Just type “disclosure checks” into any search engine and you’ll get pages and pages of results. But as you start to scroll through the content, you soon realise that a lot of it is aimed at large organisations. Often, it’s assumed that you’ll have a specific person to do DBS checks. Or that businesses are processing hundreds of checks each year. However, that’s not really relevant if you’re a small employer with a handful of staff. Your organisation size isn’t relevant when it comes to deciding who needs a DBS check. You’ll need to stick to the same rules as everyone else. But there are several important tips to consider which are specific to small businesses.
Outsourcing Disclosure Checks
Perhaps the main decision for small businesses is whether to do disclosure checking themselves, or hand the job over to someone else. There’s no right and wrong answer here. For many companies, it comes down to time. If you’re running a busy childcare facility then your days are filled with dozens of tasks. Organising DBS checks for new employees, or new ones for existing employees, is just a tiny part of the overall workload. Many small business owners prefer to outsource to other providers just to save a bit of time. The money it costs to use a third party is money well spent, in their opinion. f you are already outsourcing your payroll or getting HR advice from a third party, they might offer this service too.
However, if your main focus is on reducing cost, then you might prefer to do things yourself. Just weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each option and review your choice if circumstances change.
Do we really need disclosure checks anyway?
Depending on the type of business you operated, you might not need to run DBS checks on your workers. In some sectors, such as nurseries or home care agencies, there’s no choice. These sorts of jobs are classed as regulated activity, which means that businesses are legally obliged to run criminal records checks on all of their staff. However, if your business is office-based, retail or in numerous other sectors, disclosure isn’t a legal requirement. Some employers might choose to run a basic DBS check on workers. This is just a statement of someone’s current criminal record. It shows unspent convictions and cautions only. Many businesses choose not to bother, and save themselves time and money.
Deciding on the DIY method
If you’ve weighed up the pros and cons but decided that on balance you’d prefer to keep DBS checks in-house, there are a few further things to consider.
- Accountability – who are you going to designate as the person in your organisation responsible for checks? It might be you as the business owner or manager. More commonly, it’s an admin manager or the HR person. Whoever you choose, they’ll need training in the process and know where to go for help.
- Registered body – only registered bodies can apply for standard and enhanced DBS checks. That doesn’t mean that you have to go through the registration process. Many small businesses are already affiliated to registered bodies who can help. For example, an independent nursery could get its DBS checks done through Ofsted.
- GDPR – this is legislation all about storing and processing data securely. DBS information can be highly sensitive. Even if someone’s record is clear, they have to give you lots of personal information to complete the form. Think about how you’re going to store this, and restrict access to those who really need to see it.
- Documents – employers check documents as standard when doing Right to Work checks. The documents you require for DBS might be different, especially if you are recruiting workers from overseas. Make sure you’re seeing the right documents, and remember that documents have to be originals, and recently issued.
Networking
As a small business owner, it’s also often beneficial to network with others in the same situation. Small business organisations or local Chambers of Commerce often run seminars or training on DBS compliance issues. Attending these sorts of sessions also gives you the chance to meet other local business owners, and share ideas on all sorts of business practice. You might find lots of useful online help through their websites too.