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Most of us have heard of disclosure checks, or the system which went before it, the Criminal Record Bureau checks. This is the type of police check you need for a huge range of jobs involving positions of responsibility, or working with children and vulnerable groups.

Sometimes it seems like there are more hoops than ever to jump through when you want a new job. Gone are the days when you’d phone up about a job advert, have a quick chat on the phone and start the next day. Increasingly, employers are running a large number of checks on workers.

In 2019, we’re all about speed. If we see something we want online, there’s an option for next day delivery, and shops are open around the clock. So it can come as a bit of a surprise when you’re confronted with delay. That’s certainly the case when it comes to DBS checks.

If you’re not sure whether you’ve heard of DBS Update or not, you’re not alone. The system has been plagued by computer problems since it started, and a project to modernise the entire system is running years over schedule.

Getting a DBS check done is something which thousands of people do each year. There’s a lot of press coverage about the system, which looks into people’s criminal records. Most of the coverage is about the sort of DBS checks which people need to work with children or vulnerable adults.

Rules are there to be broken, right? Well perhaps in some cases. But certainly not when you are applying for your disclosure certificate. The Disclosure and Barring Service has plenty of rules in place and if you ignore them, your application will be rejected.

More of us than ever are taking the option of being self-employed, attracted by the flexibility and the chance to be our own boss. Starting your own business gives you a lot to think about. You’re responsible for everything from tax to attracting customers to health and safety.

One of the biggest misconceptions about DBS checks is that the system is just for people working with children. That’s probably because it was high-profile cases such as the Soham murders which led to the creation of the Disclosure and Barring Service about a decade ago.

One of the main stumbling blocks when applying for DBS checks is the identity checking stage. It should be easy to prove who you are, shouldn’t it? For most people it is indeed fairly simple.

You’ll often head people talking about disclosure checks, DBS checks or even CRB checks, even though that’s old terminology. Although “DBS checks” is perhaps the phrase you’ll hear most often, the Disclosure and Barring Service only operates in England and Wales.