The DBS changes taking place concerning healthcare in the UK during COVID-19

The Coronavirus made some significant changes to the way that companies and businesses around the UK were running and working. One of the most significant changes taking place were employers using the DBS check a lot more commonly now. While the Coronavirus brought about a lot of changes to companies and businesses throughout the UK, from the number of hours they spent working to the way that they were now functioning, it also burdened the healthcare sector. There were massive changes in healthcare that were unprecedented. Never before were so many people sick that hospitals had to ask all their staff to get back to work. They were working long hours, in difficult and exhausting conditions, without much of an idea of a cure for the virus which made their jobs a lot tricker.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the UK went through some large scale lockdowns and imposed restrictions on travelling across the borders. Most businesses and shops had to shut unless the Government declared them as essential services like healthcare, mechanical checks and so on. With a large number of people indoors, companies began getting their staff to remote work, which is where they could meet their deliverables from home, which was the only choice they had. While they were coordinating internal meetings over the phone, people were also using video platforms when they were dealing with their clients which made the process easy while they were staying safe during the Coronavirus pandemic. While all companies could not grab onto the ‘remote-working’ wagon, construction, hospitality, and vehicle mechanical work were pushed to the back burner, and they had to wait for the restrictions to ease before they could start working again.

With the employment rate in the UK at an all-time high, employers were not sure about the people applying for jobs since they had to make sure that they would work well at the company. With the interview process now online as well, they were not meeting the people they were hiring, which meant that they would have to run a background check.

At the time the authorities implemented the DBS about a decade back, the primary purpose of the Disclosure and Barring Service was to assist employers with the recruitment decisions that they were making. They provided information about the people they were planning on hiring by issuing DBS certificates with information about their background in the UK and the surrounding areas.

Depending on the job title, the description and a lot of other information, applicants have to get through a different test. The DBS also has an adult and children Barred Lists which has information about people who were barred dealing with senior citizens or children. The DBS goes through the list to provide information on whether any person should be on the list and accordingly gives the employer the details, so they are well-informed before hiring them. All the information about an individuals background checks and anything applicable to the position applied for is added to the ​DBS certificate​.

The DBS checks went through some changes as well during the Coronavirus pandemic, and they started with the free-of-charge applications for the new fast-track Barred List check service. The main reason for this change was the massive workload that was being born by the healthcare industry, and they needed all the help that they could get. At the end of the day, there could be no delays with healthcare since it was always someone’s life on the line. The DBS applications that were connected to people from the healthcare industry were reviewed before all the other DBS applications and their names were run through the barred list. If there were no red flags there, they would be allowed to continue working while the rest of the tests were handled in detail moving forward. If there were challenges that come up later, the people started working at a specific position can be removed. The basic DBS check allowed the process to be handled so they could begin because of the lack of staff in the industry. Additionally, healthcare workers were forced to work overtime to handle the load while there were new people regularly hired.

The DBS website was also publishing content regularly about the changes that were taking place. Since the pandemic was unprecedented, everything that was taking place was a new learning experience. There was some change or the other regularly coming up as the people researching the virus received updated information or learned something new, and they were adding the information to the website. Additionally, the Government had to make a lot more changes to the rules depending on the way the virus was spreading. Information about restrictions, lockdowns, and various other details was on the website, so people were always informed.

Employers are not allowed to go through the DBS checks on a whim, for any person, they have to be a lot more detailed and can only review them if they are planning on hiring the person in question. They can also get checks for people who are already working with them.

Many people are using the ​DBS Update Service​, where they have their information ready which makes the process easier. People can sign up and pay for the annual DBS subscription service if that makes the process easier. They still have to provide the employer permission to get through the process, and people can choose to deny permission which would prevent them from getting through the process. However, depending on the job, they would have to get through it. Furthermore, depending on the job that they are applying for, the checks that they are getting through vary. Since there are four DBS checks, employers have to make sure they are asking for the right one since asking for the wrong one would not serve the purpose and they would have to get another DBS check.

People can choose to go through the same process if they lose their certificate and download one from the date that they initially received one. Depending on the details needed in the check, the DBS coordinates with various other departments which make for an easy process.