Frequently asked Question

Employment Screening FAQs

If you have any questions or concerns about background screening, please refer to the Privacy Policy and the FAQs on this website.

Some of our most common employment screening FAQs are regarding the process itself. Once you have accepted the offer of employment you will receive an auto-generated email from Credence requesting you to complete an online screening application form. You will do this through a secure (https) website. As part of the email you will be given a temporary access code which you will be required to change when you first log in. Once you log in you will be asked to enter personal data as well as details, for example, of your previous employment and education. The forms are designed so that you will only be asked for information necessary to undertake your background screening. Once you have completed the application form you will need to complete a consent giving your authorisation for Credence to undertake the screening. Depending upon where you have resided within the last 5 to 10 years, there may be other documents you need to upload, these will be communicated to you by a member of the Credence team. When Credence have received your consent and associated documents they will commence the screening process and will report the results to your employer, typically within 10 to 15 working days. You may be contacted by Credence during the process, so it is important that you indicate in the application form how you would best like to be contacted.
As Credence is the data processor and not the data controller, the Data Retention Period is down to the data controller, which in most cases will be the employer we are conducting the screening on behalf of. Our standard Data Retention Period is 6 months.
The data we collect is used solely for the purposes of conducting your background screening for the company who has instructed us to do so. The data will not be sold on or used for any other purposes.
Credence is registered with the Information Commissioners Office for data protection purposes, registration number Z1978692, and as such we are required to comply with the UK data protection laws when processing candidate information: these laws are based on those applied across the EU. All candidate information is stored on our servers which are located in UK ISO 27001 secured data centre. Credence has also obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification in addition to also holding the Cyber Essentials Certification, which is an IT security certification backed by the UK government. All candidate personal data held is encrypted, so even in the unlikely event of the data being hacked, it will be completely unreadable.
On occasions we need to use the help of third party sub-contractors. We work with a limited number of companies, all of whom are required to comply with our terms and conditions and supplier management standards. Those located outside of the EEA are also required to complete a risk assessment and sign the EU model terms giving you the same level of data protection as if they were an EEA based company. This is in accordance with our ISO 9001 certification. If a candidate has not resided outside of the EU, none of their data will be transferred outside of the EU.

Common Employment Screening FAQs for Credence ID Guidelines for Basic DBS Checks

If your screening contains a Basic Criminal Records Check via the DBS (Disclosure and Baring Service) your original ID documents must be viewed, this will likely be conducted by your employer for whom we are conducting the screening for. It is therefore important that you supply the correct documents to them at your earliest convenience. The DBS have produced full guidelines on the ID checking process, which can be found on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-check-guidance-and-policies.

Your employer will then supply copies of these documents to Credence via our secure online portal. Credence can only accept documents which are on this list and cannot process the DBS checks without confirmation that the suitable documents have been viewed. Incorrect documents will be rejected and could cause delays to your screening. In most cases, the documents required will be from the ‘Route 1’ and include the following:

1 Proof of ID and 1 Proof of Address

Employment Screening FAQs regarding Proof of ID

Examples of acceptable ID documents:

Passport

Biometric residence permit (UK)

Driving license photocard (full or provisional) (UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and EEA)

Birth certificate (issued within 12 months of birth) (UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands – including those issued by UK authorities overseas, e.g. embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces)

Adoption certificate (UK and Channel Islands)

Important notes:

1. ID documents must be current and in date.

2. ID documents must show your full, current name and date of birth.

3. Where you have changed your name and do not have a proof of ID to show this an additional document to support the name change is required, for example a marriage certificate.

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Employment Screening FAQs regarding Proof of Address

Most common examples of acceptable proof of current address documents:

Valid UK driving license (If this has not been used as ID)

Mortgage Statement (Issued in last 12 months)

Bank or building society statement (Issued in last 3 months)

Bank or building society account opening confirmation letter (Issued in last 3 months)

Credit card statement (Issued in last 3 months)

P45 or P60 statement (Issued in last 12 months)

Council Tax statement (Issued in last 12 months)

Utility bill (excluding mobile phone) (Issued in last 3 months)

Important notes:

1. The proof of address document must show your current address, not a previous address.

2. The document cannot be printed from the internet.

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Helpful Hint

if you have opted for paperless bank statements and utility bills and are struggling to find a suitable proof of address document you can go into your bank or building society and request your latest statement is printed in branch. Credence will then accept this as a proof of address provided it has been stamped and dated by the bank/building society. If you have any further queries or Employment Screening FAQs please contact support(@)credence.co.uk.

Other common Employment Screening FAQs

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