When it comes to background screening checks, you want to know that you’re making the right decision for your selected check.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has released the results of their police performance for the first DBS checks of 2026. These January 2026 statistics have been reported in their ‘February’ report.
We’ve pulled our own turnaround times to give you a clear overview of how long wait times are for each type of DBS check, and what could be affecting them.
At uCheck, we firmly believe that transparency is the best policy – which is why we offer these comparisons. You may notice that, whilst our Basic and Enhanced DBS check turnaround times are significantly better than the police performance, we are lagging behind with Standard checks.
Don’t worry – we’re working to get things back on track, so we can keep on providing you the best screening services possible.
January 2026 overview of DBS check processing times
Police performance
The DBS commissions 52 police forces and enforcement agencies, which process over three million checks a year. However, several of these forces frequently experience challenges and delays, which leads to a backlog in cases.
Key police stats for January
- Average return time: 25 days
- Aged cases: Increased from 38,485 to 43,712 – mainly due to IT issues within the Hampshire force.
- 37/52 Police Disclosure Units have less than 100 aged cases – and 21 units have less than ten
- Forecast vs reality: In January, the forecasted volume of work was 14,600 above forecast. Combined with volumes from October – December means forces are around 77,000 applications above forecast.
Updates on the 11 key forces
- Bedfordshire: Delays due to vacancies and sickness.
- Cambridgeshire: Delays due to vacancies and sickness.
- Cumbria: Received 2,713 applications above forecast. Delays due to vacancies, both FTE and temporary due to sickness.
- Durham: Received 1,126 applications above forecast. Delays due to vacancies, sickness, and IT system issues requiring essential upgrades.
- Dyfed Powys: Delays due to recruitment issues and vacancies, severely impacting this small force.
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight: Delays due to IT issues and high staff turnover.
- Hertfordshire: Received 1,202 applications above forecast. Delays due to vacancies and sickness.
- Northumbria: Received 2,002 applications above forecast from April 2025 – January 2026. Application delays due to the force’s current focus on the Quality Assurance Framework compliance, and long processing times on applications with matches on the police national computer (PNC).
- North Yorkshire: Delays due to vacancies and staff vetting processes.
- Thames Valley: Delays due to the introduction of a new IT system, vacancies, and new operating procedures, leading to an increase in aged cases.
- Sussex: Delays due to heavy backlog of aged cases and vacancies, but the establishment of a Gold Group back in September has made a significant difference.
Common issues
Staff vacancies increased from 99 to 101, but there are a reported 131 staff currently in training. Several forces were also impacted heavily by staff sickness.
However, one of the most significant issues causing delays was due to ongoing issues with several IT systems across Hampshire, Thames Valley, and Durham.
Sussex – an infamously delayed force – has seen significant improvements since the introduction of their Gold Group, which has led to a 45% reduction in works in progress over the last nine months, a reduction in average turnaround times, and a 59% reduction in aged cases over 60 days.
How does uCheck compare?
In January, we received over 85,000 DBS checks, the majority of which were Enhanced DBS checks.
- Basic DBS checks: 0.5 days
- Standard DBS checks: 4.3 days
- Enhanced DBS checks: 9 days
Whilst our Basic and Enhanced DBS checks were both over 40% faster than those provided by the DBS and police forces, we’ve been experiencing unexpected delays with our Standard checks caused by a few stray outliers.
In fact, half of all our checks are completed in:
- Basic DBS checks: 7 minutes
- Standard DBS checks: 0.8 days
- Enhanced DBS checks: 2.3 days
Looking ahead
With the majority of forces engaging in new staff onboarding, combined with new systems and efficient ways of working, we’re hoping to see some reductions in turnaround time in the not-too-distant future.
And at uCheck, we’ll keep monitoring the situation closely and keep you informed on the best possible options for your business.
