Employee identity checking guidance for posts with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

1. Right to work in the UK

This section applies to all external applicants

Appointment to posts within Dorset Council will be subject to an identity check to satisfy asylum and immigration requirements. Appointments cannot proceed until this requirement has been properly satisfied.

If you are attending a face to face interview

Please bring the following to your selection interview:

• one original document (or combination where specified) from List A to your selection interview, or if you don't have any of the documents in List A, bring one document (or a combination where specified) from List B
• originals and a photocopy of each document required as evidence of identity

The managers will retain a copy of all documents and return the original documents to you.

The copies you provide will be kept with your confidential records. These copies will be destroyed if you are not appointed, or, retained on your personal file if you accept an offer of employment.

If the post you are applying for requires a DBS check, you will be required to produce further additional documents to verify your identity. 

If you are attending a virtual interview (e.g. via Teams or Skype)

Before your interview, please provide a scanned version or picture of one document (or combination where specified) from List A. If you don't have any of the documents in List A, you can supply a scanned version or picture of one document (or a combination where specified) from List B. 

The copies you provide will be kept with your confidential records. These copies will be destroyed if you are not appointed. If you are successful at interview it will be a condition of your offer that you produce (in a socially distancing manner) originals of the requested documents.

List A (right to work in the UK)

At interview, you should produce any one of the documents listed below:

• a passport (current or expired) showing that you are, or are named as the child of, a British citizen or a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies having the right of abode in the United Kingdom
• a passport or passport card (current or expired) showing that you are a national of the Republic of Ireland
• a current document issued by the Home Office to a family member of an EEA or Swiss citizen, and which indicates you as the holder are permitted to stay in the United Kingdom indefinitely
• a document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that you as the holder have been granted unlimited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules
• a current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office which indicates that you are allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or that there is no time limit on your stay in the United Kingdom (an expired Biometric Residence Permit will not be accepted)
• a current passport endorsed to show that you are exempt from immigration control, and are allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom, have the right of abode in the United Kingdom, or have no time limit on your stay in the United Kingdom
• a current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office to you with an endorsement indicating that you are allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or have no time limit on your stay in the United Kingdom,  together with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer
• a birth or adoption certificate issued in the United Kingdom  together with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer
• a birth or adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland, together with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance Number and name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer
• a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, together with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer

Please note that if you have changed your name and the evidence you provide is in different names, you should provide evidence of your name change (e.g. marriage certificate, name change via deed poll etc.) for each change of name and the reason for the name change. 

List B - group 1 (right to work in the UK)

• a current passport endorsed to show that you are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom and that you are currently allowed to do the type of work in question
• a current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office to you which indicates that you can stay in the United Kingdom and that you are allowed to do the work in question
• a current document issued by the Home Office to a family member of an EEA or Swiss citizen, and which indicates that you as the holder are permitted to stay in the United Kingdom for a time limited period and to do the type of work in question
• a document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that you as the holder have been granted limited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules
• a frontier worker permit issued under regulation 8 of the Citizens' Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
• a current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to you with a valid endorsement indicating that you may stay in the UK, and you are allowed to do the type of work in question, in combination with an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number and your name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer

List B - group 2 (right to work in the UK)

• a document issued by the Home Office showing that you as the holder have made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the immigration rules (known as the EU Settlement Scheme) on or before 30 June 2021 together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service
• a document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man showing that you as the holder have made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules or Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service
• an Application Registration Card issued by the Home Office stating that you as the holder are permitted to take the employment in question, together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service
• a Positive Verification Notice issued by the Home Office Employer Checking Service to the employer or prospective employer, which indicates that you as the named person may stay in the UK and are permitted to do the work in question
• a Certificate of Application (digital or non-digital) issued by the Home Office showing that you as the holder have made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the immigration rules (known as the EU Settlement Scheme), on or after 1 July 2021, together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service

2. DBS Disclosure

Appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory criminal records disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service. Appointments cannot be proceeded with until this requirement has been properly satisfied.

What if I already have a DBS disclosure certificate?

We do not currently accept portability of DBS checks undertaken by other organisations, therefore you will require a new check. If you have had a Dorset Council check within the last 3 years please bring this to interview and there will be an assessment made as to whether you require a new check.

If you have had a check since 17 June 2013 and you are registered with the DBS update service, providing the level of the check is appropriate and the check is for the correct workforce portability may be accepted, please bring your DBS certificate and your Update Service membership information with you to interview and an assessment will be made as to whether you require a new check. For positions in a school the Update Service membership may not be accepted and you may require a new check.

The Interviewing Officer is required to verify your identity as part of the interview process and will therefore need sight of the following:

• current valid passport
• biometric Residence Permit (UK) if applicable
• current photocard driving licence (full or provisional) – UK/Isle of Man/Channel Islands
• your birth certificate (UK/Isle of Man/Channel Islands - including those issued by UK authorities overseas, for example embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces issued within 12 months of birth)
• Adoption certificate (UK/Channel Islands) if applicable
• proof of address (such as recent utility bill, credit card statement, mortgage or insurance statement)

If you are attending a face to face interview

It would be helpful if you could bring all the required documents above to the interview.

If you are attending a virtual interview

Please send a scanned or picture of each document above prior to the interview. If you are successful at interview it will be a condition of your offer that you produce (in a socially distancing manner) the originals of all documents requested above.

Please note that documents should be originals, not photocopies. Information printed from the internet, i.e. internet bank statements are not acceptable.

These documents should be in your name at your declared address. Documents in a previous name can be accepted ONLY where you can provide official documentation supporting a recent change. The documents will be checked and returned. They will not be retained.

If you do not have all of the documents listed above, you should provide one document from Group 1 (below) plus any other two documents from Groups 2a or 2b.

If you are an EEA national and can't produce these documents, then you must instead provide at least one document from Group 2a and two further documents from Group 2a or 2b, one of which must confirm your current address. Using this route to evidence your identity will mean that you will be subject to an external ID validation checking process via a commercial company.

If you cannot produce the documents required using any of the routes detailed above then there will need to be further discussion and consideration of how your identity can be checked and verified. As part of this you will be asked to provide a UK or channel islands birth certificate issued more than 12 months after birth (photocopies not acceptable), plus one document from group 2a and three further documents from Group 2a or 2b, one of which must confirm your current address. The Disclosure and Barring Service may require you to be fingerprinted if your identity cannot be adequately verified.

If you aren’t a national of the UK you must be able to show one document from Group 1 (below) plus any other two documents from Groups 2a or 2b. If you cannot produce the documents required then a DBS check cannot be submitted as right to work in the UK cannot be established. No offer of employment will be made without satisfactory documentary evidence of identity. If you are unable to produce the required documents, please contact the appointing officer or Human Resources as soon as possible.

Group 1

• current valid passport
• biometric residence permit (UK)
• current photocard driving licence - (UK/Isle of Man/Channel Islands (full or provisional)
• adoption certificate (UK/ Channel Islands)
• birth certificate (UK/Isle of Man/ Channel Islands - including those issued by UK authorities overseas, for example embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces) – issued within 12 months of birth

Group 2a

• birth certificate (UK/Isle of Man/ Channel Islands) – issued after time of birth
• marriage/civil partnership certificate (UK/Channel Islands)
• current valid paper driving licence (full or provisional) (If issued before 1998) - UK/Isle of Man/Channel Islands
• current valid photocard driving licence (full or provisional) All countries outside of the UK (excluding Isle of Man and Channel Islands)
• firearms Licence (UK/Channel Islands/Isle of Man)
• HM Forces ID card (UK)

Group 2b

• mortgage statement ** (UK)
• benefit statement * (UK) e.g. child benefit, pension
• credit card statement * (UK)
• financial statement ** (UK) e.g. pension or endowment
• P45/P60 statement ** (UK and Channel Islands)
• council tax statement ** (UK and Channel Islands)
• bank/building society account opening confirmation letter * (UK)
• utility bill (UK) * not mobile telephone
• Irish Passport Card *** Can’t be used with an Irish Passport
• EEA national ID card ***
• bank/building society statement * (UK, Channel Islands)cards carrying the PASS accreditation logo *** (UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands)
• letter from headteacher or college principal *** (UK 16 to 19 year olds in full time education) (only in exceptional circumstances when no other documents can be used)
• letter of sponsorship from future employment provider *** (non UK) Non EEA only – if residing outside of the UK at time of application
• a document from central/local government/government agency/local authority giving entitlement (UK and Channel Islands)*- e.g. from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Employment Service, HMRC

Documentation should:

* be less than 3 months old / ** issued within past 12 months / *** must be still valid. If not denoted - it can be more than 12 months old

Declaration of criminal record form (to be returned with the reply form)

The post for which you are applying is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that the council can require you to declare all convictions whether spent or unspent so that these can be properly considered. In addition, the interviewing officer must verify your identity as part of the interviewing process.

The council has a policy on the employment of ex-offenders and declaration of such information will be handled sensitively and properly. Consideration will be given as to whether any conviction will affect your suitability for employment in any particular post.

If you have any criminal convictions you must record the details on the form provided and return this in the enclosed envelope along with your reply form. This information will be treated confidentially and will be fully discussed with you by the chairman of the panel at interview so that the circumstances can be fully considered as part of the decision making process.

Disclosure of convictions need not necessarily be a bar to obtaining this position. However, if the post is offered to you on the basis of a satisfactory criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service and information is received which you have not disclosed, this may lead to a withdrawal of any offer of employment.