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Viewing Pinpoint background check results

Written by Emilia Carvell

When a background check is ordered through Pinpoint, you can review the results directly from the candidate's application. Reports are available to be downloaded as soon as any of the checks within the order have completed.

For some checks in the UK, certain information such as certificate numbers, identity verification outcomes, are also now surfaced in the order drawer.


Where to find a candidate's background check results

  1. Open the candidate's profile from any job application.

  2. Select the Background checks tab from the application's left-hand menu.

  3. You'll see a list of every background check order for that candidate. Click an order’s ID to open the order drawer.


What's in the order drawer

The order drawer has two tabs:

  • Results — decision for the checks in this order, background check reports, a list of checks, and if available the results data grouped into expandable sections.

  • Order details — details about the order itself: the Pinpoint Order ID, who ordered it, when, and details of the checks provider’s case.

The drawer header shows the order ID alongside an order status tag, so you can see at a glance whether the order is still in flight, awaiting review, or complete.


Reviewing results in the Results tab

The Results tab groups data into collapsing sections. Sections are expanded by default so you can scan everything in a single view. The content of each section depends on what was ordered.

Basic and Enhanced DBS

For DBS checks, you'll see:

  • Date issued

  • Certificate number

  • Level of check (Basic or Enhanced)

  • Performed by

Identity document information

  • ID document type (e.g. Passport or Driving License)

  • Document number

  • Issuing country

  • Document expiry

  • Document address

  • GPG45 identity profile — the GPG45 profile reference (e.g. H2A2) and the overall confidence level.

  • GPG45 scores — individual scores for strength, validity, verification, activity history, and identity fraud, plus a separate sub-section of scores for any secondary corroborating document the candidate provided.

UK Right to Work

For UK Right to Work checks, you'll see:

  • A downloadable Right to Work certificate containing the identity document images that were verified during the check

Results data for other check types aren’t currently supported, but may become available in the future.


Reviewing order and case details

The Order details tab is where everything about the order itself now lives.

  • Order ID and Case ID (see the FAQ below for the difference between the two)

  • Ordered by — the user who placed the order, and the date it was placed


Tracking order status as checks progress

A background check order moves through several states between being ordered and being complete. While checks are still in progress, you'll see a callout at the top of the Results tab letting you know that the data shown may still change as outstanding checks finish.

The order status tag in the drawer header reflects the current state of the overall order.

  • In progress — the candidate has submitted their information and the provider is running the checks.

  • Action required — something needs your attention before the order can move forward. For example, one or more checks have been cancelled.

  • Complete (Review) — all checks in the order have finished, with at least one check requiring review

  • Complete (Clear) — all checks in the order have completed, with result clear for all results

When new results land or the status changes, you'll receive a notification telling you which candidate the update is for and what's changed.

Tracking check statuses

Checks have their own individual statuses and results, separate from the overall order. A full list of possible statuses and results are explained below.

Statuses

Status

Description

Awaiting applicant submission

Waiting on the candidate to submit their details

Applicant action required

Action needed from the candidate

Pending fulfillment

Ready to fulfil by a provider

In progress

Being fulfilled by the provider

Submitted to source

Submitted to provider, awaiting result

Client action required

Action needed from the employer

Manual review source

Provider doing manual review

Pending quality review

Awaiting the provider’s compliance/quality review decision

In quality review

The provider’s compliance/quality review is in progress

Cancelled

Cancelled (by itself, or because the case was cancelled/declined by the employer, or the applicant)

Complete

Done, result ready for review

In dispute

The candidate has disputed the result

Superseded

The check has been replaced by a newer check in the order

Results

Result

Description

Clear

Check completed with no issues

Review

Check completed; results may need review (for example visa flags, "consider" indicators)

Restricted

Results are restricted by the provider and not viewable

Not applicable

Result doesn't apply to this check type

Reject

Results did not meet client-defined criteria

More detailed information may be made available in the future.


Recording your decision on an order

Once all checks are complete, you can record your decision so the rest of the team knows the outcome of the checks. Decisions available are:

  • Passed

  • Failed

  • Not applicable

Recording a decision moves the order into the ‘Decided’ tab on the ‘Checks’ page

Until a decision is recorded, the order is treated as still requiring action.


FAQs

What's the difference between order status, case status, and check status?

These three things sound similar but each describes something slightly different:

  • Order status is Pinpoint's view of the overall order. It's what's shown on the status tag in the drawer header and on the Checks page. Pinpoint derives it from the underlying case state at the provider.

  • Case status is the provider's (for example Certn) view of the same order. A single order in Pinpoint may contain 1 "case" in Certn, so the order status and case status will usually mirror each other. The case status will typically be more specific than the order status in Pinpoint.

  • Check status is the state of each individual check inside the case. A case typically contains several checks, and each one progresses through its own status as the provider runs it. The overall order isn't considered complete until every check inside it has finished.

What's the difference between order ID and case ID?

  • The order ID is Pinpoint's identifier for the order. It's what you'll see in the drawer header, on the Checks dashboard, and in any in-app notification. Use this when discussing an order internally or referencing it in your own systems.

  • The case ID is the provider's identifier for the same order, and (for Certn) usually starts with CASE_. You'll find it in the Order details tab. If you ever need to raise a support query, you may be asked to provide this ID.

Why don't I see results for some checks in the order?

If a check is still in progress at the provider, no results will appear for it yet. Also, structure results data is not available for all types of checks yet.

If some checks have not completed yet, you'll see a callout at the top of the Results tab telling you that some checks are still outstanding.

Why am I seeing an error message instead of results?

Results are loaded directly from the provider each time you open the drawer, so the latest data is always shown. If the provider's service is temporarily unavailable, you'll see an error message instead of the data. Close and re-open the drawer in a few minutes to try again.

Can I download a full PDF report of the checks?

Yes. A full PDF report is generated by the provider once the order is complete and can be downloaded from the order drawer. The PDF is the official record of the check and is what you'd typically store for your own audit purposes.

Can I re-order a check for the same candidate?

Yes. If a candidate needs a new check — for example, because an earlier result has expired or you'd like to refresh the data — you can place a new order from the candidate's Background checks tab. The previous order remains visible alongside the new one, so you keep a complete history.

Who can view background check results?

Only users in your account who have been granted the relevant permission, View the results of Pinpoint background checks, can view check results. If a colleague can't see background checks, ask an admin to review their permissions on the User Management page.


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