Screening specialist launches service to simplify DBS checks

Blackburn-based Personnel Checks has launched MyCheck, a DBS checking service designed specifically for self-employed individuals.

The company says MyCheck is the first service of its kind created to support the DBS checking needs of self-employed workers.

The launch follows a period of significant growth for the business, which processes more than 150,000 DBS checks annually and has grown by more than 300 per cent over the past five years.

MyCheck enables individuals to apply online for Basic DBS checks and, where eligible, Enhanced DBS checks through a streamlined digital process supported by secure identity verification and specialist guidance.

Previously, self-employed workers could apply only for Basic DBS checks directly, while Enhanced DBS applications generally had to be submitted by an employing organisation on their behalf.

Jack Mellor, chief executive of Personnel Checks, said: "The government's decision to allow eligible self-employed individuals to apply for Enhanced DBS checks is an important and welcome change that reflects how the modern workforce is evolving.

"Many individuals are understandably unsure whether they are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, which level of screening they require or how the application process works.

"MyCheck has been created to remove that uncertainty. We've built a platform that helps self-employed professionals understand their eligibility, access the appropriate level of check and receive expert support throughout the process.

"Whether someone is a private tutor, sports coach, care professional, personal assistant or freelancer working with vulnerable groups, they should have access to a simple and trusted route to obtaining the correct DBS certification."