New ID Check Guidelines for DBS Checks from July 1st

DBS Check: New ID Guidelines

The Government announced on June 22nd that they would be bringing in new ID checking guidelines. The guidelines are designed to bring ID checks in line with the new Right to Work checks the Government is rolling out on the same date. The DBS has published the full guidelines for Basic DBS checks here and for Standard and Enhanced checks here. We’ll summarise the key changes you need to know.  As we covered previously, from July 1st, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens will need to give evidence of their immigration status as part of the Right to Work check.  For continuity, the DBS has updated their ID checking guidelines, affecting: 

• Basic DBS checks via a Responsible Organisation
• Standard and Enhanced DBS checks

The important changes to the guidelines are:

• References to the “EEA” have been removed from the “UK national” route
• The “international” route has had more detail included in the primary documents
• A link to the updated Right to Work guidance has been added

The COVID-19 related temporary changes to guidance made by the Government are not affected and can still be followed.

Grace Period

Whilst the new guidelines will come into effect on July 1st, the Government is allowing a grace period until October 1st 2021. Until then, you can use either version of the guidelines. Nonetheless, Registered Bodies and Registered Organisations should begin implementing the new guidelines as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition before the Brexit transition period ends.