Asked by: Richard Shepherd (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department last reviewed the time taken by the West Midlands Constabulary to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service application.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Department receives monthly updates from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) on the time taken by police forces, including West Midlands police, to complete local police checks as part of the disclosure application process.
Asked by: Richard Shepherd (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her officials last met officials from the Department for Health to consider the effect of late Disclosure and Barring clearances on the employment of hospital and care home workers.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The DBS hold quarterly meetings with NHS Professionals, a DBS Registered Body which supports applicants from the hospital and care home sectors in making disclosure applications. No complaints have been raised by this Registered Body with
regard to delays with applications.
Asked by: Richard Shepherd (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what sanctions her Department has available to take against a Constabulary which takes over 90 working days to process a Disclosure and Barring Service application.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The agreed standard for police disclosure performance is set out in a Service Level Agreement between each force and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The standards include a requirement for forces to complete 100% of
local checks within 60 days. Where performance falls below this standard, action will be taken. The DBS will work with the force to develop and agree a recovery plan. Performance will be monitored against the plan and further
action agreed as appropriate.