Onboarding de-identification is the removal of personal data from a new worker’s intake pack. Equality Act 2010 s.60 restricts what health questions an employer can ask before a job offer, and the pack’s DBS certificate, obtained under Part V of the Police Act 1997, carries criminal-record data governed by UK GDPR Art. 10 rather than the special-category regime in Art. 9 that covers the rest of the pack. anonym.plus does this on a local device, so the record no longer names the new starter.
When this applies
An intake pack holds the new starter’s name, ID, bank detail, an occupational assessment, and a DBS certificate. To study onboarding times or training gaps across many starters, you can anonymise it and drop the burden of both regimes at once.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the pack in anonym.plus on a local device.
- Local OCR reads scanned forms and certificates.
- It flags the starter’s name, ID, contacts, and health checks.
- Turn the reversible map off so no key is kept.
- Swap each detail for a non-reversible label.
- Save the result. The source never leaves your machine.
What you need to provide
- The intake pack (DOCX, PDF, or scan).
- Replace, with the map off for full anonymity.
- Optional language setting for Welsh or other supported tongues.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | PERSON | new starter: T. Williams → [HIRE] |
| Staff ID | ID | employee no. 30912 → [EMP_ID] |
| Identifiers | NATIONAL_ID | NI No. QQ 11 08 20 C → [ID] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | t.williams@example.nhs.uk → [EMAIL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | start 01/06/2026 → [DATE] |
| Health | PERSON | occ-health note → [HEALTH] |
Compliance achieved
- Respects the pre-offer enquiry limits in Equality Act 2010 s.60 by keeping any occupational-assessment field cleared for reuse.
- Treats a DBS certificate issued under Police Act 1997 Part V as UK GDPR Art. 10 criminal-record data, distinct from the Art. 9 special-category fields.
- True anonymity puts the result beyond the Act by Recital 26.
- On-device work keeps the intake record under your organisation’s control.
Anonymise onboarding records offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
An intake document holds rich detail, from bank records to occupational checks. Even with the name gone, a rare role on one start date can re-identify a starter. Apply the motivated-intruder test and keep no key before you call it anonymous.
Frequently asked questions
Are occupational checks and DBS certificates governed by the same rule?
No. An occupational assessment is special-category data under UK GDPR Art. 9, while a DBS certificate issued under Part V of the Police Act 1997 is criminal-offence data, governed separately by Art. 10. Both need clearing before an intake pack is reused for study, but for two different legal reasons.
Why does Equality Act 2010 s.60 matter to an intake pack?
Section 60 restricts an employer from asking about a candidate's condition or wellbeing before making a job offer, with limited exceptions such as checking someone can carry out a function intrinsic to the role. What lawfully does end up in the pack is still special-category data, so it's cleared the same way as any other Art. 9 field.
Does it read Welsh-language forms?
Yes. Multiple languages are supported, which matters for correct name and date detection on intake packs from any part of the UK.