How prepared is your organisation to navigate the complexities of hiring in a workforce where nearly one in four individuals has a criminal record? That’s just over 12 million people. And this number is increasing every year, with over 200,000 people added annually to the Police National Computer (PNC), reflecting the constant evolution of the workforce and the need for proactive, ongoing screening to safeguard organisations and their stakeholders.
As part of our continued effort to raise industry standards, we’re rethinking criminal record checks by combining innovative technology, robust compliance solutions, and a candidate-first approach to empower organisations to hire with confidence and ease.
As a Responsible Organisation (RO), Giant Screening works directly with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to provide Basic, Standard, and Enhanced criminal record checks for employers in the UK. We also work with the Disclosure Scotland, Access Northern Ireland, and a network of trusted authorities worldwide to deliver tailored criminal record checks for global hiring needs.
In this blog, instead of simply highlighting everything you may already know, we quickly cover the essentials of criminal record checks within England and Wales before exploring how these checks can be streamlined and modernised to better serve your workforce and screening experience.
The value of criminal record checks
In 2024 alone, almost 7.4 million DBS checks were processed, representing about 11% of the UK’s working population. This highlights their critical role in building trust, maintaining safety, and adhering to regulatory standards. With this in mind, here are just some of the benefits of robust criminal record checks:
Safety and compliance: Protect employees, customers, and stakeholders by ensuring candidates meet legal and ethical standards.
Trust and reputation: Demonstrate a commitment to ethical hiring, strengthening your organisation’s market standing.
Efficiency: Digital criminal record checks streamline workflows, saving time and reducing redundancies.
The different levels of DBS checks
Understanding the different types of DBS checks is key to ensuring the right level of screening for each role:
- Basic DBS Check: Provides details of unspent convictions and is suitable for most general roles.
- Standard DBS Check: Includes both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and reprimands, typically required for positions of trust, such as financial or legal roles.
- Enhanced DBS Check: Offers all the information of a Standard Check plus any relevant police-held information, ideal for roles involving children or vulnerable adults.
- Enhanced DBS Check with Barred List Checks: Adds checks against the Child and Adult Barred Lists, ensuring eligibility for safeguarding roles in regulated activities.
The DBS Update Service: proactive compliance
By choosing to partner with a trusted screening provider like Giant Screening who work hand in hand with the DBS, employers are able to access the DBS Update Service through one unified platform for all their screening needs. This is a powerful yet underutilised compliance tool for HR professionals.
What is the DBS Update Service?
The Update Service is an online subscription that allows candidates to keep their standard or enhanced certificates current and allows employers to quickly check the status of a certificate online. With candidate consent, this service allows organisations to:
- Eliminate redundancy: Conduct instant online status checks to ensure certificates remain current without repeated submissions.
- Enhance safeguarding: Receive continuous updates that highlight any new information, keeping your workforce protected.
- Save time: Streamline re-checks, reducing administrative burdens while maintaining compliance seamlessly.
How Giant Screening redefines criminal record checks
With demand for Basic DBS Checks surging by over 500% in the past five years, these checks are now a cornerstone of modern compliance and safety standards. Here at Giant Screening, we combine advanced technology with human expertise to deliver fast, compliant results, often in as little as 24 hours for basic checks.
Features that power your screening process:
- Accurate results: Biometric matching and OCR reduce errors and ensure reliability.
- Fraud protection: Multi-layered checks integrate global fraud databases to safeguard your organisation.
- Real-time updates: Stay ahead of evolving compliance requirements with continuous updates.
- Effortless document upload: Candidates can upload identity documents from any device—no additional apps needed.
- Certified technology: Our Identity verification technology (IDVT) is certified under the DBS Digital Identity Scheme, ensuring compliance with GPG45 Standards for secure digital identity checks.
- Real-time tracking: Monitor application progress dynamically through our platform.
- Quick decisions: UK checks are often completed within 24 hours, maintaining hiring momentum.
Building trust through best practices
From UK-specific DBS checks to international criminal record checks across 220+ countries and territories, it’s important to choose a partner that can deliver customised solutions to meet the unique needs of your hiring strategy. With expertise in managing diverse compliance requirements, we make even the most complex hiring processes straightforward and efficient.
Giant Screening empowers HR professionals to elevate their hiring processes by:
- Harnessing advanced digital tools: Implement leading technology like identity verification technology (IDVT) to enhance accuracy, streamline checks, and reduce manual errors.
- Unify your workflows: Consolidate all pre-employment checks or even rescreening into one seamless platform for greater efficiency and visibility.
- Enhance the candidate experience: Build trust and attract top talent through:
- Dedicated support, every step of the way: Our team ensures a seamless journey from start to finish.
- Inclusive accessibility tools: Simplify the process for every candidate with features designed for everyone.
- Over 240 languages supported: Bridge communication gaps with ease.
- Mobile-friendly and convenient: Complete checks anywhere, anytime, on any device.
- Modern communication channels: Access support through WhatsApp, live chat, and other tools candidates love.
Ready to safeguard your workplace and streamline your hiring process? Partner with Giant Screening and set a new standard for safe, compliant hiring.
