To work in insurance in the UK, you will need to take a statutory DBS check to confirm you are suitable for the role.

Requested during the recruitment process, DBS checks are carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service on behalf of the Home Office.

What is a DBS check?

DBS checks are a legal requirement for a vast number of frontline roles, including lots of jobs within the finance and legal sectors. This degree of vetting is set out in the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

Under the act, those working in insurance must take a basic DBS check. If your role requires FCA approval you will need a standard DBS check which will include spent convictions. Let’s see how the two checks differ:

A basic DBS check for the insurance sector will require a search for any unspent criminal convictions or conditional cautions.

A standard DBS check for someone wishing to work in the insurance industry will involve a search for any unspent or spent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings in existence on the Police National Computer.

DBS checks are necessary to ensure the public, particularly children and vulnerable adults, are protected from those who are unsuitable for work with the public. As such, the FCA works within the requirements of the 1974 act meaning FCA approval is subject to the terms of a standard DBS check.

To find out more about your legal rights under the Rehabilitation of Offenders act and the legal requirements of the FCA, visit unlock.org.

To complete your basic DBS online with us or to find out more about DBS checks, visit our home page.