DBS check fear

Former Member

I got in trouble about 7-8 years ago. I handed in my notice at the retail shop I worked at and had to work 4 weeks and they wouldn't let me finish sooner, I was not in a good place in my life and making bad decisions. A girl I knew came in and at the til I said just take the bag no one is looking, don't know why but I did. It didn't benefit me but I thought oh well screw the shop I worked at. I haven't told anyone about this because I'm so ashamed. Someone was looking anyway and I was seen and I had a subsequent disciplinary. I remember meeting in a cafe for the meeting with the store manager and area manager. I felt awful admitted it all and apologised and got the stuff back from the girl, maybe paid some money for stuff she hadn't returned. To be honest I don't remember it well my memory is terrible. I don't remember the mention of police and don't think they were told. If they had a full confession from me could I have an informed warning and not know it? I am panicking about my dbs check as I work in the finance industry and so this could affect my employment even though was a while ago and out of character. Maybe? I don't know. If anyone has some knowledge it's appreciated. If I had any kind of police warning I surely would have spoken to an officer at some point?

Former Member

Hello,
Even when we have no reason to worry about the receipt of a DBS check, the worry will still be there regardless. It's kind of like having a specific thought process, plus the wait for a certificate to come through can cause further worry as your mind then races at a million miles per hour with the worry and anxiety.

You have a valid reason, and the worry you feel could be warranted. Only warranted though upon your reflection of the situation from 7-8 years ago, as you'd written about here.

I understand that nobody knows about this and that you feel ashamed because of it but, the truth is, we all mistakes and most of us will do things which we are not proud of at the time, leading us to feel the dreaded shame and guilt afterwards. As for the shame you feel, where do you think this comes from? As in what part of it exactly is what you feel ashamed about/with. Also, I'm actually curious as to why a meeting (if it was a formal one??)was held in a cafe, of all places?

When we go through something, an experience of some kind, we do often tend to forget parts of the situation and often these parts are the hardest to live with so our mindset is just to ignore them,in the hope that we'd just forget them, rather than be reminded of them.

If they had a confession from you and had given you a reprimand (warning) or a caution at the time, then you would have known about it and been aware of it. They are not legally allowed to give anyone a sanction of some kind without that person knowing.-nobody is allowed to be left in the dark about it. If you had been given one, then you should know about it?

For the past 7-8 years, how have you been able to work somewhere without having had a dbs done then? Or have you been working in a job where dbs' are not required?

I hope this helps, at least in some way. Feel free to keep posting here to let us know how you're getting on.

Former Member

Hey,

Popped by as I was wondering how you're getting on?