Safeguarding in retail

The Disclosure and Barring Service discusses the development of online services to help safeguarding in retail to ensure the well-being and safety of both staff and customers

Implementing Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks as part of the recruitment process can proactively increase trust and safety, enhance loss protection, elevate recruitment quality, and safeguard their brand reputation. According to the DBS, this can effectively safeguard against these potential risks.

Who is the Disclosure and Barring Service?

The DBS is an arm-length body of the Home Office that processes criminal record checks and issues certificates to help employers make informed decisions when hiring new employees. Anyone over the age of 16 can apply or be asked to apply for a Basic DBS check. The certificate will contain details of convictions and conditional cautions considered unspent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

Any crimes where a serious violent, sexual or terrorist offence that falls within Schedule 18 and for which a custodial sentence of over four years was given, or where a sentence for life or the protection of the public will never be spent and will always show on a Basic DBS check.

Benefits of Basic DBS checks include:

• Quick turnaround – the quickest Basic DBS check carried out by DBS takes 23 minutes, where the majority are processed within 48 hours.
• Protecting the vulnerable – Basic DBS checks help provide additional reassurance, empowering better recruitment decisions.
• Peace of mind – employers can demonstrate they have taken steps to ensure that unspent criminal convictions of their workforce are disclosed.
• Safer recruitment decisions - enables retailers to make informed recruitment decisions when it comes to employing ex-offenders.
• Simple process – available on all devices and can be applied for easily online, direct to DBS, only needing personal details and ID. (Follow this link to apply.)
• Widely accepted – DBS checks are respected by a wide range of employers and organisations, giving customers confidence.
• No ties to eligibility – there are no legislative or role-based restrictions to applying for a Basic DBS check.
• Value for money – the Basic DBS check is the most affordable type of criminal record check offered by DBS at only £21.50.
• Improves staff retention - staff feel invested in and valued when they know employers are investing in their safety as staff and making careful decisions about who should join the existing team.
• Less demand on resources – when onboarding new staff, they can apply for a Basic DBS check quickly and easily, through the basic digital service verifying their identity online. Rather than organisations having to arrange time and staff to facilitate an ID check at a physical location.
• Pay later – an organisation can choose to take advantage of the pay later feature. This means organisations can pay for the check on behalf of the individual, which requires less administration and resources than the individual paying and having to be reimbursed by the organisation.
• Ability to track – applicants can keep up to date with their progress without needing to contact DBS for updates. A notification service sends updates via SMS and emails to keep applicants in the loop.

Using Basic checks as part of a safeguarding approach supports the safety and well-being of both staff and customers, making recruitment and employment safer. For more information, retailers can download our Basic DBS check guide here.