The DBS process is continually evolving. As technology moves on, so does the way we interact with official forms. One of the most recent changes was the integration of some parts of official technology with smartphone payment apps. More changes were recently announced. These are do with the way mistakes can be fixed after the first certificate is printed.
The Current DBS Process – Error Correction
At present, the DBS office can fix mistakes on DBS certificates if you let them know of their error right away. Most mistakes are down to human error – things like spelling your name wrong, transposing first name and surname, or giving an address as Main Road not Main Street. These can be easily amended after a simple check on the DBS computer. Applicants don’t go through the whole process again, and the new certificate arrives quickly. There is another class of errors however, affecting mainly enhanced disclosures. The enhanced disclosure is the most detailed type. Police will look into an applicant’s history of addresses going back five years, and into their police record for life. At present, an enhanced disclosure applicant who has omitted an address or given incomplete information can simply provide that to the DBS when asked to fill in gaps. This is the process which is changing.
Why Checking Applications is More Critical than Ever
At present, if you’ve missed out information on your
DBS application, the DBS will allow you to add this before the form is sent out to the Police for database searches. Under the new system, applications which arrive at the DBS with incomplete information will simply be rejected. Applicants will have to go through the whole process again from the start. The DBS won’t refund any application fee either.
It’s therefore even more important than ever to make sure that the information you provide is 100% accurate. Get someone who knows what they are doing, or a professional third party organisation, to check over all applications before they are submitted. If there are any queries or unusual circumstances, give the DBS a call and ask for guidance. It costs nothing to pick up the phone and ask. If however you chance it, make an educated guess and get it wrong, your application will be rejected and you’ll be out of pocket.
These changes come into effect as of 1st August 2019.
Why are the DBS doing this?
We can only guess at the reasons behind these changes in the DBS process. The most feasible explanation is that it’s all down to staff resources. There have been lots of reports about lengthy delays in applications, and this is one way in which the DBS can cut down on the admin time needed to chase applicants for clarification. If staff aren’t emailing, phoning and writing letters, that frees them up to concentrate on the properly completed applications instead. Furthermore, if applicants start to suffer financial penalties from having to re-submit applications, it should push up the overall accuracy of the paperwork received.
