DBS Changes to the Processing of Applications with Conflicts

September 25th, 2019 by Jonathan Bazely

The DBS has recently announced that applications with missing addresses or incorrect workforce/home working information will be automatically withdrawn.

What is the current process for the DBS updating/amending an address or workforce information? 

Previously the DBS Customer Service Team would contact DDC to confirm if the applicant had ever lived at an address that they hold on file, or request additional information if the address was not complete (e.g. a house number not present). DDC would then liaise directly with the applicant to confirm if they had lived at this address. If the additional address was confirmed or details updated the DBS would restart the process and include this information in their process. If the DBS suspected that the workforce or ‘working from home’ information entered was incorrect they would follow a similar process to obtain the correct information. 

What has changed from the 1st October 2019

The DBS have made a change to their processes for handling application submissions. From the 1st October 2019 the DBS will automatically withdraw an application where they have a record of addresses that are not declared on the form or incorrect workforce/home working information is entered. They will contact DDC directly to confirm if the applicant has ever lived at the address or the workforce/home working details are not correct. This includes submission errors or mismatches such as an incomplete address. If the applicant declares that they have never lived at an address that the DBS hold, then they will need to submit a written statement to confirm this, which will be passed to the Police to verify.

If any data is not accurate a certificate will not be issued and the recruiting organisation will be required to complete and submit a new application with these details included. The DBS will not issue a refund for the application and any applicable fee will need to be paid again. 

What are the ‘working from home’ requirements on a DBS form?

Pease read our ‘Working from Home’ FAQ in relation to these requirements. 

Why do applicants need to declare five years of address history on a DBS form?

The DBS run checks against all the addresses declared by the applicant together with all the name combinations entered. This is designed to match with any potential record on the Police National Computer (PNC) or any relevant information held by Local Police Forces (LPFs). If an applicant does not include an address where they have lived there is potential for a record to be missed or incomplete results to be issued. 

What do DDC do to ensure applicants provide full information on a form?

The online interactive application form ensures that applicants meet the DBS five year address requirements. The system allows for overlapping addresses and on-screen guidance highlights the need to declare all addresses and the dates of occupancy. We make this as easy as possible with post code look-up systems and partial address submissions systems. The applicant does not need to know all of the address and they can start to enter information and then select from the matching addresses. Current address information is then matched against documents nominated in support of the application. 

How do DDC ensure that the correct working from home and workforce checks are included?

When setting up an account with DDC a fully trained Countersignatory will discuss client requirements and ask specific questions about the work being done. This will allow ‘job roles’ to be created on the system which set the type of check to be requested. This includes the level and type of check, plus any workforce, barring list or working from home requirements. 

What additional checks do DDC undertake?

A fully trained DDC Countersignatory will review each application prior to submission to spot any errors that have already passed the automated testing systems and the data matching process included in the document verification. If the team suspect an error has occurred they will attempt to contact the applicant directly to seek confirmation. Systems are in place to spot any job roles manually entered by clients and query the type or level of check being requested. 

What does this DBS change mean for Clients of DDC?

Thankfully the DDC service ensures that very few applications are ever submitted that contain erroneous or conflicting information. The DBS provide general statistics on the performance on Umbrella Bodies and instances where they generate a ‘conflict’. The DDC service has a conflict rate of 7.2% which includes address conflicts. This compares to the national average of 7.9%.