DBS refers to the Disclosure and Barring Service which was formed in 2013 following the merge of the CRB Criminal Records Bureau and ISA Independent Safeguarding Authority. A DBS application is filled in on an individual basis and checks the criminal record of applicants in order to ensure that those who are working with vulnerable groups are not barred from working with such groups. Where convictions are returned, but the applicant is not specifically barred, the process ensures that those convictions are properly evaluated to ensure the applicants suitability for a role.
Process
Youth Fed acts as an Umbrella Body for our member youth organisations and provides an administrative function to ensure the process is followed correctly, mistakes are communicated in a timely manner and our members have a source of support should they have any problems or queries.
In order to carry out a DBS check with Youth Fed we ask that you are a member (which is free and involves filling out a simple form), that you work with children and young people and you sign and agree to the terms and conditions as laid out in our DBS Umbrella Group Agreement.
We have now changed to an online process with uCheck, if you have the old paper forms please now destroy these.
In order to begin this process please fill in the uCheck Registration Form and email to dbs@youthfed.org
For any other enquiries please call our central office on 0151-357 1971 where our support services team can help you.
Costs
We charge an administrative fee of £10 to set you up with a uCheck login on top of the actual costs charged by the DBS for an applicant check. The costs are as follows:
- Volunteer Enhanced £6
- Volunteer Standard £6
- Paid worker Enhanced £50
- Paid worker Standard £32
Managing your account with uCheck
The accountable person for your organisation (provision leader/manager) can also keep track online as to where the process is up to and once checks have been undertaken a certificate is available online and the usual DBS certificate will then follow in the post to the person undertaking the DBS’s address.
UCheck have a proven record of an approx. 2 week turn around so this speeds up the process considerably.
What to do with a DBS that has Disclosures
The impetus for Safeguarding is upon the organisation conducting the DBS check and the Safeguarding officer should follow the procedure in place for a DBS which has disclosures, upon submitting the DBS you should obtain a written statement from any applicants who expect disclosures to be returned and this should be cross referenced against convictions received.
If you need further support you can speak to your area coordinator who can help and also put you in touch with our Designated Safeguarding Officer.
View our Safeguarding pages for further support.
Read more about uCheck on their website.