Criminal Records Check
Employers may require a check on your criminal record if you are applying for a role within their organisation. This check is known as a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. A basic check can be completed, or if required a more detailed check can be requested by the employer.
The basic check will show any unspent convictions and conditional cautions. The standard check will have the same details as the basic check but will also show reprimands and final warnings. The enhanced check has the same details as the previously mentioned checks but also includes any information held by local police that is considered relevant to the role in which you are applying for.
An enhanced check with barred lists can also be requested. This contains all the above plus a statement showing whether you are on a list of people barred from doing the role which you are applying for.
The cost of the check is £25 and includes the price of a certificate, which can be shown to employers. If applying for a role abroad, employers often require this DBS certificate to be notarised, and potentially legalised at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Unfortunately, a DBS check will not cover any time that you lived outside of the United Kingdom. If an employer requires this information, they may ask for a check to be carried out in the country that you lived in or ask for your permission for a check to be carried out on your behalf through an embassy.
If you are self-employed and are required to show a DBS check, you can request one on your own behalf.
A Notary will check the validity and authenticity of the certificate with the issuing authority. Following this, the Notary can either notarise the original certificate or a copy of it depending on what is required.