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Police forces: handling of DBS check applications

Legislative changes that affect the way Police forces review DBS applications.

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Since mid-June there has been a number of legislative changes introduced which affect the way Police forces review DBS check applications, if these are sent to the Police for consideration. These changes, along with a seasonal increase in application volumes, are having an impact on turnaround times at some forces

Whilst the majority of forces continue to deliver applications within overall Public Service Standard (PSS) targets, there are a number who are dealing with backlogs created by these changes.

You can read our monthly statistics which show how police forces in your local area are performing.

We are working closely with forces to help them return to achieving targeted turnaround times as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this will not happen overnight and some customers may experience delays with their applications. We apologise if you do experience any delays, but please be reassured that we are working closely with the affected forces to resolve this issue.

Published 21 August 2013
Last updated 21 October 2013 + show all updates
  1. Added a link to the police performance statistics.

  2. First published.