Reed Screening welcomes this decision and campaigned hard to bring about a permanent solution both through our role on the ECHO Home Office committee and our position in industry - see our post from 17th December.
The changes affect right-to-work as well as Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) processes. The digital technologies that can now be used will reduce the risk of identity fraud in sensitive employment sectors and have tangible benefits for both employers and applicants in an era when many people live significant distances from their prospective employer’s office.
The new regulations come into effect from 6th April 2022. The digital identity verification services that can be used under the regulations must have been certified against high government standards. Reed Screening has been working with IDEMIA to develop such a service and have begun the process for certification. Later in January the Home Office will announce more details on how to meet the certification requirements but we anticipate being able to offer the service to our customers by the time the regulations change.
IDEMIA provides digital identity verification technologies to governments and organisations in 180 countries. With over 30 years of experience in the field, IDEMIA’s technologies already meet the highest government standards. Last year its facial recognition technology was ranked at #1 by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The Home Office announcement is part of a wider UK government policy to enable everyday use of digital identity technologies. The digital pre-employment process will fit under a new UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework that allows digital identities to be used more generally and will reduce the complexity of managing personal data and passwords.
We look forward to participating in the new UK digital economy with our partners IDEMIA. If you would like to know more about these developments please contact corinne.peart@reed.com.