UK DBS

Bell Eve

Hi there!
I used to live and work in the UK and have now returned to live in Ireland. For my Teaching Council application I will need to submit a police clearance check (DBS like Garda Vetting) but I don’t know how to get one! The most recent one I have is from 2017 but, as I no longer have a UK address, I cannot figure out how to get a DBS cert to cover 2017-2018.

I’m hoping someone here can point me in the right direction!

Thanks

AJG

If you're not on the DBS update service you could always request a police check...

I don't think you have to have a U.K. address. You can just list all the ones you lived at in the previous 5 years?

https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record

Bell Eve

Thanks AJG. I have already tried that but you need to verify your ID and in order to verify your ID you need a UK address! If you don’t have an address it says you can bring your ID to a UK post office which doesn’t help me at all! I can’t seem to find a way around it!

sitstill

Bell Eve wrote: »

Thanks AJG. I have already tried that but you need to verify your ID and in order to verify your ID you need a UK address! If you don’t have an address it says you can bring your ID to a UK post office which doesn’t help me at all! I can’t seem to find a way around it!

Could you drive to a post office over the border in NI to get your ID verified?

Bell Eve

sitstill wrote: »

Could you drive to a post office over the border in NI to get your ID verified?

I’ll look into it! Might be my only hope!

AJG

sitstill wrote: »

Could you drive to a post office over the border in NI to get your ID verified?

You read my mind... pretty much what I was going to suggest...

Although I could have sworn when I returned from the U.K. years ago I was able to request a police clearance from Ireland. That was probably circa 06/07 under the old CRB system though.

It's a hassle though. I'm subscribed to the update service because the agencies I work for remotely require it. But it seems to be largely a formality as I haven't lived in the U.K. in about 4 years.

Good luck with it.

Bell Eve

How do I subscribe to the update service?!

sitstill

Bell Eve wrote: »

How do I subscribe to the update service?!

Once you have a valid DBS certificate you can pay £13 a year to have an online account. Employers can check your DBS online and you don’t have to keep applying for a check for every new job.

Bell Eve

So it turns out you can’t apply for the update service unless you are making a new application (with a current UK address) or you have received a DBS certificate within the last 19 days - which wouldn’t be possible without a current UK address!

I contacted the DBS people directly and a got a very nice email in reply to tell me that it’s impossible to get what I’m looking for from them! They did send me this link though where I can get a record of my criminal history - or lack thereof!

So for anyone else who may be in a similar situation, just go here! https://www.acro.police.uk/Subject_Access_Online.aspx

Thanks for all your help!!!