New guidance has been issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service for people who are thinking about applying for work overseas, particularly in the charity and overseas aid sectors. This is particularly relevant with the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey, which has left thousands in need of overseas help. The new DBS guidance applies to England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Separate organisations manage the DBS checking process in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Overseas Work
Usually, workers can only apply for a disclosure check for positions based in the UK. However, there is an exception to this if someone is working overseas for a UK based charity where the decision about who to recruit is made in the UK. The DBS jargon refers to this as the “suitability decision”. A basic DBS check which will reveal an individual’s current criminal record only. Depending on the position, a more detailed check may be requested but this will depend on what the role involves.
People Who Live Overseas
The DBS system is set up to disclose information about people who are currently living in the UK, or who have spent some considerable time living here. For people who are currently living overseas or who have spent a lot of time moving internationally, a DBS check in the UK might only provide part of the picture. The DBS and its partner agencies in Scotland and Northern Ireland can only access criminal records in the UK and have no access to someone’s overseas history.
The system for checking someone’s overseas criminal history is complex. Most countries have some sort of process for issuing police certificates or certificates of good conduct. These processes will vary, and the DBS has information on their website for each country. Usually, applications have to be made in the country concerned, or through their embassy in the UK.
ACRO and Certificates of Good Conduct
The other possibility is that someone who is to work overseas is not eligible for a DBS check. In that case, the employing charity or organisation can obtain a UK police certificate through ACRO, the criminal records office. This certificate will contain much of the same information as is on a DBS certificate, just presented in a different format.
Barring
Work overseas with children might also be subject to a Barring List check. The Barred List is a register managed by the Home Office in the UK which lists the names of people who have been formally banned from working with either children or adults or both. This is usually because they have been found guilty of serious offences by a court. If a Barring check is required, this is performed as the first stage in the process. Someone who is on the Barred list cannot be employed in positions which they have been barred from and might even be committing an offence by trying to get a job in a sector which they have been barred from.
