Criminal Records Officer

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions by processing and issuing DBS checks for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. DBS also prevents unsuitable people from working with children and/or vulnerable adults through its barring function.  

The role of Criminal Records Officer is to process applications for Enhanced DBS checks in relation to persons wishing to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.  The role requires an individual who is able to interrogate complex Police computer systems and databases to check for relevant information held against a DBS applicant in line with the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). Once the information has been gathered, a detailed risk assessment needs to be conducted to establish an applicant’s suitability to work with vulnerable groups in accordance with relevant legislation. The role requires a highly motivated individual who is confident working in a target driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• To search, interrogate and extract information from various Police systems and databases to identify records held in relation to the DBS applicant. To analyse and evaluate all information found from varied sources using the National Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) and prepare the Audit Trail (AT) document, presenting all relevant information clearly and concisely in the Hit Relevance Table, summarising all relevant factors and considerations within the report.
• Use decision making skills to analyse, risk assess and determine whether the relevant information recorded on the AT document can be discarded and if so, clearly document the rationale for discarding relevant information in accordance with QAF.
• To escalate the DBS application to a Decision Maker in a timely manner, with the appropriate briefing report to support the disclosure decision, when the information cannot be discarded (disclosure is required).
• To liaise with internal colleagues, DBS, other forces and external agencies in respect of the work of the Unit, either in person, by phone or via e-mail to obtain further information in relation to decision making and maintaining contact to ensure these requests are returned in a timely manner.
• To provide advice and guidance on DBS to internal departments, external agencies and members of the public either in person, via phone or via e-mail.
• To receive all DBS applications via the DBS IT system, ensuring that the information on the application is accurate, that the applicant is eligible to apply and the applications have resulted correctly when returned to DBS.

Click here to view the full details of the role including the Essential, Desirable and any educational requirements for the role.

Contact: For further information regarding this role, please email  dbsmanagers@westmidlands.police.uk

Hours of Work and Flexibility:-This is a full-time position working between core hours of 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday.  The role is hybrid working with 60% of working days on-site.

Vetting:- Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background and financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical:- Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully medical checks, which may include a drugs test.

Interviews: TBC

Benefit Statement
By choosing to join West Midlands Police you will receive an enhanced benefits package including:
•    Fair remuneration with progression opportunities and access to a very competitive pension scheme.
•    Enhanced annual leave in addition to public holiday entitlements.
•    Discounts across travel, parking, daily costs of living and leisure activities.
•    A comprehensive wellbeing package including 24/7 support, free eye tests and flu jabs.
 

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions.  As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.  

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

"Diversity and Inclusion Vision:  Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities"
 

West Midlands Police is the second-largest police force in the country, serving the three major cities of Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton, alongside the districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull, and Dudley.

 Against this backdrop, the force handles more than 2,000 emergency calls every day, while patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have made significant improvements in reducing overall crime, improving call response times, and increasing arrest rates. This work can only continue with the right people, therefore as an employer of choice, we are looking for the right people who can serve and protect our communities.