On Wednesday 27th April, First Advantage held an event at Wembley Stadium to discuss Digital Identity and how the introduction of the new UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework scheme will impact and benefit the background screening process for employers and applicants.
With speakers from the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), the Home Office and the Football Association, the topics covered included: why Digital Identity is necessary in today’s digital, connected society; how it will look and work for employers and applicants; how Digital Identity will allow for safer recruitment decisions for employers; and what the future can look like for Digital Identity in a wider, societal context.
Here are a couple of insights from two of our special guest speakers on the day:
‘The event was a great opportunity to talk about the background, aims, and objectives of the Right to Work Scheme including the Home Office commitment to continue to modernise the system of checks. I was able to reiterate that any changes to the Scheme to enable digital technology must continue to enhance the security and integrity of the checks as well as outlining how the changes we are introducing align with Government plans to Build Back Better and the Home Office’s transition to becoming ‘digital by default’ for the immigration system by the end of 2024. There was opportunity to reflect on the key challenges facing the Scheme to ensure it continues to keep pace with the changing landscape, such as embedding a formal certification process for identity providers into the Scheme. It was both refreshing and captivating to listen to the enthusiasm from employers at the event and understand specific user cases around the benefits enabling digital technology will bring to their pre-employment checking processes’.
John Harrison, The Home Office
‘DBS is proud to be the first user case to align its digital identity standards to the forthcoming DCMS Trust Framework. UK Government is now taking real ownership to regulate the identity sector, enabling private sector identity service providers to innovate and deliver customer-centric products and services. While DBS is the first, along with Home Office Right to Work and Rent policy, we can expect other sectors to follow. Meaning an identity verified for one purpose can then be used in another. We very much look forward to seeing how digital identity establishes itself within the DBS check process and will monitor its impact to DBS service users, looking to make safer recruitment decisions.’
Mark Sugden, The Disclosure and Barring Service
We also heard from The Football Association, who spoke about the real-world impacts that Digital Identity will have for the FA and their volunteers, with over 500,000 hours of volunteer time estimated to be saved each season.
Attendees included representatives from some of the UK’s largest employers, who were able to discuss the impact Digital Identity will have on their companies and how it ties into their plans for immediate and future recruitment.
Thank you to all that attended and thank you to Club Wembley for hosting what was an exciting and insightful event. If you would like to know more about Digital Identity and how it can benefit your business’s onboarding processes, get in touch.
