CRB now DBS
Have you ever wondered what led to the change…
CRB now DBS
Have you ever wondered what led to the change from CRB to DBS? The CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) and the ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority) have combined together to form the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). Therefore, CRB checks are now referred to as DBS checks. Vulnerable groups of individuals are required to be protected and CRB checks or DBS checks help in assisting to ensure that the most suitable individuals are appointed to the respective roles while working with such vulnerable groups.
Introduced in 2002 by the Home Office, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has served to be a revolutionary service that is aimed at providing detailed reports of the criminal record history of an individual in the nation. There is no denying the fact that it proved immensely beneficial for the employers of different organizations who wished to obtain more information about the potential new candidates or employees. The CRB checks allowed the organizations to reassure the existing staff about the fact they seriously cared for the overall well-being of the employees in the organization.
The CRB checks were designed with the aim of protecting the vulnerable groups through specialized screenings during employment conditions. Access to vital private information about the employees or new recruits has proven crucial in major employment processes. Moreover, these checks have now become commonplace across the organizations in the country.
In 2010, major advancements in technology allowed the CRB to improve drastically when CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks were launched on the online medium. Referred to as the “e-bulk service”, the online CRB checks agency help in reducing the overall time it consumed to process the given information. This allowed the employers to take effective employment decisions quickly & more efficiently.
The CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) has always been at the Home Office department and has been responsible for requesting proper CRB checks. It has worked in conjunction with the ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority) which is aimed at providing the exceptional element of what is now referred to as the “DBS Check”.
The CRB check landscape changed in December 2012. This happened when the CRB check & DBS check merged to provide the country with what is known as The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS). The change from the CRB to CBS was almost complete. However, everything did not happen exactly in that way. The CRB was a due partner with the ISA for administering the all-new Vetting & Barring Scheme –operational from 2009. This was, however, suspended in 2010 due to a pending review after the General Election in 2010. The review was first published in February 2011 and it made effective recommendations for the merging between the CRB & the ISA into a new, single, and non-department public entity. As a result, DBS was born.
The All-New DBS:
The DBS continues providing an extensive range of CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks. The future developments in this aspect are expected to continue escalating the overall services. This will help in keeping DBS at the forefront security scenario in the workplaces or organizations in the United Kingdom.
A typical DBS check enables the organizations or employers to check & analyze the criminal records of the existing as well as potentially new employees. This is done in order to ensure whether or not the employees are suitable for work or for the given organization with vulnerable groups including children & adults. For people who are working in particular positions in an organization, a valid DBS check or disclosure tends to be a legit requirement.
The employers or the organizations tend to search for the criminal record history of the employees –existing or new. This is done towards making a sound and effective recruitment decision on the basis of the information obtained from the respective DBS check. The specific requirements for DBS checks or disclosures along with its different levels tend to vary significantly from one organization to another. This variation would depend on the individual job role and the sector of the particular employee or individual.
Different Levels of Checks:
Basic Disclosure: A typical basic disclosure is made available for any individual residing in the United Kingdom and it is made available to both the employers as well as to the individuals. The given search is known for checking the criminal history or background of the applicants for any specific “unspent” convictions.
Standard DBS Check: This level of DBS check is available only to the employers towards obtaining information on behalf of the respective employees. It aims at searching the criminal history of the applicants for any warnings, cautions, reprimands, & convictions –both spend & unspent.
Enhanced DBS Check: This level of DBS check is available only to the employers towards obtaining information on the employees’ behalf. An enhanced DBS check is also able to search for the barred lists for checking whether or not the particular applicant is barred from working with vulnerable groups.
