Posts Tagged ‘employment screening’

Employment Screening – Services Update

June 2nd, 2011

As part of our ongoing effort to deliver an industry leading quality of service for employment screening we are pleased to announce an upgrade to our order management system.   

The main objective of the latest upgrade is to reduce the administrative time needed by our customers to carry out employment screening.  The changes to our order management system enable employees to submit their details online without the need to process forms and data via administrative teams or Human Resources departments.  The system update covers all areas of pre-employment screening including BPSS, BS7858, criminal records checks, financial background checks, employment history verifications, qualifications, and professional memberships.

We are also planning further service enhancements to help ensure that our customers continue to receive the highest levels of service.

For more information on the services we provide visit www.credit-check-serivces.co.uk or www.employmentscreening.co.uk.  Alternatively please call our offices on 01992 719 234 and we will be happy to discuss employment screening services available and how these may be applied for your company or organisation.

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Employment screening & customer satisfaction

May 20th, 2011

Customer satisfaction is immensely important to us at Credit Check Services, not just because it is a key factor for our ISO 9001 certification, but more importantly because satisfied customers continue to use our employment screening services and also recommend our company to others.

Every month we carry out surveys in four main categories to assess any specific areas where we can improve and to assess overall customer satisfaction.

For the last year we have maintained an “overall satisfaction” ratio of 100%, and allowing for any specific areas regarded as “poor” we have achieved an overall rating of 98.3% satisfied.  [ figures correct as of 30 April 2011 ]

Whilst our overall satisfaction ratios are very high we also recognise that we are not perfect and we will always seek feedback on how we can improve.  Even if you are not yet a customer of ours we would very much appreciate feedback, even if it is just about how helpful you find our websites; www.credit-check-services.co.uk and www.employmentscreening.co.uk

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Updated background screening reports for March 2011

March 30th, 2011

During March 2011 several of the online reports were upgraded to further enhance the service we provide to our customers.

The Gold and Platinum tenant check reports now include a new and enhanced risk score analysis based on an individual’s probability of meeting financial payment commitments. Additionally we have now included CAIS financial account verifications for both of these reports.  Finally, for our changes to tenant checking services, the Platinum report also now includes OFAC and HM Treasury sanctions list checks, these cover sanction checks including those involved in serious fraud and those suspected of supporting or funding terrorist activities.

The Employment screening financial background check has also been revised to include the new CAIS account verifications and both OFAC and HM Treasury sanctions list checks (previously this report only provided HM Treasury sanctions checks).

For those who have not yet used our services we also include a search for linked addresses in all online screening reports, this technique helps to ensure that any history of CCJs, bankruptcy or IVAs will be found. If you would like to know more about our background screening services please call Credit Check Services on 01992 719 234, or visit our main website at www.Credit-Check-Services.co.uk

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CPNI checks for employers

January 22nd, 2011

CPNI refers to the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure.  There is a requirement for the safeguard of the UK’s national infrastructure, and this includes requirements for a high level of security that extends to the screening of employees. The standards for CPNI checks not only apply to those companies designated part of the UK’s national infrastructure, but often CPNI checks extend to employees of supplier companies.  So what are CPNI checks?

There are four main areas of focus for CPNI employment screening, these are:

1 – Employee’s identity verification

2 – Verifying the employee’s right to work in the UK

3 – Confirming employment history and qualifications

4 – Criminal record checks

The employment screening is normally categorised into 3 areas for minimum, medium and high level of screening.  Each level of screening requires an increasing level of investigation.  At the base or minimum level of screening it is sufficient for an employee to provide a self certified declaration of criminal record, conversely at the highest level an employee will require a CRB disclosure certificate and verification of all relevant academic qualifications and professional memberships.

At Credit Check Services we provide screening for all UK employment sectors.  If you would like to know more about our CPNI employment screening, or if you would like a quotation for other aspects of employment screening, call Credit Check Services on 01992 719 234.

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The Bribery Act 2010, employers may be held liable!

October 25th, 2010

The new Bribery Act 2010, which is expected to become law in Spring 2011, will see a range of offences to criminalise bribery.  This is of particular note to employers who can be held liable and prosecuted for negligence if it is determined there was a failure to prevent bribery.

The new Bribery Act 2010 comes into effect as industry experts warn of the continued fraud highs. A partner of KPMG, Hitesh Patel, warns that fraud in 2010 is likely to see the continued fraud highs of 2009. One of the key areas highlighted for 2010 is supply chain and accounting fraud.  It is also expected that employee bribery and corruption offences will become an increasing issue for employers. 

Key for employers is not only to familiarise themselves with the new Bribery Act 2010 but also to develop procedures to safeguard against fraud and bribery.  Such safeguards not only include business processes to identify where a risk to the business may exist, but also screening employees to identify an individual’s potential risk. Specifically the Bribery Act will create a new offence for a “failure of a commercial organisation to prevent a bribe being paid for on its behalf” – it will be a defence if the organisation has adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery.

Credit Check Services is a leading UK company that specialises in screening people, for more information on employment screening services visit the website at Credit-Check-Services.co.uk

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Employee fraud – CIFAS and prevention

October 1st, 2010

Research conducted by CIFAS, the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service found that only 2 organisations had not experienced employee fraud. 

Typical examples of employee fraud identified by CIFAS included falsifying CVs with “material falsehoods”, selling confidential company documents,  and passing on details of company clients for financial gain. Other types of fraud uncovered have included:

  • Misappropriating company funds.
  • Stealing cheques
  • Inflating expenses claimed
  • Forging signatures
  • Falsely claiming family bereavement to obtain time off work.
  • Forging signatures
  • Falsifying documents
  • Selling company assets for personal gain

CIFAS maintains a register to help employers identify applicants at risk of fraud.  Additionally CIFAS research has identified the following best practice to minimise exposure to employee fraud:

  1. Verifying employment history
  2. Confirmation of qualifications
  3. Confirmation of the employee’s identity
  4. Credit reference checks
  5. Taking up references

Credit Check Services provides screening for employers covering all of these aspects including regulatory standards and Government standards such as BS7858:2006 and BPSS.  For more information on employment screening visit the website.

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Why pre employment screening is so important

September 28th, 2010

It is increasingly common for people to exagerate the content of their CV to help get an interview and ultimately a job offer.  Most employers rely on the interview to identify any such discrepancies in the CV; but even if this was guaranteed to weed out inaccurate statements should more be done to screen potential employees?

For example, how would you know if a prospective employee has “fake” qualifications, debt problems enforced through a civil court, a criminal record, flagged as being at risk risk of money laundering or fraud?

Would you want to know if your potential employee is affected by any of these issues?

At the very least a business has a duty of care to its customers.  And carrying out background employment screening checks need not be expensive.  At Credit Check Services employment screening starts at less than £20, so why take the risk?

Call Credit Check Services on 01992 719 234, or visit our website www.credit-check-services.co.uk for more information.

Credit Check Services, ISO 9001:2008 certified by the British Standards Institute (BSI), certificate number FS 563432

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Employment screening and unfair discrimination

March 23rd, 2010

Following the recent announcements on the extension of CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks for people involved in the care of children there has been a marked increase in the number of companies requesting CRB checks on their employees.  The increase identified by Credit Check Services does not really relate to those working with children, the increase is most pronounced for general areas of employment.

Credit Check Services also found that 1 in 3 employers requesting CRB checks did not know what level of CRB check would apply to the employment role, in part this is due to the lack of clarity provided on how much information a company is permitted to use for employment screening.

For example, there are currently three levels of CRB checks that can be carried out, these are termed “basic”, “standard” and “enhanced”.  The basic CRB check provides details of any criminal convictions that are determined as “unspent”.  The standard CRB check provides additional details of “spent” criminal convictions along with and police cautions or reprimands.  The enhanced check takes this one step further to provide additional information relating to adult and children’s registers and relevant information recorded by Government bodies.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 provides an opportunity for those with “spent” convictions to gain employment without having their previous criminal record being taken into account.  However as some types of employment are considered sensitive legislation was passed producing an “exceptions order” listing types of employment where an employer is permitted to see information on convictions as provided for in the “standard” CRB check. 

So why is this so important?  Well consider a situation where an employer does not know what level of CRB check is appropriate, consequently using the “standard” CRB check to screen an applicant and rejecting them for a role due to a “spent” conviction.  If the employment role did not come under the “exceptions order” then the employer may be breaking the law by discriminating unfairly against the applicant.

It is fundamental for all employers to ensure that “appropriate” employment screening is applied to selection processes, failure to do so could result in potential litigation for discrimination.

If you would like to know more about employment screening, including criminal record checks, call Credit Check Services on 01992 719 234

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