Online criminal record update service

Following the launch of a new update service by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), businesses can now carry out free online checks to find out whether there have been any changes to an employee’s criminal record certificate.

The DBS estimates that the new system will speed up the recruitment process while also enhancing safeguarding processes. The online status checks mean that businesses will no longer be required to make a new application each time they need to check an individual. The DBS has published a suite of guidance for employers explaining how the new system will work.

This checklist sets out the issues a business should consider when dealing with information about a criminal record.