DBS Help and Advice

Useful Documents and Links

WMCA Office number 01384 943000 (opt 2)

DBS Central contact number 03000 200 190

DBS Government Website click here

DBS Replacement Certificate Form click here

DBS Barring Referral Form click here

Orange Box

The Orange Box is where the basic personal personal details of the applicant are input - This sho uld be completed first and can be completed by the applicant themselves (using your organisations log in details)

Your password for the Orange box will be a lower
case version of your User Name

Ie. for the Ash Trees
User Name might be: ASHTREWVDD
Password would be : ashtrewvdd

All the information is in the email that was sent to you (if you forget your user names and passwords please contact the Association office (01384 943000 opt 2) and we can reissue them).

This area can be used by applicants and Care Providers to put on the applicant names and addresses. (if married for example we will need to know previous names)

You will find this easy to complete as it walks you through filling in the names and addresses of the applicant.

Once completed the system will ask for a declaration and signature. This is the First and Last name of the applicant

Once complete and saved it will give you a reference number.

You are now ready to go to the Blue Box

Blue Box

This is where the application is managed, ie you tell the system what sort of search you want (Section Y) and input the ID documents that you have witnessed.  You can also track the application through the various stages of the checking process.

Applications do not have to be completed in one stage.  They can be completed in stages and also amended before you finally approve them.

You will fill in your Organisation reference (same as for the orange box), your User Name which will be your email supplied on the agreement and your date of birth which initially is a default one of 1st January 1998. Your password for the blue box will be a computer generated one with letters and numbers in upper and lower case which will be in the initial email you receive from us. The default password and date of birth can be changed by the user.

To Complete section Y and the ID

Click into ‘requiring Section Y and ID’ on the dashboard and

then click on the reference number next to the name of the applicant you are completing.

Now click on the two orange boxes to complete these

The boxes will go blue when you have completed them

Completing Section Y

In this section you advise the DBS which level of search  you want:

Standard or enhanced (all care workers who work directly with care users, even if it is infrequent must have an enhanced search).,

Whether they will work with Adults and Children and whether they are volunteers or not (if a volunteer you must also ensure you complete the position applied for field so that the DBS knows what sort of work they will actually be doing eg. volunteer care worker or volunteer activities co-ordinator etc).

If you want an Adult First check . Adult First checks are an additional chargeable service where we can check the applicants names against the DBS Barring list. These searches normally complete within 24 hours. A clear search means that the applicant can start work under supervision until the main DBS Search completes.  (we won't normally process this for 7 working days as the majority of DBS checks complete before then. Once 7 days has elapsed and if the DBS check is still processing, we will process the Adult First and bill you separately. We can process the Adult First check immediately if you inform us).

Filling in the ID

Please note that individual user IDs should only be used by that person and not used/shared by others.  The system logs each user and this is the unique 'signature' to declare that you have checked and are happy with any ID items. If there was ever a problem with ID items the DBS will assume that the user ID on the system was the person that checked the items.

The DBS requires that applicants produce 3 items of identification. These are sorted into 3 groups depending on their ranking as pieces of ID  (eg official photo IDs like passports and driving licenses are Group 1)

Depending on the items produced the DBS has strict criteria on what mix of items and groups are acceptable.  They have recently

(Sep 2018) issued new guidelines and these can de downloaded here

We have also produced a useful flowchart to help you with the ID process

When checking the validity of the documents it is best practice to carry out this examination face to face. Other alternative methods include via a live video link, for example Skype and Facetime. In both cases you must be in physical possession of the original documents. Any risk identified when using live video must be assessed and mitigated by you if implementing this practice. You must not rely on the inspection of the documents via a live video link or by checking a faxed or scanned copy of the document

Once you have completed section Y and ID

You can then approve the application.  Once you approve the application it is sent to the Association for final processing and countersignature.   Applications are usually processed no later than the next working day after the application.  Once the association has countersigned the application it cannot be withdrawn, even for instance if the applicant has decided they no longer want the job. Once countersigned the Association is automatically billed by the DBS for the search so we are unable to refund any charges after this point.

The Association will then invoice you, if you pay by Direct Debit it will be countersigned and sent to the DBS; if you pay on account we will countersign it as soon as the payment is received.

You will then be able to monitor the checking process through the blue box.

FAQs

How Long Does It Take?

The majority of DBS checks will complete if its a clear search within a few working days. Checks can take longer if the applicant has moved addresses frequently or is flagged during the police database checks.  If the search has reached stage 4 (police checks) and is taking some time, this does not necessarily mean the applicant has a criminal record. It means that the addresses supplied have been flagged and therefore further police checks are necessary to establish whether or not these flags relate to the applicant.

If a search is taking a long time we cannot escalate the process until it has passed 60 working days from Stage 4 starting.

The system will not accept the Driving License Details I've entered

This is usually because the applicant has a middle name that has not been entered.  The Drivers License number is generated from characters within the holders name.  If the Driving License is showing a middle name and this has not been entered in the orange box, usually if you go back and amend the details the system will then accept the DL number.

The Applicant has not received their certificate

Certficates are always sent to the current address details entered in the orange box.  They are sent by post centrally by the DBS and not from the WMCA office.  A replacement certificate cannot be requested until 2 weeks after issue.  The applicant then needs to complete this form and send it directly to the DBS.  The DBS will only issue replacement certificates if the original was never received. They will not replace lost or damaged certificates. Lost or damaged certificates will require a new search.

How long is a DBS search valid for?

The information provided during a DBS Check is accurate at the time the check is carried out, and whilst DBS certificates don’t officially expire, employers need to decide if the amount of time that has elapsed since the check was carried out means a new one is required. There may be a requirement for re checking as determined by a governing body, local authority contracts or professional organisation.

The DBS Update Service allows applicants to keep their certificate up to date, and employers to check the certificate of a potential employee. Individuals must subscribe to this service themselves, details are available through the link above.

We applied for a search which has since come back clear, however we have noticed that there was a mistake in the original spelling of the applicants name/address, is the search still valid?

As noted above DBS checks are accurate at the time of search and the search is done on the details originally provided.  If these are incorrect then the search may not be accurate and we recommend that a new search is carried out.  This new search will incur our standard fee as if it were a brand new search. To minimise these instances, please ensure that your data entry is accurate.

Do you offer Paper DBS Checks?

No we only offer the online system, we have taken this decision as the online system is far faster and convenient for our users. The only exception to this would be if the applicant failed all the ID criteria and the only option left open is finger printing.  Finger printing applications can take up to six months to complete and are not an option for non EEA ( European Economic Area ) nationals.

Can you do overseas checks?

The DBS system only checks UK records, Anyone employed from overseas must have additional checks done on them.

As a DBS check only checks their history while they have been in the UK, you must contact the relevent Embassy and apply for a Certificate/Letter of Good Conduct.

There are different ways to do this depending on the country but you can find more details by following this link

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

This is something that is checked by CQC during inspections

There is an online checking system for the Republic of Ireland, details of which are here.

Employing EU citizens after 1 January 2021

From the 1 January 2021, EU Citizens will not have the automatic right to work here (unless they are Irish which is covered by a treaty predating the EU). They must be treated in the same way that you currently would treat non EU nationals applying to work.

If you are intending to employ people from overseas (including the EU), you must also apply for a Sponsor License from the Home Office, which can be done by following this link  https://www.gov.uk/apply-sponsor-licence     (This does not apply to EU citizens already living in the UK or have already had a work permit arranged). Unfortunately there is a fee for this and there is no guarantee that the person will actually be granted permission to work here

Useful Documents and Links

WMCA Office number 01384 943000 (opt 2)

DBS Central contact number 03000 200 190

DBS ID flowchart click here

DBS ID Guidelines click here

WMCA DBS Portal (DBS Searches) click here

DBS Update service click here

DBS Government Website click here

DBS Replacement Certificate Form click here

DBS Barring Referral Form click here

Right to Work in the UK click here