If you’ve recently applied for a job which needs a disclosure check, then you’ll want to get it completed as soon as possible. Many employers won’t let you start work until your DBS check is done. The government sets targets for turning around DBS checks, but their own figures show that targets are regularly missed. So just how long can you expect to wait?
Processing Times for DBS Checks
DBS checks are processed by police forces up and down the country. In Scotland and Northern Ireland there are similar checking systems, run by Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI respectively. When you submit your form online or through the post, DBS will send it on to the police force in your local area. This is where timings start to vary depending on when you live. The Metropolitan Police, covering the London area, consistently has the slowest processing times for DBS checks. with smaller forces performing better. Find out how the police in your area is performing by taking a look at the government data.
Speeding up your DBS check
If you’re fortunate enough to live in Cambridgeshire or Lincolnshire, there’s not much that you can do to speed up your DBS check. Police forces in these areas turn around checks in less than 5 working days. At the other end of the scale, in July 2018, North Y0rkshire police were taking on average 30.1 days. The Metropolitan Police wasn’t far behind with 29.4 days. There’s nothing you can do to speed up your form’s progress once it arrives at your local police force. You can however use some simple strategies to ensure your form is handled efficiently.
- Check and Double Check – many delays in the DBS system are down to user error. People don’t fill in the form correctly, make spelling mistakes, leave off important information, don’t list all their addresses – the list is endless. If your form has errors, it will be sent back to you before anyone’s looked at it. Get someone else to look at your form to try to catch errors before you send it off.
- Declare Convictions – if you know you have convictions or cautions, list these on your DBS form. Police will still check to make sure that the information you’ve given is accurate, but not listing any convictions might cause confusion.
- Sign the form and pay the fee – it sounds obvious. But if you forget to sign your form, or don’t include the correct fee with your application, it won’t get very far. Doing things online makes this easier, and you are unable to submit the application without the fee payment.
Using a Third Party Service
Lots of the delays associated with delays can be solved by using a third party to process your DBS application. We are skilled in looking for mistakes on forms, checking ID, and picking up all the other common mistakes. If your circumstances are unusual, we are also able to give specific advice. Once you receive your DBS check, think about signing up for the update service to avoid future delays.