The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Making identity checks
The first check you should make is to confirm the identity of the candidate and establish that their identity is genuine.
You should not undertake any other checks until you are satisfied that the candidate is who they claim to be.
You can check a person's identity by requesting original copies of documents - such as passports, birth certificates and driving licences. You can also ask for copies of documents that confirm that the person lives where they claim they do – e.g. by providing a recent bank statement or utility bill with their name and address on.
Alternatively, you can use a commercial online database checking service. Whilst these checks can prove that an identity exists, they cannot prove that the identity rightfully belongs to the person using it. You should back up any electronic check by obtaining original documents to support the claim.
The HM Passport Office has introduced a number of measures to help employers check for identity fraud, including the Card Validation Service and the Passport Validation Service.
You can verify the validity of a foreign national ID card by calling the UKBA Sponsorship and Employers' Helpline on Tel 0300 123 4699.