New guidance on mental health disclosures clarifies what police can share with employers
Publication: People Management
Home Office revises what information should and shouldn’t be given out during vetting checks
An employer may request a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for potential employees as part of its recruitment process. For certain roles, such as those involving working with children or vulnerable adults, the check includes information held by local police forces which is considered to be relevant to the post applied for. This information currently includes details of any mental health crises the police are aware of.
However, a review last year of how relevant sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 were working demonstrated that irrelevant or partial information was being released to employers as part of the DBS checks, resulting in employees who had suffered mental health crises in the past being unnecessarily excluded from certain posts.
