Sussex Police Face Critical Period Amid Rising DBS Check Backlog

Police leaders in Sussex have stated that the upcoming six months are “critical” for bringing the force’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check delays under control, aiming to prevent reaching a point “where you’re never going to catch up.” These background checks are a mandatory requirement for employers to inspect an individual’s criminal record, typically for roles in sectors such as care services, healthcare, teaching, and childcare. Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner was questioned about these delays by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne during their monthly performance and accountability meeting on Friday. The following details outline what has been learned about the issue and the actions being taken to address it. Despite the implementation of a recovery plan, the backlog in Sussex has increased significantly over the past six months. Figures from October reveal there are now 12,072 outstanding cases, and the average turnaround time is 92 days, which contrasts sharply with the national average of 12.2 days. Approximately 6,800 cases have been pending for over 60 days, and around 3,700 are more than 100 days old. This compares to May, when 8,541 cases were being processed with an average time of 45 days. At that time, about 3,500 cases were older than 60 days, and 849 were more than 100 days old. Jo Shiner indicated that the extended delays were partly a result of Sussex Police’s decision to prioritise the oldest outstanding applications first. She stated: “I’m very conscious of the number of people waiting for DBS checks and the impact that has on them.” Some 48% of applications are still being processed within 15 days. Ms. Shiner announced that new case management software is scheduled for introduction in April 2025. She explained that the new system, which is already in use by another force in the north of England, is expected to help Sussex Police achieve a more “efficient and effective” process. Ms. Bourne reported that a large number of individuals had contacted her regarding delays to their DBS checks, including a couple who are unable to begin fostering and a school whose new teachers cannot commence work because of the delays. She described the rise in the backlog as a “phenomenal increase” that “really concerned” her. She commented: “It’s great to hear about the software coming in in April, but that’s nearly six months away. And if in [the past] six months we can build up that many, if you do that again you’re going to be at the point where you’re never going to catch up.” Katy Bourne requested an updated plan detailing how DBS checks will be managed in Sussex between now and April. In April, the Disclosure and Barring Service provided Sussex Police with additional funding to recruit four more caseworkers to help address the delays. Mrs. Shiner noted that while five new members of staff have been recruited since April, this has been offset by the departure of five caseworkers from the team. Furthermore, two individuals have moved to specialist posts within the unit, and another staff member is on maternity leave. She added that four new caseworkers have now been recruited and are due to start in the next few weeks, but there were insufficient applications to fill the two remaining posts. These roles are currently being re-advertised. Ms. Shiner commented: “We do need fully trained staff in order to be able to do it, and that’s the challenge.” She also added: “The superintendent who runs this team has worked really, really hard to make sure that the team feels valued, that they have the right working environment, good supervision and cultural morale.” Figures indicate that demand for DBS checks in Sussex has risen rapidly in the past six months, placing additional pressure on the department. In May, applications increased by 13%, resulting in more than 500 extra cases than would otherwise have been expected. August saw an 8% rise, with 300 more cases. In September, there were 137 more cases than anticipated, representing a 3% increase. Ms. Shiner acknowledged that staff are working “incredibly hard,” undertaking overtime and processing a higher volume of checks than typically expected. She noted that in both June and July, the number of checks processed exceeded the number received. Sussex Police is collaborating closely with the Disclosure and Barring Service on its recovery plan. Some of Sussex’s DBS casework is already being outsourced to two other forces, though Ms. Shiner stated that their availability “ebbs and flows.” Ms. Bourne informed Ms. Shiner: “If we require opening up to other forces and asking a dozen other forces to help, then I’m prepared to have that conversation with you to see how we can manage that through the budget.” The Disclosure and Barring Service issued a statement saying: “Of the 52 police forces and law enforcement agencies that the DBS commissions to carry out checks on its behalf, DBS sends approximately 3 million checks each year to these forces. Overall, police performance remains strong. A small number of forces are currently experiencing delays in completing checks, including Sussex, where a number of measures have been introduced to support capacity.”