Update: routes to registration as a biomedical scientist DBS checks

Further to our communication on 19th January about the requirements for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks to undertake the IBMS Certificate of Competence (Registration Training Portfolio) or Certificate of Competence by Equivalence (Biomedical Scientist) route, we are providing an update based on member feedback and detailed discussions with the Head of Education at the HCPC.

IBMS Chief Executive David Wells has provided a letter that outlines the reasons that a basic DBS check is required. The training officer or training manager must ensure that all applicants for the IBMS Certificate of Competence (Registration Training Portfolio) or Certificate of Competence by Equivalence (Biomedical Scientist) route have undertaken a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (or standard disclosure level in Scotland) as part of the application and admission process. His letter is printed in full below and can be downloaded to share with HR colleagues and Trust Managers, as required, at the bottom of the page. 

Additional information from member enquiries

How old can a DBS check be for it to be considered as current?

Members are asked to complete a basic DBS check at the point of admission to the registration portfolio and the equivalence route, whereby they have three years to collect their evidence. Therefore, we expect a DBS check to have been made within the past three years.

What are the requirements for Wales and Northern Ireland?

In Wales, the requirements are the same as in England.

In Northern Ireland, a basic check from AccessNI is required. 

Dear members,

The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), as the approved HCPC education provider for four routes to registration as a biomedical scientist, is required to ask about criminal convictions as part of the admission to its HCPC approved programmes of study. These programmes include the IBMS Certificate of Competence (registration training portfolio) and the IBMS Certificate of Competence by Equivalence (Biomedical Scientist) programmes. This HCPC mandatory requirement applies to all its regulated professions, irrespective of whether the individual registrant roles involve patient contact.

As part of the application and admission process for the IBMS Certificate of Competence and IBMS Certificate of Competence by Equivalence (Biomedical Scientist), the training officer or training manager must ensure that all applicants for these programmes have undertaken a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, or standard disclosure level in Scotland. The only exception to this would be if an employee has unsupervised patient contact. In this case, the completion of an enhanced DBS check will be a matter between the employee and employer.

All applicants must confirm with their training officer and/or training manager that a basic DBS check has been completed but please note that a copy of the DBS result should not be sent to the IBMS. As part of the admission process, the applicant will also be required to sign off the self-declaration statement on the application form: “I understand that failure to disclose full information or any deliberate misrepresentation of information can be a serious matter and will invalidate my application. I understand the need for criminal conviction assessment and, to the best of my knowledge, there is no barrier to prevent me from being eligible to register once I have met the HCPC standards of proficiency.”

After the Registration Training Portfolio has been completed and verified successfully and the IBMS Certificate of Competence or IBMS Certificate of Competence by Equivalence (Biomedical Scientist) has been issued, the HCPC will require only a self-declaration form at the point of registration as a biomedical scientist.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells
IBMS Chief Executive