This article has been written for the Koru Kids Nanny Service for nannies.
A DBS check is a background or police check that aims to prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children.
DBS stands for the Disclosure and Barring Service - this is the public body that carries out DBS checks. You may also have heard them referred to as 'CRB checks' - this because they used to be carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).
The type of check we do is an Enhanced DBS check including the Children's Barred List. This is the most detailed check available and it will include any unfilterable convictions, conditional discharges, cautions, reprimands and final warnings on your record. The offence does not have to be related to children.
Getting a DBS Check Through Koru Kids:
When you start working through Koru Kids, getting a DBS check follows the below process:
The Koru Kids team places an order for the DBS check with Verifile.
The nanny fills in a short form on the Verifile website, and shows a member of the Koru Kids team their identifying documents via video call.
The check is sent away for processing - this normally takes about 10 days, but can take longer.
The check comes back, and the results reported to the family you're working with.
Extra Info:
You can find out more about the DBS, and the checks they conduct, on their website.
In Scotland, these checks are conducted by Disclosure Scotland, and are called PVG checks (Protecting Vulnerable Groups). You can find out more about the PVG scheme on Disclosure Scotland's website.