Applying for new jobs generates a lot of paperwork, and we don’t just mean the application form. Employers have to ask for a wide range of information from you to prove who you are. They also need information like your bank details to make sure they can pay you properly. New data protection legislation known as GDPR governs what they do with your information to keep it secure. DBS certificates might contain some very sensitive information. So what are the dos and dont’s around certificates, and the certificate numbers?
Asking for Numbers of DBS Certificates
One common misconception is around DBS check numbers. Many people think that when they are switching to a new employer, all they need to provide is the number of an existing DBS certificate. This isn’t really the case. A DBS certificate is tailored for each individual position. This is especially the case with enhanced disclosures. In these cases, the police look at what information to disclose given the type of position. So it’s not usually possible to transfer DBS checks from one setting to the next. Writing down numbers of DBS certificates is a fairly pointless exercise. All a DBS number tells you is that that person has applied for a check at some point in the past. It won’t tell you anything about what the certificate says.
Storing DBS Certificates
As DBS information is tailored to the individual job, most companies will ask applicants to apply for a new DBS check. The process isn’t complicated. After you fill in the application form, show some basic identity documents to prove who you are. Then the police run their checks. When the certificate is sent out, it goes to the applicant’s home address, never to the employer. The applicant therefore has the chance to check it over before handing it in to their employer. Employers will want to see the original of any DBS certificate, but don’t usually want to store the originals. It’s up to you what you do with the original certificate, but the sensible advice would be to keep it somewhere safe at home.
Employers might take a photocopy or record the number as proof that they’ve seen the original. When it comes to renewing checks, these are usually done every three to five years. Each employer has their own policy.
DBS Update
One way round all of these issues with multiple checks and keeping details is encouraging people to sign up for the Update service. This is a useful tool which isn’t well advertised by the government. The idea of Update is that information is kept current on a database at all times. That means that if someone subscribed to Update switches jobs, all they need to do is let their new employer log in and see the current status. There is an annual service charge for people who wish to join the scheme, but it’s less than paying for two checks in a calendar year. Being in Update is a lot less hassle too, from everyone’s point of view.