Revolutionising Ofsted’s DBS Checks

The client

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills and is a non-ministerial Government Department. They regulate and inspect to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages.

In May 2013, Ofsted went out to market to invite bids for an interim Disclosure & Barring Service check provider under an umbrella arrangement. Ofsted had previously administered their DBS checks in-house using paper-based Disclosure & Barring Services for Ofsted delivering speed, accuracy and reduced costs for Ofsted.

Understanding Ofsted’s challenges

Ofsted has an important role in ensuring children and young people remain safeguarded and protected. To this end, streamlining DBS checks was essential – it was critical that checks were carried out to the required standard and that any information resulting from a DBS check was passed to Ofsted without delay.

After going through a full bid process, Matrix Security Watchdog were successfully appointed as Ofsted’s preferred supplier for DBS services.

The solution

Under our guidance, Ofsted also agreed to operate a unique custom-built Matrix Security Watchdog micro-site, built specifically around streamlining DBS checks for applicants via a dedicated 4-stage online process tailored to Ofsted’s requirements.

This provided a fully supported, streamlined process for applicants which significantly enhanced their overall experience of applying for a DBS application through Ofsted. Data security was an important consideration and Ofsted was assured that Matrix Security Watchdog’s online eBulkPlus system would not compromise on its ability to keep its data secure. Matrix Security Watchdog owns and operates all its UK-based data centres, whereas a number of other providers outsource their clients’ data to data centres that are based abroad.

Furthermore, the system will administer both DBS and Basic Disclosure Scotland checks. This means that if Ofsted chooses to carry out checks for roles that fall outside of the DBS eligibility list, it can conveniently do so along with its required DBS checks through a single online platform.

The outcome

Working in partnership, we were able to overcome the initial hurdles and faith was found in our system. By streamlining DBS checks through our software, we were able to provide Ofsted with transparency, real-time reporting, cost savings and a fast fulfilment rate.

Implementing the solution

Over 90 Ofsted employees were given access to the new online system to manage and report on DBS applications while over 35,000 applicants per annum could easily and quickly undertake DBS checks (enhanced DBS checks in the majority of cases) for the child care roles they were applying for. The new system set-up was straightforward and Ofsted was up and running with all of its nominated users accessing it within a two-week period.

Ofsted was appointed one of Matrix Security Watchdog’s dedicated Client Relationship Managers, to support it through the implementation process to go-live and handover to a steady service. Ofsted received a high level of support and training including a day’s training at its office and a range of Matrix Security Watchdog’s eBulkPlus user guides and online tutorial videos.

Matrix Security Watchdog’s online eBulkPlus system upgrades periodically when changes are made to the application process by the DBS. This is beneficial to Ofsted since in-house solutions can be costly to upgrade.

Ofsted were offered a full end-to-end service from system specification and implementation to ongoing system maintenance and support. With its development team based in the UK, Matrix Security Watchdog is in a position to respond quickly to any system change requests made by Ofsted in addition to ongoing DBS legislation updates.

The results

The most significant benefit to be realised by Ofsted was the time-effective approach to administering disclosure checks, saving thousands of man-hours.

The user-friendly system design has made it easy for a wide range of users to access the system. The hiring process is now extremely faster due to a distinctly reduced DBS application process turnaround. There are no postal costs, admin staff’s time has been freed up for other projects, and stationery bill costs have been reduced.

By moving the application process to an online solution with a dedicated micro-site, user-experience and satisfaction has been significantly improved, with the online application portal making applying for a disclosure check convenient, faster, and a much more pleasurable experience.

Error rates on applications have dropped to an amazing 0.01% and the system provides instant reporting – by either downloading into Excel and sending results electronically.