How can I manage bi-annual criminality checks for drivers?

The Enhanced DBS Check was introduced for taxi and private hire drivers back in March 2012.  

At the time it was a big change to the industry and was part of the government's strategy for improving safeguarding in the sector.  

Lynne Featherstone, the Criminal Information Minister overseeing this change, said: 

“...it is only right that the public are confident proper checks have been carried out. 

‘Good recruitment practices are a key responsibility for all employers. These changes will ensure that licensing authorities have access to relevant information to make informed decisions before granting taxi licences.” 

These rules have now been in place for over a decade. The consensus is that the introduction of Enhanced DBS Checks has been broadly successful.  

But serious problems have still occurred. 

This is why bi-annual criminality checks have been recommended under the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards. 

6-monthly criminal record checks 

 Section 6.2 of the DfT’s Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards states: 

“All licensed drivers should also be required to evidence continuous registration with the DBS update service to enable the licensing authority to routinely check for new information every six months. Drivers that do not subscribe up to the Update Service should still be subject to a check every six months.” 

In theory, registering for the DBS Update Service means that an individual never needs to complete another DBS Check. 

Employers, or in this case licensing authorities, can look up an individual’s details on the Update Service and check whether or not new information has been added. This is known as carrying out a Status Check’. 

Carrying out Status Checks 

To carry out a Status Check, all that is needed is a drivers name, DOB and certificate number. Once you have this, a Status Check can be completed. 

When looking up a drivers DBS Certificate on the Update Service, there is three possible ‘Statuses’ that can appear. These are: 

• No Status Change – the information contained on the driver’s DBS disclosure is the latest information, and no new criminal activity has been added since the disclosure was issued.  

• Status Changed – there has been further criminal activity added to the DBS disclosure since the issue date of the certificate and the Council will need to request a new DBS disclosure in order to see this information 

• No Active Subscription – the driver has either cancelled their subscription or failed to renew their subscription at the 12-month anniversary of the issue date of the DBS disclosure, rendering a Status Check impossible. 

If you are presented with the second or third option, the driver will need to complete a new DBS Check to remain compliant.  

Managing Multiple Status Checks 

The process of carrying out Status Checks involves a lot of manual work. This makes managing multiple Status Checks a time-consuming task. 

Being able to automate Status Check en masse would mean that the addition of multiple Status Checks would have minimal impact on your team's workload. 

Fortunately, software has been developed which automatically: 

• Notifies and reminds drivers to register for the DBS Update Service when their DBS Check is complete. 

• Notifies your team when drivers register, or if they fail to register 

• Runs Status Checks at configurable time intervals, notifying your team of any new information on a driver’s DBS Certificate. 

Incorporating the TaxiPlus Status Check product into your licensing operations means you can take total control of the Update Service for your drivers. 

Book an appointment today with one of our experts to discuss how the TaxiPlus product can improve efficiencies in your department.  

Alternatively, submit a contact form.