On behalf of uCheck we would like to outline the process for DBS checks for healthcare professionals.
All healthcare professionals who provide care to vulnerable adults or children will require an enhanced DBS check.
This is because provision of healthcare to a vulnerable adult or child is classed as a form of ‘regulated activity’ in legislation and therefore safeguarding measures are put in place.
An Enhanced DBS Check..
An enhanced check is the highest level of DBS check available and details any spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings or reprimands an individual may have received.
An enhanced level DBS is different from the lower, standard check as it can also include a search on the adults and children’s barred lists.
These are lists, maintained by the DBS, of people who are barred from working with either vulnerable adults or children, or even possibly both.
An individual can only be searched against these lists if they are working in ‘regulated activity’ with vulnerable adults or children, which would therefore include healthcare professionals.
So, How Can Healthcare Professionals Request This Check?
Under DBS legislation, all enhanced level checks must be requested by an employer, company body or relevant organisation, unfortunately they cannot be requested by the individual themselves.
For most healthcare professionals this will be straightforward enough as the medical centre/hospital they are working for will request the check on their behalf and should have procedures in place to do so.
However, for healthcare professionals who operate outside of a practice, such as some physiotherapists, the process does differ.
Individuals In Healthcare That Need To Request A DBS Check?
Any healthcare professional, such as a physiotherapist for example, if they have their own company will be able to request a check as they are technically the employer in this sense that the company name will be on the certificate and not their individual details. For this process however it is crucial that someone else completes their ID check to ensure authenticity of their documents.
Now if the healthcare professional does not have their own company but is eligible for a DBS check for example someone who is self employed undertaking locum work for instance then they should contact their regulatory body who should be able to request the check on their behalf else their local council who can do this or the relevant agency that they obtain their work through.
Be sure to get in touch with us if you have any further questions. You can apply for a number of DBS Checks through our simple online platform – most checks are completed within 48 hours. Get started now.
