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By thecheckpeople_admin
Published 3:59 pm

DBS Check Turnaround Times Based On Location

If you are hoping to start work soon and your employer has requested a DBS check, or they have taken information complete one on your behalf, you may be wondering how long you will need to wait. You would hope that the process is speedy; you want to get started at work, after all. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and the speed of a check can depend on where you live. Here is a rundown of DBS Check turnaround times based on location.

How to Fill Out a DBS Application Online

If you are an individual applying for a Basic DBS check, you can do so online. However, individuals cannot apply for either Advanced or Enhanced DBS checks themselves. This is the responsibility of the recruiting company, as there are questions on the upper-level DBS checks that demand a non-biased response, which the individual cannot legally do.

To apply online, all you need to do is search for an Online DBS Check, the Gov.uk website can direct you to the appropriate sources.

online dbs check

How Long Does A DBS Check Take?

The general rule is that a DBS check, regardless of whether it is a Basic, Advanced or Enhanced check will be returned to the applicant within four weeks as long as there are no delays regarding incorrect information or missing addresses. Most DBS checks are faster than this, and can come back within two weeks, and some are even quicker.

Which is the Fastest Area for DBS Checks?

According to a UK Government survey, the quickest places to receive a DBS check on average are Lincolnshire, Guernsey, Ministry of Defence Police, Northern Ireland and Leicestershire. Of these, the fastest response time is 0.7 days, which is held by both Lincolnshire and Guernsey.

M.O.D. Police is in third place, with 0.9 days, whereas Northern Ireland averages 1.0 days, and Leicestershire completes the top 5 with 1.2 days to receive a response for DBS checks.

If you are applying in any of these areas, you can apply for a DBS check and have it returned before you get home from picking the kids up from school the next day. This is an excellent process for those who need to start work where DBS checks are crucial to getting started.

However, you must remember that the DBS check will not come back this quickly every time, so bear that in mind while waiting for a response.

Other areas in the top 10 are:

  • The Isle of Man (1.2 days)
  • Norfolk (1.9 days)
  • Gloucestershire (2.2 days)
  • Hertfordshire (2.6 days)

Finally, DBS Scotland, which averages a check return within 2.9 days.

Where Are the Slowest Areas in the Country?

Like anything, there are also counties and areas where the check will not be as fast as you might need it to be. The worst offender in this instance is the Service Police, which takes 26.1 days to return the DBS check on average. Slightly before this is Surrey, with 20.9 days.

The rest of the bottom five includes:

  • Avon and Somerset (17.5 days)
  • North Yorkshire (17.7 days)
  • Greater Manchester (18.5 days)

While all of these are within the four-week period where a DBS check is expected to be returned during, they are all after the two-week average that most counties and areas are able to fulfil.

This could be because of a high demand, incorrect details, or generally slow proceedings. However, while this number of days is the average, you may find the check comes back sooner in some cases.

Areas for DBS check

The Rest of the List (11 – 36)

  • Dorset (3.2)
  • Jersey (3.7)
  • Wiltshere (4.6)
  • Suffolk (4.9)
  • Gwent (5.1)
  • Dyfed-Powys (5.2)
  • South Wales (5.4)
  • North Wales (5.9)
  • Cheshire (5.9)
  • Essex (6.2)
  • Bedfordshire (6.4)
  • Cambridgeshire (6.9)
  • Humberside (7.0)
  • Cleveland (7.0)
  • Lancashire (7.0)
  • British Transport Police (7.5)
  • Warwickshire (7.9)
  • West Midlands (8.0)
  • City of London (8.0)
  • Derbyshire (8.3)
  • Durham (8.3)
  • Sussex (9.1)
  • Thames Valley (9.2)
  • South Yorkshire (9.4)
  • Staffordshire (10.3)
  • Nottinghamshire (11.0)
  • Cumbria (11.2)
  • West Mercia (11.6)
  • Hampshire (11.7)
  • Merseyside (11.7)
  • Northamptonshire (12.6)
  • Kent (14.0)
  • Metropolitan (14.1)
  • Devon and Cornwall (15.0)
  • Northumbria (15.1)
  • West Yorkshire (15.1)

Final Thoughts

To ensure that your DBS check is completed and returned as quickly as possible, make sure to check out our guide to common mistakes made on online DBS checks to ensure your application runs smoothly.