Criminal Records Check
Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Policy
EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES ensures that all Agency Workers have an enhanced DBS disclosure prior to commencing work.
All documents and policies are available to any potential applicant prior to starting our registration process. Furthermore applicants registering with the Excellence Care Services are pre-screened by a dedicated team of recruitment staff. Based on the setting the applicant is applying for, the recruitment staff will instruct the individual to apply for a DBS disclosure. All staff due to work in settings with vulnerable children & adults are instructed as mandatory to apply for an enhanced DBS application.
EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES comply fully with the respective Codes of Practice regarding the correct handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosures and Disclosure information. It also complies fully with its obligations under the Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation pertaining to the safe handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosure information
EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES ensures that all DBS Disclosure documents are kept securely in a non-portable storage facility and only those with authorised entitlement, relevant to their duties, have access to these documents. All DBS documents received are logged and monitored and EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES recognises that it is a criminal offence to forward this information to unauthorised persons.
EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES disposes of DBS documentation in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. DBS’s are disposed of securely by shredding or pulping or burning.
No images of the Disclosure are kept outside of our high-security and access-controlled environment. However, we may keep a record of the date of issue of a Disclosure, the name of the subject, the type of Disclosure requested, the position for which the Disclosure was requested, the unique reference number of the Disclosure and the details of the recruitment decision taken. These details remain secure and are only visible to those who are authorised, relevant to their duties.
EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES ensures that all people with criminal records applying to join the agency will be treated according to their merits, qualifications and suitability to the post.
During the interview process our trained interviewers will ask questions to establish information and ensure that people with criminal records or other disclosure information are not inadvertently placed in vulnerable positions of employment. Excellence Care Services Risk Committee will also review all criminal record and disclosure information and will make the final recruitment decision.
EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES would not prevent a person from joining the Employment Business due to a disclosure but where it is felt, however, that a past offence might mean that a person presents a risk to children or vulnerable adults then that person will not be placed on our register of available temporary workers. EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES ensures the safety of service users is paramount.
Due to changes in legislation as from 29 May 2013, the DBS will be removing certain specified old and minor offences from criminal record certificates issued from this date. In line with these changes the DBS have amended Question e55 on their application for a criminal record check. To ensure that the law is followed correctly, we need to remind temporary workers of the following when completing the form. The current question asks the applicant: “Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence or received a caution, reprimand or warning? Applicants should now ignore this question and instead treat this question as if they were being asked: “Do you have any unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings?” The filtering rules, together with the list of offences that will never be filtered, are available from www.gov.uk/dbs.
The EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES Complies with all requirements and guidance as stipulated in:
Code of Practice for Disclosure and Barring Service Nov 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment/data/
file/474742/Code_of_Practice_for_Disclosure_and_Barring_Service_Nov_15.pdf
Should EXCELLENCE CARE SERVICES wish to act as an Umbrella Body (one which countersigns applications and receives Disclosure information on behalf of other employers or recruiting organisations), we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that they can comply fully with the Codes of Practice. We will also take all reasonable steps to satisfy ourselves that they will handle, use, store, retain and dispose of Disclosure information in full compliance with the Codes and in full accordance with this policy.
We will also ensure that anybody or individual, at whose request applications for Disclosure are countersigned, has such a written policy and, if necessary, will provide a model policy for that body or individual to use or adapt for this purpose.
