of roles across the adult social care sector.
Our Safe and fair recruitment guide offers guidance of implementing safe recruitment policies that treat people from a variety of backgrounds, including those with criminal records, fairly.