Setting up and running a small to medium enterprise isn’t a walk in the park. We all know that. But with a little help from the informative blog posts on this site, it can be made much easier.
If you will be recruiting staff as your business grows, there are an important number of pre-employment checks you should run once you have decided an individual is suitable for a position. You will want to ensure that your potential employee has passed police clearance for example, to prove he or she doesn’t have a criminal record. Here’s a simple guide to these screening checks, what they are and how you can apply for them in an affordable and timely matter:
DBS Checks
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) background screening checks will delve into an applicant’s personal records to see if they have any spent or unspent convictions, cautions or warnings which may affect their eligibility to work with children or vulnerable adults.
These checks are an essential part in safeguarding customers, clients or patients that use your services or products, and are standard issued tests.
There are three main categories of DBS disclosure checks, these are:
Basic Disclosure – This is issued by the Scottish branch of the Disclosure and Barring Service. A Basic Disclosure Check will highlight any criminal history under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Standard DBS Disclosure – This check is more in-depth and will detail any cautions, warnings, reprimands or convictions in an applicant’s past held on the Police National Computer.
Enhanced DBS Disclosure – A certificate of this check will include the same details as the Standard Check, as well as additional checks that the Police feel are relevant to the position.
If you need an employee to start work immediately and you cannot wait for a DBS check to be conducted and a certificate returned, you can apply for a List 99 and DBS Adult First Check. These are temporary options which allow staff to start work while waiting for the return of a DBS certificate and can be acquired in under 24 hours of application.
Pre-Employment Vetting
Once you’ve received a CV, interviewed the applicant and ran a DBS Check you may be considering offering them a job, but wait! Before you do, it is important to perform pre-employment vetting checks to verify the details they have disclosed.
Suggested checks you could make include:
- ID validation
- Right to Work Checks
- Verification of previous employment
- Analysis of any gaps in a CV
- Qualification checks
- Credit checks
- Address validation
- Professional association checks
FCA Screening
Besides DBS Checks and the basic pre-employment vetting system, some industries will require further, in-depth checks than others. For example, a DOT or Non-DOT physical exam. A non DOT exam is mandatory for the whole commercial transportation sector which includes pilots and bus drivers. Another obligatory screening is for occupations in the financial sector.
FCA screening is required for all successful candidates applying for financial jobs and therefore, if you’ve a SME in this industry, take note!
The Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for the prudential regulation of firms that are not covered by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), as well as conduct in retail, wholesale and financial markets formerly looked-over by the FSA.
A FCA Register Validation Search and a FCA Disciplinary Validation should be carried out alongside the following:
- Credit report and ID valuation
- HM Treasury Financial sanctions check
- UK directorship and disqualification checks
- Employment verification for the last 5 years, including employment gap analysis
- Highest qualification verification
- Character references
Other Less Common Checks You May Consider
- Route 2 External Verification Checks
- International criminal checks
- BS7858 security screening
- BPSS security clearance checks
Would you like to learn more about any of the background screening checks mentioned in this post or to apply for a check online today? Then talk to CBS today.
CB Screening (CBS) is the third largest screening company in the UK and has over 10 years of experience in the industry. Whether you’re looking for an individual disclosure check or to run hundreds of applications quickly, CBS can help. Call 01443 799900 or email info@cbscreening.co.uk today to find out more!