Every Monday, firstpoint publishes five points about a topic related to life at university. This week, if you’re taking a placement module next year, find out about how to apply for a DBS check if you will you require one for your placement provider…
POINT ONE: UNDERSTANDING DBS CHECKS…
A DBS (or Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate in the UK is an official document that details a person’s criminal record, including any convictions or cautions issued, or additional barred list information – they ensure that employers are aware of any disclosures prior to a placement start and can be essential for many jobs, particularly those which involve working with children or vulnerable adults.
Some students at university are enrolled on courses which involve obtaining a DBS certificate for the duration of their course, such as Teaching, or Health Courses, and will have received instructions on this process during their course start. For other students, you may instead have registered for an upcoming module that involves work placement activity and, depending on your placement, you may be asked to make a DBS application before starting.
Not all placements require a student to present a DBS certificate. You only need a DBS if you are undertaking a placement which involves regulated activities with children or vulnerable adults, and you can find guidance regarding the DBS eligibility requirements on the government webpage here.
If your placement provider confirms that you will need a DBS check to attend your agreed placement, the university can support you in this process.
POINT TWO: HOW DO I APPLY FOR MY DBS CLEARANCE…
When you have confirmed that a DBS certificate is needed for your module placement, you can contact firstpoint to get started – the team will ask for some information and then support you to set up your application. You will then receive an email from Atlantic Data, the external provider the university uses for DBS applications, inviting you to complete an online application form and pay for your certificate.
The link to apply will request some further information from you, and you may also be asked to upload a form of photographic ID to complete a Digital ID check – this might be a passport or a UK driving licence – it is important that the details you enter into the form exactly match the details on your selected form of ID. As you complete the form, you will see helpful guidance about the types of ID documents you can select.
If you have never completed a DBS check before, please note that the process can take up to 6 weeks until you receive your certificate, so it’s important to get started as soon as you can – delays to completing the process could lead to your application being placed on hold and will impact on the overall processing time for the DBS check.
POINT THREE: ATLANTIC DATA…
The DBS applications for the university are managed by the company Atlantic Data which is an external company working in partnership with the University of Worcester. If you have queries regarding your application or have any difficulties logging in to the online application system, you can contact the Atlantic Data customer service team.
Throughout this process, Atlantic Data will send you reminders by text, email and may ring you. Once Atlantic Data have competed their checks, DBS usually dispatch the certificates within one working day of issuing the result, and they use a 2nd class Royal Mail service.
If you have not received the certificate within 14 calendar days of having confirmation of checks completed, you can log into the Atlantic application and follow the steps to request a certificate reprint from the dashboard.
POINT FOUR: PRESENTING YOUR CERTIFICATE FOR CLEARANCE…
The DBS certificate will be posted to the address you have used in your application. When you receive the certificate in the post, please ensure you bring the original certificate in to firstpoint as soon as possible, along with your student ID card. Our opening hours and contact details can be found on the firstpoint webpage.
firstpoint will never keep the original certificate, as this remains the property of the student, however a member of the team will update the certificate details onto your individual SOLE account, ensuring that the university and your course team can see that you have completed this step ready for your placement.
Do keep your certificate safe, as you may be asked to bring this to your placements – if you have lost your DBS certificate you will need to make a new application and pay to receive a new DBS certificate.
You may wish to consider joining the DBS Update Service, which allows applicants to keep their DBS certificates up to date and for future employers to check a DBS certificate, although this is not mandatory. This currently costs £16 per year, and you must register your DBS certificate within 28 days of the issue date on your certificate.
POINT FIVE: IF YOU NEED EXTRA SUPPORT….
If you have any concerns regarding the cost of the DBS application, you may find it helpful to have a chat with a Money Adviser, or see if you are eligible to make an Access to Learning Fund application. For more information, or to help arrange an appointment to discuss your finances, just contact firstpoint
International students will need to show proof of a UK address as part of their application for a UK DBS certificate, so if you are an international student recently arrived in the UK and have any questions about your DBS application, please do not hesitate to come and visit firstpoint for more guidance.
The Disclosure and Barring Service also offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants in accordance with the Gender Recognition Act 2004. If you are asked to complete a DBS check and have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed on your DBS certificate, you should call or email the dedicated sensitive applications team. To contact the sensitive applications team, please telephone 0151 676 1452 or email sensitive@dbs.gov.uk.
Remember, if you’re not sure where to start, or don’t know what to ask – ask firstpoint, we’re here to help!
firstpoint 