DBS Checks
What is a DBS check?
A Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) is an official document that will show if the person who is the subject of the DBS has a criminal record. Many workplaces will request this of their future employees to know if they are suitable for the work position. If the person is going to work with children or vulnerable adults, they will need to show their DBS check to make sure they can work with children.
The DBS Check does not have an expiry date, but we always recommend employers to accept a DBS of no older than 3 years. There are different types of DBS checks. It is important to know the difference between them, because depending on the job being applied for, some DBS won’t be accepted.
Types of DBS checks
Your employer can request:
● Basic Check: This check will show unspent convictions and conditional cautions
● Standard Check: This check will show spent and unspent convictions and cautions
● Enhanced Check: This check will show the same as the standard check plus any information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role
● Enhanced check with barred lists: This check will show the same as an enhanced check plus if the applicant is on the list of people barred from doing the role
What is the difference between spend and unspent convictions?
Spent convictions are those convictions that have reached a set period as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and are removed from an individual’s criminal record. Unspent convictions are those records that have not yet reached this defined time and will appear on a Basic Criminal Record Check.
Should I accept DBSs from foreign countries?
Many candidates will bring with them criminal records from the country they will have left recently. At Little Ones we advise families to accept these as criminal records, but also to consider asking their future employee for a DBS check if they have been more than 6 months in the UK. This is so the family will be sure that their employee’s criminal record is clean.
What type of DBS should I ask my Nanny or Carer to have?
Before deciding to pay for a DBS check, the nanny, a housekeeper or carer (for example) needs to be clear about the type of criminal record check they will need. People who work with vulnerable people, including children, will need an Enhanced DBS Check with Barred List. This is the best check, because the criminal record check will show if there is any offence that will limit the person from working with children or vulnerable adults.
What DBS check do I need to become Ofsted Registered?
Nannies looking to be Ofsted Registered will need to get an Enhanced Check with Barred Lists. It is important to bear in mind that Ofsted will only accept a DBS check within 3 months of the issue date, so we strongly recommend starting the process to get a DBS check once you have completed the other requirements to become Ofsted Registered. Ofsted recommends nannies sign up for the DBS update service to keep their checks up to date.
How can I get a DBS check for my Nanny? If I am a Nanny or Housekeeper, How can I get a DBS check?
Only approved organisations or Umbrella bodies, such as an approved private domestic staff agency, can request a DBS check for a candidate. If a family or a nanny/housekeeper would like to get a DBS check, they will need to do this through a third party. The candidate cannot request the DBS check directly, nor can the family.
How much do I need to pay for a DBS check?
This will depend on the type of DBS check. The prices are as follows: – Basic check will cost £23 – Standard check will cost £23 – Enhanced check will cost £40 – Enhanced with a barred list check will cost £40 As we mentioned before, if you are planning to work as a nanny or carer, you will need to have an enhanced with a barred list check, which will cost you £40. Some agencies might charge you a fee for doing this process. At Little Ones, we don’t charge any fee to our candidates, so they will only need to pay the price for the DBS Check.How long will it take?
This will depend of the type of DBS check you will get, but usually takes around 14 days. It might take longer if you have given any incorrect details or different police forces need to be involved in the checking. Plan ahead when you will start the process of getting your DBS, because you won’t be able to pay more to get a faster check.Are you a carer?
If you provide care services for adults (for example in a care home), you can use a service called DBS Adult First.The service costs an extra £6. This will confirm, usually within 2 days, if the applicant: ● can start work, as long as they’re supervised ● should wait for the results of an enhanced check
Why Work with Little Ones Payroll?
All the trouble of doing these mandatory requirements is easy if you put them all in the hands of qualified individuals. Little Ones Payroll is just the right company for that, as the leader of Nanny Payroll Services with more than 15 years of experience in the market.
Little Ones Payroll isn’t just a Payroll establishment; together with Little Ones Agency, they are a growing childcare and housekeeper provider. This company is led by a team of experts who assist clients in the most extensive way.
If you register as a client of Little Ones UK, we would like to offer you three months of complimentary payroll services even if you do not end up hiring through Little Ones. For a client that hires through Little Ones UK and pays a search fee, you will receive 6 months of complimentary Payroll Service. In that case, they will get a complimentary six months of free payroll services from the date your nanny or housekeeper starts. This means that the company will be in charge of generating payslips and the complete payroll service. This includes:
- Registering you as an employer
- Setting up a PAYE scheme
- Generating weekly or monthly payslips
- Tracking your nanny’s Insurance contribution and Income Tax and providing instructions on how to pay these
- Assisting with filing your annual tax return
- Handling the complete payroll record
- Access to our HR services
- Support for any work-related queries, including maternity and sickness
With the Little Ones Payroll excellence and commitment, the team pride itself on delicately aligning a premium, luxury service to those who put their trust in them. Please call the Little Ones Nanny Payroll team for more information on 020 7183 6795.