School Of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law (SSSHL) – DBS application guidance
All personal data provided to the University is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and in line with the University’s student privacy notice which is available on our website.
Please note that the data you have provided to the University will be shared with the following third parties:
Information will be shared with an external organisation (Atlantic Data) who will contact you regarding the DBS checking process. Atlantic Data is a Registered Body providing an umbrella function on behalf of the University.
Teesside University is a registered body and is subject to the DBS code of practice. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-privacy-policies
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Starting your DBS Check
DBS Applications are available to new applicants who need the check to start their course, and have made us their firm choice. If you are a current student, and need to have a check for a particular module or for Research purposes, you should email SSSHLCompliance@tees.ac.uk .
International Applicants will be asked to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct from the authorities in their country of domicile. This will usually be from:
- their local police station; or
- the UK Embassy or High Commission of the country of domicile
On arrival at the University we will undertake the appropriate UK DBS check.
The provision of a satisfactory DBS result is an important aspect of our offer. If you start your course and do not provide one you might be asked to leave the course, and pay any tuition fees that are due.
When applicants have made a course their Firm choice, we will send an email that has links to documents that must be completed and returned to the school. In addition, you will get a further email with details on how to complete your DBS application and ID check. Please read both emails carefully, and complete the tasks outlined in each promptly.
There are different levels of check , and we can only request the level most appropriate to what a student will be doing.
We have developed Guidance for DBS Applicants, along with a simple guide to avoiding-common-mistakes in completing the online DBS application.
Declaration
The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.
Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-filtering-guidance/dbs-filtering-guide#introduction
The School undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any person the subject of a disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. We have an established Policy Statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders, and guidance on answering Yes to Question 55 of the DBS application form.
If your chosen profession requires registration with a body such as the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), or The Society for Education and Training (SET), and you don’t know whether your record will affect future career prospects, you should contact them before you start the course. Being allowed onto the degree course does not mean that the organisation will register you if they have concerns.
Paying for the check
You do not need to pay for your first DBS check on starting a new course. However, if you have already had a check paid for by the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law, and have failed to subscribe to the DBS Update Service, you might be asked to pay for any recheck.
Please note that UCAS applicants are expected to apply for a DBS check by 31st August 2024. Failure to do so may impact your University place. School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law will pay for DBS checks for all applicants who have completed their application and ID check within 90 days and before 30th November 2024. After this date applicants will have to pay for their check.
DBS Update Service
Applicants for a course that involves multiple placements should subscribe to the DBS Update Service as soon as they have made their DBS application. If you do not, we will need to make a further check and you will be expected to pay for this. Go to www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service for more information.
If you have registered for the DBS update service already, we will need to make sure your previous check is at the level needed for your course. Please email to us a copy of your certificate, indicating the course title for which you have your firm offer. If the level of check is appropriate, we will need to see the original certificate and you will need to complete and return a consent form giving us permission to make an update service check.
If the previous check is not at the right level for your course you will need to undergo a new DBS check, and you will be able to attach the new certificate to your update service account. Also, we need to make a new check if your previous certificate is for a voluntary role.
If you do not yet use the DBS update service, when you submit your DBS application you can log back into the system and see all the details required to join the update service. You have a short period of time to subscribe to the Update Service. Subscription costs £13pa and we do not refund this fee.
If you do not subscribe to the update service, and you need an updated check, you can be asked to pay for a new check yourself.
Find out how to make your DBS certificate ‘portable’ via the Update Service here https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Documents to complete and return: DBS Privacy Declaration
Enquiries: SSSHLCompliance@tees.ac.uk
Useful links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-code-of-practice
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-application-forms-guide-for-applicants