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Criminal record checks for engineers; in 2026 and beyond

Prospective criminal record engineer

I already have a masters degree, and unfortunately a criminal record (all spent). Since I have a degree, I can only study part time, and would like to .study civil engineering part-time at the OU, which will take eight years. 

Obviously this is a big commitment, so I'd liked to get some idea of what my prospects would be on the other side.

What are the criminal record checks like for engineers?  Because it seems that there has been an increase in firms performing enhanced DBS checks, despite not being legally entitled to.

Do all civil engineers need security clearance at some point in their careers? 

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    I have had multiple DBS checks and have an (current) Enhanced DBS as I volunteer as a STEM Ambassador.

    What you will find is that many companies perform something called a BPSS check. This involves a Basic DBS.

    My experience was that it you work on a government funded civils contract (an example being HS2), they will mandate a BPSS. If you work on other sensitive contracts, often the BPSS is the first stage, before any further security checks are performed.

    If you work with children or vulnerable people, you are certain to need an enhanced DBS.

    But yes, needing a DBS is fairly widespread in my experience.

    How much of an issue it is, especially for a spent conviction, it depends on the nature. I have heard of one case (in a completely different industry) where someone had a blemish on their enhanced DBS, but it was up to the manager to write a justification and risk assessment for why the person was still suitable. Thats probably a special case, as you need to have skills that make it worthwhile someone spending the time to do that.

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  • 0

    I have had multiple DBS checks and have an (current) Enhanced DBS as I volunteer as a STEM Ambassador.

    What you will find is that many companies perform something called a BPSS check. This involves a Basic DBS.

    My experience was that it you work on a government funded civils contract (an example being HS2), they will mandate a BPSS. If you work on other sensitive contracts, often the BPSS is the first stage, before any further security checks are performed.

    If you work with children or vulnerable people, you are certain to need an enhanced DBS.

    But yes, needing a DBS is fairly widespread in my experience.

    How much of an issue it is, especially for a spent conviction, it depends on the nature. I have heard of one case (in a completely different industry) where someone had a blemish on their enhanced DBS, but it was up to the manager to write a justification and risk assessment for why the person was still suitable. Thats probably a special case, as you need to have skills that make it worthwhile someone spending the time to do that.

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