Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce processing times for Disclosure and Barring Service checks for care workers.

As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent, responsible for the service it provides. It currently operates to formalised service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within 2 days, 85% of Standard check applications within 3 days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days.

Its latest performance against these service standards is available at DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

For applicants intending to work with vulnerable adults, the DBS provides an “Adult First” service. This is a service whereby individuals working in certain care settings are permitted to start work with adults before a DBS certificate has been obtained. This applies to adult services such as care homes, domiciliary care agencies and adult placement schemes where DBS certificates are required by law. Further information about the service can be found at DBS Adult First Terms of Use (isaadultfirst.co.uk).