The alternative medicine, or complementary medicine sector in the UK is booming. Around 9 million of us visit a complementary therapist every year. Most towns have a range of people offering everything from homeopathy to chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine or acupuncture. But how do you check that these people are reputable? And what’s the position with DBS checks for people practising complementary medicine?
Volunteer Opportunities for Duke of Edinburgh Award
The number of young people taking on the challenge of a Duke of Edinburgh award has been growing steadily. The scheme was set up in the 1950s, and there are now young people in 144 countries working towards Bronze, Silver or Gold awards. Everyone knows about the expedition element, with young people hiking, canoeing or camping. But there’s lots more to the DofE than just the outdoors life. At all levels of the award, young people have to prove that they have developed a skill, taken part in a physical activity, and volunteered in their local community. It’s up to the young people to source their own volunteer opportunities, so where do you start?
DBS Checks and Evidence
DBS checks are needed for a huge range of different jobs. Usually, you won’t be able to start work without that precious certificate, so it’s in your best interests to keep the process moving quickly. Filling in the application form online is just the start of the process. The next step is showing evidence that you are who you say you are. This doesn’t have to be tricky, but it’s a step which catches people out. Being prepared is half of the battle.
Employment History – How do you verify it?
Employers are being increasingly careful about who they take on. Recruiting a new member of staff is expensive, both in terms of time and lost revenue. Sacking someone isn’t always easy either, so it makes a lot of sense to make sure you get the right candidate. Unfortunately, employers can’t take anything people say on face value. People can and do tell lies. It’s easy to verify someone’s nationality by looking at their passport, or their qualifications by looking at certificates. But how do you verify their employment history, and why should you bother anyway?
Airside Pass Screening
Thousands of people work in airports up and down the UK. Some are doing jobs which you could do elsewhere too, such as catering or retail. Other, such as check-in work, baggage handling and security are airport specific. Airports are constantly trying to recruit new people as the business expands. However, there are a few more hoops to jump through to get an airport job compared with working in other settings. And these extra hoops all falls under the umbrella of airside pass screening.
DBS Checks and the Care Sector
Would it surprise you to learn that 1.45 million people in the UK work in the care sector? And that the number is growing every year? Over the years we’ve transformed how society looks after the elderly and vulnerable. We don’t lock people up in institutions for decades any more, or keep them in hospital when they get older. People live at home, or go into residential care instead. They also need an army of care workers to look after their needs. As more of us live longer, the need for carers just keeps growing. If you’ve ever thought about a job in the industry, here’s what you need to know about the care sector and DBS checks.
Human Rights, Convictions and DBS Checks
DBS checks were in the news again recently, as three people went to the UK’s highest court over criminal convictions. The three said that their human rights were being breached by having to declare convictions from decades ago. Standard and enhanced DBS checks list all past convictions and cautions. The lawyers argued that is simply not fair. The court agreed, and ruled that disclosing old or minor convictions could indeed be an infringement of human rights. So how will this affect your next DBS check?
DBS Checks for Universities
It’s that time of year when young people all over the UK are applying for places at Universities. By the time they start in September, most students will be over the age of 18. But some students starting University are younger, and still technically classed as children. So how does this affect DBS checks for people working in universities, or for the students themselves?
Can I Speed Up My DBS Check?
Is there anything worse than being kept waiting? It’s one of the most frustrating experiences, especially when there’s nothing you can do to speed things along. Delays in the DBS check system have been getting less over recent months, but some people are still waiting over a month for their certificates to be returned. If you’re waiting to start a job, these delays can be unbearable. Luckily, we’ve got some top tips to help you get your disclosure certificate as speedily as possible. And there are more factors in your control than you might think.
Implications for DBS Checks of Being Arrested
In this era of 24 hour news, we know more than ever about what’s going on. When a major news story breaks, it doesn’t take long for news to spread if people are arrested. Names, photographs and details are splashed across the papers. If at a later date the suspects are released without charge, you’d think the matter was over and done with. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, especially with DBS checks in the future.