NACAS offers a discounted DBS checking service for its Silver & Gold members and a regular service for non-members. Please see details below.
Working in social care requires all care professionals to have an Enhanced DBS check.
Employers are legally required to conduct a DBS check to ensure that any employee working in a regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults is not barred from doing so.
Self-employed care professionals cannot apply for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check on their own. Instead, they must go through an approved organisation to facilitate the process—something NACAS can assist with.
It is common practice in social care to renew a DBS check every three years. To streamline this process, it is recommended to register a new certificate with the DBS Update Service, which can help reduce the need for frequent renewals.
NACAS has partnered with uCheck, an approved DBS Umbrella Body, to facilitate DBS applications. In line with Good Practice Guide 45 (GPG45) and NACAS’ due diligence policy, all applications will undergo a Disclosure & Barring Service Digital Identity Check.
Please see below our section on some of the most common DBS myths.
Digital ID Checks: All identity verification will now be conducted through a secure digital ID check.
Valid Passport: Applicants MUST have a valid, in-date passport to complete the verification process. If you do not have this document, unfortunately, we will be unable to assist with your DBS check.
Additional Documentation. In addition to your passport, a valid, in-date driver's licence can be used.
As a Silver or Gold NACAS member, you are eligible for a discounted rate on our Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
The costs of our Enhanced DBS check is:
£63.60
Digital ID Checks
To verify your documents, you will need to download either the Post Office EasyID or Yoti app.
Right-to-work Checks
All non-UK nationals will be required to send evidence of their right to work in the UK as part of the application.
If you are an existing member and would like to apply for an Enhanced DBS check, please email memberservices@nacas.org.uk with your membership number, and we will provide you with the appropriate link.
Alternatively, you can access the service by logging into the Member Portal.
NACAS offers a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for social care professionals who are Bronze members of the Association or non-members, and working in the social care sector.
The costs of our Enhanced DBS check is:
£68.60
Digital ID Checks
To verify your documents, you will need to download either the Post Office EasyID or Yoti app.
Right-to-work Checks
All non-UK nationals will be required to send evidence of their right to work in the UK as part of the application.
If you are not a NACAS member and would like to apply for an Enhanced DBS check, please email dbs@nacas.org.uk, and we will send you the appropriate link.
Alternatively, you can begin your application using the link below:
UK Nationals: Please click here to begin your application
Non-UK Nationals: Please click here to begin your application
Are you working in social care in Scotland and required to join or re-join the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme? NACAS offers a counter-signatory service to assist you with your PVG application process, ensuring compliance and a hassle-free experience.
The PVG Scheme is a membership program managed by Disclosure Scotland that helps protect vulnerable groups by ensuring that individuals working with children or protected adults do not have a known history of harmful behaviour. Social care professionals must either be members or update their existing records regularly
As part of our commitment to supporting social care professionals, NACAS provides a counter-signatory service for those who need to:
This service ensures that your application or update is processed correctly and efficiently.
For more information or to get started with your PVG application or update, Contact Us today!.
There are a lot of false claims doing the rounds about Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Here is a guide to help you unpick some of the most common DBS check myths…
Despite what some people say, you can’t pass or fail a DBS check. The check is part of a vetting process, and all it will do is show whether an individual has a criminal record, caution, warning or conviction.
If the check does show something, it might mean a prospective employer deems an applicant unsuitable for the role they’ve applied for.
The employer should always take into account the seriousness of the crime, when it took place and how relevant it is to the role before completely ruling a candidate out.
One of the most common DBS check myths is that DBS checks expire. This isn’t true – they do not have an expiration date.
Instead, the onus is on organisations and companies to determine how frequently they run new checks on their staff.
If you’re an employer, it’s recommended you introduce a DBS check policy to your recruitment and HR policies.
It’s also important to remember that the check is only fully accurate on the date it’s issued. You may not receive information about any subsequent convictions, cautions or warnings which your staff members may become involved in.
It all depends on what the offence was and when it happened. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 stipulates that offenders must have a fair chance to apply for a role just like everybody else.
If, however, you were convicted for something to do with children and the role required you to work directly with children, it’s highly likely the employer would deem you unsuitable for the role.
Despite what you may have heard, there’s no legal requirement for anyone to have a DBS check. Many organisations require their staff to undergo DBS checks for best practice purposes.
However, employers are legally obliged to ensure, by way of a DBS check, that any employee working in a regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults has not been barred from doing so.
Adults: Anyone providing personal care to an adult is in regulated activity, irrespective of whether that occurs in, say, a hospital, a care home, a day care centre, a prison or in sheltered housing.
Children: The new definition of regulated activity (i.e. work that a barred person must not do) in relation to children comprises, in summary:
i. unsupervised activities: teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children, or provide advice/ guidance on well-being, or drive a vehicle only for children
ii. work for a limited range of establishments (‘specified places’), with opportunity for contact: e.g. schools, children’s homes, childcare premises. Not work by supervised volunteers.
Only employers, potential employers, voluntary organisations or umbrella bodies like uCheck can apply for standard or enhanced DBS checks.
Standard DBS check
A standard DBS check will reveal any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings the applicant may have.
Enhanced DBS check
An enhanced DBS check will reveal the same information as a standard check, as well as any relevant information held by local police.
Enhanced with barred lists check
Certain roles will be eligible for a check of the children’s and/or adults’ barred lists.
These lists are maintained by the DBS and detail individuals who have been barred from working with children and/or vulnerable adults.
To be eligible for a check of the barred lists, a role must be eligible for an enhanced check and involve working in a regulated activity with children and/or vulnerable adults.
Our thanks to uCheck for providing this information.
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