DBS checks are important for ensuring that the proper candidates are accepted to a new position. Employers can use DBS checks to check on the background of a candidate to reveal any previous criminal convictions and cautions so they employ someone suitable. These checks have shown that North Somerset Council has received 260 applications from criminals trying to get a taxi licence.
Taxi drivers need to be safe on the roads. They are also in a position of power as they are left alone with passengers who trust them with their physical safety. A DBS check has revealed that North Somerset Council has had a large number of applications for taxi licences from criminals. These criminals include killer drivers and sex offenders.
Killer Drivers and Sex Attackers
This incredible number of criminals means that one out of every five applications for the licences came from a criminal. It is quite concerning to learn that killer drivers and convicted sex offenders are trying to become taxi drivers.
Due to confidentiality laws, it is not known how many of the applicants received their taxi licence, if any. However, these statistics will make many people think twice about who it is waiting in the taxi rank to drive them home.
Two of the applicants had been convicted of causing death by reckless driving, and there were 43 applications from people who had been caught drink driving. Other convictions included drug offences, GBH, ABH, theft and burglary.
The Importance of DBS Checks
It is only thanks to DBS checks such as DBS checks via Carecheck that applications from unsuitable people can be stopped from progressing. We do not know how many of the applications were accepted in this instance, but it is good to know that the checks were in place to flag anyone unsuitable.
It is easy to check the progress of a DBS check by using the government’s online service. There is also the new Update Service, which also allows applicants to give multiple potential employers access to their records.
The importance of DBS checks cannot be overstated. It is stories like this from the North Somerset Council that highlight just how necessary these checks are to ensure the safety of vulnerable people, and in this instance, keep our taxis safe and passengers and other road users protected.