From spring 2013, employees and volunteers will no longer have to apply for a new criminal records check each time they apply for a job. Instead they will only have to apply once to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a certificate and can then go online for an instant check to find out whether their existing certificate is still up to date. The Home Office announcement says that this will avoid the need for individuals to apply for multiple checks to work with different organisations and they will be able to use the service for free when they apply for different work opportunities. The system will also allow an organisation to check online to see whether the individual’s circumstances have changed since their first check, which the Home Office believe will speed up the recruitment process saving organisations time and money.
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