CIFAS - Internal Fraud for HR and Recruitment Professionals Conference Presented by: David McLaren 26 September 2018

Our Role Disclosure… …& Barring To help employers make safer recruitment decisions …& Barring To help prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups including children

Disclosure: To assist organisations to make balanced suitability decisions Three levels of DBS check Basic Standard Enhanced The Update Service Provides continuous monitoring of information Enables safer portability

Levels of DBS check Basic Standard Enhanced £25 £26 £44 Level of check Unspent convictions Spent & unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings (subject to filtering) Spent & unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings (subject to filtering ) Information provided Relevant Police intelligence Adults and/or children's barred list (Optional) Hospice admin roles with access to patients Examples of who is eligible Anyone care workers, nurses, charity trustees

Referral & Barring: To help prevent unsuitable people working with vulnerable groups including children Receive and Consider Referrals Automatic barring referral With or without representations Disclosure referral Discretionary referral Make Barring Decisions Manage Barred Lists for Eng, Wales & N.I.

Why might we get a referral? Duty to Refer (Employers) or Power to Refer (Regulators/LA’s) Two main conditions have been met: ONE: Withdraw permission to engage in regulated activity Dismissed, Redeployed, Retired / Redundant, Resigned TWO: Referring party thinks that the person has either: Engaged in relevant conduct or Satisfied the harm test or Received a caution for, or been convicted of a relevant offence

Our role in safe recruitment DBS provides you with relevant information Clear or ‘clean’ DBS certificates are not an approval / accreditation Equally, a certificate that contains information does not automatically disqualify an applicant (with the exception of those on a barred list)

Our role in safe recruitment, cont… All RBs and recipients of certificate or Update Service information must: Comply with DBS ID Validation guidance Have a Suitability of Ex-Offenders Policy Discuss the contents of a DBS certificate with the applicant prior to the withdrawal of any job offer

Recent Changes Introduction of our Basic Disclosure product Previously delegated to Disclosure Scotland Now available from DBS in two ways: Through Responsible Organisations Directly via DBS online – using .gov.uk Verify Available to anyone over 16yrs – no eligibility restrictions

Recent Changes cont… Introduction of our online Barring services Referrals can now be submitted online Faster – no delays associated with postal services More accurate – data is validated at the point of submission More efficient – the referrer is guided through the process and advised to submit all relevant data first time round

Current Challenges ID Validation The first priority for DBS is safeguarding, so it is right that we strive for the highest levels of ID validation and accuracy We recognise that individuals from under-represented groups may struggle to present the required documents Our guidance now assures the right-to-work Our processes are always being reviewed in light of both security and accessibility https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-identity-checking-guidelines

Current Challenges, cont… Certificate fraud / certificate tampering We have recently updated and republished our guidance regarding certificate security It is essential that those people considering certificates make themselves aware of the security features that can be checked Our Basic product now includes an online certificate which can have a security benefit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-requests-guidance-for-employers#security-features-of-a-dbs-certificate

Current Challenges, cont… Effective use of the Update Service Recent stakeholder engagement has concluded that employers vary in their approach to using the Update Service Some have reported the assumption that a certificate demonstrates ID, whilst others report not seeing the original certificate at all The Update Service can accelerate recruitment and deliver timely updated information – but only if used correctly! https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-update-service-employer-guide/dbs-update-service-employer-guide

Current Challenges, cont… Recruitment and DBS check fraud There has been an increase in instances of wholly fraudulent organisations falsely advertising jobs and taking payment for DBS checks that never materialise SAFERjobs have led on publicising and raising awareness of this risk DBS encourages all RBs to join the SAFERjobs scheme https://www.gov.uk/government/news/help-reduce-recruitment-fraud

How you can help DBS Checks – apply for the appropriate level for the role Referrals – remember your legal duty to send us the right information at the right time Make use of our online services Website – read our information sheets Application guidance – use it to avoid unnecessary delays Take steps to ensure the certificates you consider are genuine Always use DBS services as part of wider safeguarding measures…

Carer Teachers Social Paedia Authority LADOs Services Public Local Volunteers Workers NSPCC HM Courts A&E Youth Community Health Visitors tricians EY Profs GPs Childrens Housing LSCBs Education

Thank you