Applicant's guide to completing the online DBS form

Please complete all sections of the online DBS application form as follows:

Image

The annotation on the image above from the top of the image down reads:

• these options (application guide, view and print document, save to desktop, FAQ, submit and logout) provide additional functionality, for example, save and print your application
• the progress tracker (on the right of the screen) allows you to check that you have completed all sections correctly
• there is additional guidance available by selecting the ‘i’ icon next to some questions

Personal/Applicant details

Please complete all mandatory fields. Please take care to record your surname and forename in the correct fields.

If you have lived at a different address in the past five years, you will need to record details of ‘from’ and ‘to’ dates. Please ensure that the postcode is recorded in uppercase. If you have lived in any of the Channel Islands, you will need to select the UK as the country.

Personal documents

If you hold any of the following documents, you must record the appropriate identity numbers on the form.

• National Insurance number
• passport number
• driving licence number

Your driving licence number contains the first five letters of your surname (or all if it is shorter than five letters) and your first two initials (only one initial if you do not have a middle name). Validation is applied to compare this information with data recorded on other parts of the form. If you are experiencing a problem with your driving licence number, please check it is not due to one of the following scenarios:

1. If you have changed your name since originally applying for your driving licence and have not updated your name (for example, recently married), then for the purposes of verifying your identity, your licence is not valid. To submit the application form successfully, you will need to answer ‘No’ to the following question - Do you have a valid driving licence?
2. If you did not include your middle name when applying for your driving licence, you must leave the middle name section of the DBS application form blank to submit your online DBS application.

Declaration

Please complete all questions in this section.

Submit the form

Once you are happy that you have completed all mandatory fields, you should click ‘Submit’. If you wish, you can save a copy for your records.

You will receive an email to confirm receipt using the email address that you have registered with. All correspondence will be sent to this email address so please ensure that you regularly check your email account.

If there are errors within any sections on the form, this will be indicated by an ‘x’ showing against that section (right-hand side of the screen). You will also be shown a list of the errors contained within each of the sections that will need to be corrected before you can submit the application. You will not be able to submit the form if there is missing data or if you have entered data into a field in an incorrect format.

Once you have submitted your online DBS application form, you need to complete stage two with your manager.

Once you have submitted your online DBS form this second stage is where you are required to provide documentary evidence on a face-to-face basis to your manager to prove your identity.

Please refer to the DBS identity check guidance on the government’s website which details what documentation will be accepted. It is important that you review the list. To avoid any delays or inconvenience, please ensure that you adequately prepare to provide the required documentation. In addition to this, you must also provide the verifier with details of your National Insurance number.

If the DBS is required for a new job, this is usually carried out at the interview stage therefore please ensure that you read all the correspondence sent to you and have sufficient documentary evidence with you.

If you are applying for a DBS for other reasons, you should contact your line manager to arrange a convenient time to meet. You must complete this task without delay, as your application will not be processed until this information has been checked and submitted to us.

Your online DBS form will not be progressed until we receive from your manager their proof and verification of your identity.

Once your manager has confirmed your evidence to us, we will match this with your application and submit the full application including your manager’s information to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) who will carry out the DBS check. The expected turnaround time with DBS is approximately 7-10 days but could be longer so please be patient.

On completion, the DBS will send you a paper DBS certificate to your home address. In those circumstances where your certificate contains information, you must provide this to your manager as a matter of urgency (no later than within the next seven days) for consideration. Failure to do so may result in your offer being withdrawn or in the event of a current employee may result in disciplinary action.

Having a conviction to declare does not necessarily prevent you from being engaged in the post that you wish to work in. We positively support the Rehabilitation of Offenders and take a balanced approach.

All information disclosed will be dealt with in the strictest confidence in compliance with data protection.

Your manager will confirm the outcome of this clearance.

Any communication which we send you will be via the email address stated on your application form. It is therefore important that you check your email and also the applicant centre as this will provide you with updates regarding the status of your clearance.