Published on 12, July, 2020
My employer insists on DBS checks every three years (I work for a company which works with vulnerable children and adults).
As part of this check we have to provide id, a passport or driving licence and another one sort of id with an address.
I don't really think this has been thought through though. We can put the manager down to verify our identity when applying for a passport. When we have done this, the manager asks to see our passports when getting the DBS check done - some sort of circular thinking, as she is the one who verified who I was anyway!!!!
I also wonder why it is necessary to confirm identity documents every three years anyway. I don't think I have been replaced with a clone, and if I had the clone would no doubt be able to produce some documents having gone to the trouble of looking like me. The manager still knows who I am, they had to have documents to start with and have my picture on file for my work id card. It would make more sense if this was done at the start of work with a company and on subsequent occasions no further id was required as the manager would then verify identity on the application. It is not as if the DBS check has a photo anyway.. All that should be required is a verification of address by bank statement/gas bill/council bill.
So annoying .....!
Can you not subscribe to the DBS update service? I work in a primary school and pay something like £13 a year to keep my DBS updated. You just give your ID number to the employer and they can check it online.
The reason they recheck every 3 years is in case you have been convicted of any criminal activity since the last time they checked (bearing in mind there are a lot of crimes that don't result in a prison sentence if convicted).
All employers that require DBS checks have to get their staff to jump through the standard hoops, there is no flexibility in the process or evidence that needs to be provided. Whilst documents could still be forged and 2 individuals could collaborate to provide false documentation by making you produce the originals to be signed and copied each time it significantly reduces the ease that identity fraud could be carried out.
Sorry for the very boring answer, i agree the whole process is cumbersome and lacks any input of common sense, especially when just renewing a check. :-)
I've read somewhere that it's local authorities, who insist on DBS checks every three years. Your employer is just following the rules and the check is more about looking for recent convictions rather than checking ID. Rules are rules.
I have recently been subjected to even more absurd checking rules.
Last November I started a week long customer service course. The training provider insisted that I show photo proof of ID plus proof of current address, proof I am legally in this country, proof I can legally work in this country and proof that I am claiming benefits. All my original documents were photocopied.
The following week I started another one week course with the same training provider, in the same building, and the same staff were doing the training, this time a retail course. Once again I had to show all my original documents, which were photocopied.
The next week I started another one week course with them, a customer service course at one level higher. Again I had to show all my original documents, which they photocopied.
On the fourth week I did a one week business administration course. Again I had to show all my original documents which they photocopied.
They explained to me that rules are rules. And they have to follow them.