Some of our jobs involve contact with children, young people or adults at risk (or their data). Our recruitment process includes measures to safeguard their interests.
If you are applying for a role working with any of these groups, we will ask you if you have a criminal history (including spent convictions). We treat the information you provide in confidence. We will confirm this information through a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. To do this, we will ask you to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate.
About DBS certificates
DBS certificates give details of a person’s criminal record. They include convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. For some roles, details will include information held on the children’s and adult’s barred lists. If relevant to the role, they may also include information held by local police forces.
There are two levels of certificate: enhanced and standard. The council will decide the appropriate level of check for the type of role.
Declaring convictions in your application
If you have convictions you think would appear on a DBS certificate, you must declare them on your application. Your conviction will appear on a certificate if all the following apply:
- you were over 18 at the time of your offence and your conviction was less than 11 years ago
- you were under 18 at the time of your offence and your conviction was less than 5.5 years ago
- you have committed more than one offence
- it resulted in a custodial sentence
The above criteria also applies if you have received an adult caution (‘reprimand’ or ‘warning’ if under 18). For cautions there must be at least 2 years between your conviction and your application.
"Spent" offences can still appear on a DBS certificate.
The following offences are examples of those that will remain on a certificate:
- sexual offences
- violence
- terrorism
- aggravated burglary or robbery
- certain public order offences
- offences under the Care Standards Act
- offences relating to fostering, adoption and childminding
- cruelty to children
- causing death by reckless driving
- firearms offences
- some drugs offences
You can check the full list of offences that will never be filtered from a DBS certificate on the GOV.UK website.
Applying for a DBS certificate
If we offer you a role that is subject to a DBS check, we will send you a link to the online DBS system to apply. Once you have submitted your application, we will ask to see your identity documents for verification purposes. You can refuse to apply for a DBS certificate but we may have to withdraw the offer of the position if you do so. We will pay the cost if the role you apply for requires a DBS certificate.
After you have applied for a DBS certificate
You will receive your DBS certificate in the post and we will not receive a copy. We will be able to confirm through an online check if your certificate is clear. If it is not clear, you will need to show your certificate to the person who requested the check. They will discuss your next steps with you.
If you would like to discuss information which may show on your certificate, you should speak with the person who requested the check.
We will only use information revealed by a check in connection with the role you applied for. We will hold your data securely as directed by the DBS Code of Practice.
The DBS has a dispute procedure. If you think your certificate is incorrect, you must contact the DBS on 0870 909 0811 immediately.
Our policy on employing ex-offenders
If you have a criminal history, we will need to review if the conviction makes you unsuitable for the role. In making this decision we will consider:
- the nature of the offence
- how long ago you committed the offence
- your age at the time of the offence
- whether there is a history or pattern of offending
- the relevance of the offence to the post
- the risks to customers, clients and employees
- any other factors which may be relevant
Our review will take into consideration factors in our published policy on Equal Opportunities.
Access to criminal record information will be on a need-to-know basis. We treat information with confidentiality and discretion. Our full policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request.
For further details, visit GOV.UK - Check someone's criminal record as an employer.