When checking a candidate's address history, it's very important that you make sure all details have been provided correctly and there are no gaps or overlaps in the history provided. Candidates must provide a five-year minimum address history for all DBS checks.
The following is some guidance on what you should be checking for:
📌 Note: If you try to submit a check and get an error about the address line being too long, this could be any of the addresses provided on the candidate's address history and does not just apply to the candidate's current address.
Check that the candidate has provided a full five-year address history with no gaps.
If the candidate has provided addresses for a minimum of 5 years, there must still be no gaps in the history provided.
If the candidate has provided an address history before the 5 years and there is a gap, it is down to your discretion to either.
Remove the address after 5 years so there are no longer any gaps.
Or get the missing address from the candidate and amend the background check with the new details.
Ensure the current address matches the current address documents the candidate has provided.
Candidates often miss their flat numbers when submitting to the candidate portal. If this happens and the application is submitted without the flat number, the DBS will either raise an urgent query and then withdraw the application, or they withdraw the application without notice or query.
Address Line 1 must contain the house/flat number or name.
Address Line 2 must contain the street name.
For more complicated addresses like student accommodation or large apartment blocks, you can add the apartment block name and flat number in the first line. Then the street name in the second.
You need to ensure the first and second address lines are no longer than 32 characters long.
You can shorten words like Apartment, Street, Flat, Court to appropriate shorter representations, for example: App, ST, FL, CRT.
If Line one is too long, you can finish line one on line two, ensuring that both lines are not over the maximum character number.
Check that the county and country have been provided correctly.
Postcodes and zip codes should not be in any line of the address except for the postcode section, which includes the address history and the current address.
📌 Note: The above is guidance only and is not limited to the information provided, as you have to rely on a candidate providing all of their five-year address history and not missing out any of their previous addresses.