At uCheck, we are often asked why accountants need a DBS Check.
A DBS Check may not be one of the highest things on aspiring chartered or certified accountants’ list of priorities – but it’s undoubtedly one of the most important.
After the bachelor’s degree and the accountancy qualification, then the job applications and interview processes, don’t forget that accountants also need a DBS Check.
But, do you know why accountants need a DBS Check?
In short, accountants must undergo a DBS Check because they hold a position of high responsibility.
They are responsible for measuring, disclosing and giving advice about significant financial information on behalf of companies and individuals, whose major financial decisions are then based on the counsel of these accountants.
That is the reasoning behind why accountants need a DBS Check – now for the law. The legislation insisting that they must undergo one is the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which specifically cites chartered and certified accountants as professions requiring disclosure to determine suitability for the role.
Accountants will usually require a Standard DBS Check, not an Enhanced DBS Check. An Enhanced DBS Check is for people who will be regularly working with children or vulnerable adults – i.e. individuals over the age of 18 who have a disability or serious illness.
As this will not apply for most accountants, a Standard DBS Check is the most appropriate disclosure.
As with other jobs requiring a Standard DBS Check, all convictions – including spent convictions – will be disclosed during this screening process.
However this does not mean that an accountancy firm will turn down every applicant who has something on their record.
The convictions which are most likely to deem a candidate unsuitable for the role of an accountant are any prior offences related to fraud or financial misconduct.
A Standard DBS Check is designed to prove that an individual has demonstrated appropriate financial responsibility to date.
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.
