Digital ID Checks – coming in the next few months
We’re pleased to share with you that in 2023, we’re offering an alternative for completing ID checks that will no longer require the original documents to be seen.
This new optional way of completing the ID Check will involve the applicant uploading photos of their ID documents and a selfie, which will be independently verified through digital ID technology and humans. This method is a safer and more robust way of verifying ID documents, which uses specialist technology that an average person would never be able to replicate when trying to spot fraudulent documents.
There will be an additional charge per Digital ID Check for those who use the Digital ID Checking option to cover the running cost of this service. All member organisations will be able to automatically access this, and it will be clearly marked that this service incurs an additional cost (on top of the normal DBS admin fee), which will be invoiced in the same way that our admin fees are.
If you're part of a large organisation or denomination (for example the Church of England) and they pay for your DBS checks, you will need to check with them first before processing any Digital ID Checks.
Digital ID Checks will be completely optional, and documents will still be able to be checked in the normal way.
Watch this space as we’ll be sharing more details with you about this new service soon.
Warm welcome spaces
Is your organisation setting up a 'warm welcome space' for people to come inside and get warm as they struggle with their fuel bills? Read our latest blog on what you need to consider and whether DBS checks are needed. If you’re part of a large group or denomination (for example Church of England) please also check with them as they may have their own requirements or guidance around setting up warm spaces.
Read more
COVID-19 temporary changes
You may recall that in March 2020 towards the start of the pandemic the DBS introduced some temporary changes to help organisations with ID Checking. These guidelines remain in place until further notice.
These changes enable:
- ID documents to be viewed over video link
- scanned images to be used in advance of the DBS check being submitted
The applicant must still present the original versions of these documents when they first attend their employment or volunteering role.
Applicants driving licence numbers
Several Recruiters have reached out to us when applicants were having trouble entering their Driving Licence number onto the application form. There can be several reasons why the system will not accept a Driving Licence number, however, it’s normally because the applicant has made a mistake with their personal details.
It would be best to understand how the Driving Licence number works to try to find out why the system is indicating that the personal details the applicant has entered do not match this number.
English, Welsh, and Scottish Driving Licence numbers contain information about the name, sex, and date of birth of the applicant. This information is written in a special format but can be gleaned and matched against the information provided by the applicant.
For example, the format of the number for Christine Josephine Robinson, born 2 July 1975:
|
R |
O |
B |
I |
N |
7 |
5 |
7 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
C |
J |
9 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
|
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
M |
M |
D |
D |
Y |
I |
I |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
N = 1st five letters of the surname (if the surname begins MAC or MC it is treated as MC for all)
Y = Year of birth
M = Month of birth (for females, the first M will have the value 5 added to the first digit, for example, a female born in November (i.e., 11) would display ‘61’ in the MM boxes
D = Day of the month of birth
I = Initial letter of the forename and middle name - if the applicant has no middle name, then 9 will replace the second letter. If the licence indicates that the applicant has a middle name, please ensure this is entered on the online application form.
C = Computer generated
Common reasons for the system rejecting a Driving Licence number are:
- The first five letters of the Driving Licence number do not match the first five letters of the surname entered, for example, the applicant has attempted to use a Driving Licence in a previous surname.
- The Driving Licence contains a middle name that has been missed off the application form or the Driving Licence is incorrect and is missing a middle name from it.
- Driving Licences issued in Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, and Jersey are in a different format to the rest of the UK and will not be recognised in this box, so the applicant should answer No to this question. (Don’t worry, there will be an opportunity for the Recruiter to input the Driving Licence number on part of the application they complete later).
If the applicant has made a mistake with their personal details, once this is corrected on the application form, the Driving Licence number should then be accepted.
If the Driving Licence number is wrong the applicant will not be able to use it for obtaining a DBS or the application will need to be put on hold until they have corrected the error with the DVLA.
Please note that if a driver fails to notify the DVLA of any changes to their personal details they could face a fine of up to £1000.
DBS Checks for trustees
Any trustee (PCC Member) of a children’s and/or adult’s charity can be asked to apply for an Enhanced DBS check with the appropriate workforce - either child workforce, adult workforce or child & adult workforce. This applies even if the trustee themselves does not work directly with children or adults. There is no eligibility for a barred list check, unless the person is working in Regulated Activity themselves or line manages/supervises someone else who is.
For DBS purposes, a charity is a children’s charity if the charity workers or volunteers include those who carry out work that falls into the legal definition of regulated activity with children. A charity is an adult’s charity if there are staff or volunteers who carry out work that falls into the legal definition of work with adults.
(For the Church of England, if your parish sponsors and approves, in its own name, children’s, young people or adults with care and support needs activities, then the members of the PCC are considered trustees and will be eligible for an Enhanced DBS without barred list check. Please check with your diocese if unsure. The position applied for in this instance should be entered as ‘PCC Trustee’.)
If your trustees do not meet the above requirements, it would still be possible to request a Basic Disclosure. If you would like more information about Basic Disclosures, please do contact us, however, if you’re part of a large organisation or denomination, please check with them first.
To summarise, in most church situations trustees will be eligible for an Enhanced Disclosure of the child & adult workforce, without a check of the barred list. If you are selecting a different level of check, please make clear in the additional information how they qualify to avoid an unnecessary delay.