Ensuring Security In The Workplace Through Background Checks

The fact is that we live in an uncertain world where anything can happen. The ongoing threat of terrorism hangs heavily over the heads of all of those in power and causes fear among those in the community. Indeed, in an age where we are all globally connected through the web and other digital means, information is power.

Are Employers Overstepping the Mark?

Most of us have likely heard numerous stories in which employers have done background checks on employees and potential workers to determine their suitability for a job or their ongoing suitability. Most things that we do online are publicly accessible with the right tools and the prevalence of social media means that one’s activities can be recorded and checked on by just about anyone, including employers.

While many of us might see it as going too far when a snooping manager checks on an employee’s social media channels to see whether he or she has had a big weekend out on the town or not, the fact is that many background checks are legitimately done and are done to ensure that the workplace is safe and secure. This is where DBS checking services are extremely useful.

Why Conduct a DBS Check?

Checking the background of a person with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) allows an employer to check on whether the person is suitable to be hired in a vulnerable area. DBS checks are normally done in sensitive areas of employment including working with children, working with sensitive information, and working with vulnerable people such as the elderly.

The DBS check is useful because it help to prevent unsuitable people from being employed in areas where they may potentially cause damage, have access to sensitive information, or engage in criminal behaviour. For example, preventing people who already have a history of sex offending is essential in many areas of employment, such as working with children in childcare centres. A DBS check is also essential to check on the history of potential foster parents. DBS checking also applies to volunteers as they will also often have access to children and secure and sensitive information in a workplace.

The Easier Way to Check

As common as DBS checking is, it used to be slower and more difficult. These days, it is entirely possible to visit an online portal and upload the relevant documents and information so that the person in question can be checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service. This is a cost-effective and efficient way to check on the suitability of a person and it saves valuable time.

These days, no employer, volunteer service, agency, or department can be too careful when it comes to checking on the criminal background of a person who will either have access to sensitive information, be working with vulnerable people, or be working with children.