United Kingdom Background Screening

Revision Date: June 13, 2022

The following has been provided as general educational information only. It is not legal advice, express or implied. Consultation with legal counsel in all matters of employment and business law is recommended.

Services Available:

• Criminal Search
• Education Verification
• Employment Verification
• Global Watchlist Search

Disclaimer:  The following guide is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, and users are encouraged to seek their own independent counsel when evaluating these services. Importantly, the specific screenings offered by Checkr do not guarantee an organization’s legal rights to request or use them. Several factors, including the residency and location of your organization and your candidates, may implicate additional data privacy and employment laws.

________________________________________

Criminal Search

Description:

Criminal records encompass a nationwide level search of the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This document relates only to England and Wales. 

Sources:

Criminal history information for employment purposes is not obtained directly from courts or police stations. England and Wales use Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS).

Search Type:

There are three search levels for criminal records in the UK. These are Basic, Standard, and Enhanced. The Basic DBS check provides the lowest level of disclosure and can be requested by any individual over 16. The basic search is conducted at the national level and returns details of unspent convictions as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. If no unspent convictions are found, the Disclosure will state there are no convictions. The Standard and Enhanced searches are available only for specific positions and can only be applied for by registered bodies or umbrella bodies and have additional requirements such as additional signatures.  Checkr runs the basic criminal check today.

Ordering Requirements:

• Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, and Middle Name
• DOB
• Address in Country
• National ID
• Citizenship
• Passport Scan
• Authorization Form
• Special Release Form – This must be completed by the applicant and provided to Checkr. The forms will vary depending on the process to follow.
• The following is a list of supporting documentation acceptable for Identification purposes. Three (3) forms of identification are required to confirm name and date of birth.
• Photo Driver’s License
• Copy of passport
• Copy of National ID card
• Birth Certificate
• UK National Insurance Number

Additional information required:

• Applicant’s address history details covering at least the past five years and address in the country with dates of residence.
• Employer’s address (if the disclosure certificate must be sent to the Employer)
• If the Candidate chooses to opt out of digital identity verification, employer action will be required.

Employer Actions Required:

If the Candidate does not pass or chooses to opt out of digital verification, the Employer must verify the candidate’s identity using a required document and submit consent to having done so to Checkr.

Estimated Time Service:

On average 6 to 7 business days, but it can take up to 14 business days.

________________________________________

Education Verification

Description:

The verification of the academic status of any educational level, such as high school, college, and post-grad. It may include institution name, dates of attendance, graduation/conferred date, degree obtained, major, minor, honors, awards, and comments.

Sources:

Sources include educational institutions across the UK in addition to Examination Boards or awarding organizations. These Examination Boards are responsible for setting and awarding qualifications for secondary education level. Please note that these examination boards may require additional documentation and fees for education verifications. The names and titles of the sources will be provided when applicable.

Search Type: 

An education verification search is conducted and charged per degree. Multiple degrees/majors listed in an order will be billed as separate orders.

Ordering Requirements:

• Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, Middle Name
• Name While Attending (Local Characters)
• DOB
• Institution’s Name
• Institution Address
• Institution Telephone Number
• Dates of Attendance
• Graduation/Conferred Date
• Degree Obtained
• Major
• Minor
• Authorization form

Estimated Time Service:

On average 6 to 7 business days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.

________________________________________

Employment Verification

Description:

Verification of previous employment history to confirm work experience. It may include the employer’s name, dates of employment, position/title, reason for leaving, eligibility for rehire, and comments. Salary information will be provided if available for disclosure by the source.

Sources:

Government agencies and employers in the UK. The names and titles of the sources will be provided when applicable.

Ordering Requirements:

• Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, Middle Name
• DOB
• Employer’s Name
• Employer’s Address
• Employer’s Telephone Number
• Dates of Employment
• Position/Title
• Reason for Leaving
• Authorization form

Estimated Time Service:

On average 6 to 7 business days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.

________________________________________

Global Watchlist Search

Description:

The Global Watchlist Search product provides a thorough search of multiple National and International repositories resources such as watch lists, PEPs & associates, and sanctions data available around the world.  Our product's technology continually searches for updated data within the thousands of list sources, indexing new data information every day and providing the most up-to-date results.

Sources:

OFAC, FBI Most Wanted (incl. Terrorists), FBI Seeking Information, FBI Hijack Suspects, Politically Exposed Persons, governmental lists, sanctions, enforcements, and warnings from over 500 agencies, criminal courts, & news sources from around the world.

Search Type: 

This is an automated search that continually searches for updated data across all available sources, indexing new data information every time to ensure delivery of only the most up-to-date results.

Ordering Requirements:

• Last name 
• First name 
• DOB 
• Authorization Form

Estimated Time Service:

On average 2 business days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.