Checking Forms - Extra Guidance

Checking Forms - Extra Guidance

Address Changing Soon?

Please ask the applicant ‘Are you planning to change your address within the next few weeks?’ This additional request will help prevent delays in returning certificates and save resources when applicants query the whereabouts of their Disclosure after they have moved. If this is not done then it is the responsibility of the applicant to notify the DBS and/or the Registered Body of the change, before any Disclosure certificate can be issued.

Address History

SECTION BCurrent address – please check that the applicant has provided a full five year address history without any overlaps or gaps in the dates. If the applicant has lived overseas, ask them to provide details of the countries they stayed in and the dates they were there.

Other addresses – rules;

British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses only require the BFPO number and the

dates the applicant lived at the address.

• If the applicant had no fixed abode for a period of time or they were travelling within the United Kingdom, enter NO FIXED ABODE or TRAVELLING in the first address line, the Town/City they were in and the dates they stayed.

• If the applicant worked or lived on a ship, include the mooring address of the vessel forthe period they were aboard.

• If the applicant lived at a protected address or a refuge, they only need to supply the address.Please do not make reference to the nature of this address.

• If the applicant lived overseas for an extended period, they should enter OVERSEAS into the first line of the previous address and enter the country and dates in the provided fields however we do not need to know about holidays on boats or ships unless they have essentially become their permanent residence, in which case it should be included.

Students/Travelling Employees/Medical Staff

• If the applicant is a student, frequently travel with work or are employed as medical staff and live in accommodation they may have another permanent address which theythink of as home. This address maybe a family home or parents house where they normally live when not away, for example during an academic year.

• There may appear to be gaps between addresses, as they leave one address for another or the addresses may overlap. Whilst we are able to accept overlapping

addresses, we will use the permanent address to fill any gaps in their address history provided a full five year period has been supplied.

Adoptive Names

If applicants were adopted before the age of 10, they do not need to provide their name at birth in Section C of the Disclosure application form. However, applicants adopted over this age do need to complete Section C and provide all previous and current names. This is because the age of criminal responsibility is deemed to be 10 under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, chapter 12, section 50. This means that there is no possibility that an individual could have a criminal record in a name that was used until the age of 10.

Professional Names

If the applicant is using two names concurrently e.g. for professional purposes, they shouldenter their primary name in a2/3 and their secondary name in a5, including forenames and enter the current date in the date to field.

Documents

Please do not attach any documents, actual or copies, to the application form that you have seen as part of the identification verification process. The only additional documents that need to accompany the application form are those provided by the Diocese.

Form Damage.

The top right-hand corner of the form is very important to the digital scanning process as there is a reference mark and form type number that is used to identify the form and scan correctly. The slightest damage in this area, e.g. marks, initials, stamps and staples, will make the form unrecognisable.

Middle Names

One of the biggest issues is a middle name. Many people do not use their middle name and do not record this in Section A. This is highlighted when they provide their driving licence, as the number displays the existence of a middle name. To ensure that this does not delay the application process you should check the driving licence number to ensure that the details contained within it match those recorded in Section A. For example the format of the number for Christine Josephine Robinson, 2nd July 1975

N = 1ST five letters of the surname (if the surname begins MAC or MC its treated as

MC for all)

Y = YEAR of birth

M = MONTH of birth (In the case of a female, the number represented by the first M willhave the value 5 added e.g. a female born in November would display ‘61’ in the MM boxes)

D = DAY of month of birth

I = Initial letter of the first two forenames - if only one, then 9 will replace the second I

C = Computer generated

Mistakes

If mistakes are located, put a line through the mistake and enter correct information above or alongside, as close to the field as possible. If an incorrect box has been crossed simply cross the correct box and draw a circle around it.

Position Applied for

SECTION B Position applied for – please ensure that this is as detailed as possible relating to the work the applicant will be doing. If the job involves working with children but the post title doesn’t make this clear then add ‘(working with children)’

Volunteers

Who is regarded as a volunteer? For DBS purposes, the Regulations define a volunteer as a person who: ‘is engaged in any activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travelling and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit some third party other than or in addition to a close relative’. This means that organists and priests with permission to officiate who receive fees are not volunteers.

2016PR 4