The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) process over 4 million checks every year and operate to published service standards set out here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-business-plan-2018-2019 The Home Office, as the sponsoring Department for the DBS, monitors performance to track attainment of these standards.

The Home Office has published statutory guidance to assist chief officers of police to provide the correct information for enhanced criminal record certificates. The guidance is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-disclosure-guidance

The DBS monitor and work closely with local police forces to minimise any delays to applications being processed. All police force disclosure unit performance data is published in line with DBS’ publication scheme. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-dataset-5-police-disclosure-unit-performance

Home Office officials regularly meet employers, partners within the sector and other government departments who work with employers to promote our on-line guidance and codes of practice. The published guidance contains advice on the circumstances in which employers should contact the employer checking service, for example when there is an outstanding application.

The guidance can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide.

HM Prison and Probation workforce statistics (which contains staffing figures in public sector prisons but not in privately managed prisons) are published quarterly. The figures are broken down by establishment and by prison category including male Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) for those aged 15-17. All staff working with children have to undergo an enhanced DBS check as part of the vetting process before taking up such roles. The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-september-2018

Attached are tables showing the staff numbers at YOIs and details on the numbers of those dismissed or disciplined. Values of 2 or fewer have not been included to avoid the possibility of identification of individuals and to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998.

In relation to conduct and discipline cases this meant a breakdown of the reasons behind the actions could not be provided due to the very low numbers involved. Please also note that since June 2016 HMPPS has taken over the running of Medway Secure Training Centre and 151 FTE staff transferred in. In September 2017, 59 FTE staff transferred in to the newly created Youth Custody Service.

All prison officers working in under 18 YOIs currently undergo a young person specific and child-centred Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) course. This course incorporates both the Working with Young People in Custody (WYPC) course and Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint (MMPR) training elements. The structure of the 10 week course allows learners to understand the ethos, values, morals and ethics that are integral to working with young people.

We are introducing a new Youth Justice Specialist role and are providing funding for every Prison Officer in the Youth Custody Service to undertake a distance-learning university-accredited qualification in youth justice so that they can transition them to this role. Supervising Officers will also be funded to undertake this training and transition to the new role on level transfer. All staff undertaking the qualification will be offered the opportunity to continue their study for another year to achieve a full foundation degree, fully-funded by the Youth Custody Service (YCS). There are over 300 frontline staff currently enrolled on this qualification and we will fund 250 places on this qualification per year for staff in the youth secure estate over the next four years. We intend for this to be the new standard training for frontline officers in the YCS by 2023

The Employer Checking Service has received and processed the following right to work checks from employers since April 2012.

2012/13: 55, 978

2013/14: 54, 701

2014/15: 68, 165

2015/16: 68, 409

2016/17: 94, 247

2017/18: 95, 554

April to December 2018: 43,825

This information is provisional internal management information and subject to change. The Employer Checking Service has been in place since 2008. Prior to 2012, local records and information were held on the checks processed and not recorded on a central system.

In relation to how much funding the government has spent on promoting awareness of the Employer Checking Service, the information requested is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

The Employer Checking Service has received and processed the following right to work checks from employers since April 2012.

2012/13: 55, 978

2013/14: 54, 701

2014/15: 68, 165

2015/16: 68, 409

2016/17: 94, 247

2017/18: 95, 554

April to December 2018: 43,825

This information is provisional internal management information and subject to change. The Employer Checking Service has been in place since 2008. Prior to 2012, local records and information were held on the checks processed and not recorded on a central system.

In relation to how much funding the government has spent on promoting awareness of the Employer Checking Service, the information requested is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

The Disclosure and Barring Service have not disclosed any offences under s1 of the Vagrancy Act 1898 since 29 May 2013 to 30 September 2018. The current rules governing the disclosure of offences came into force on 29 May 2013.

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The principles to be applied by chief officers in making decisions about what constitutes relevant information are set out in statutory guidance issued under section 113B(4A) of the Police Act 1997 by the Home Office. The guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452321/6_1155_HO_LW_Stat_Dis_Guide-v3.pdf

It is for the employer to decide whether an individual is suitable for any particular role. The Government does not record the employment decisions made by employers after they have undertaken a DBS check.

The principles to be applied by chief officers in making decisions about what constitutes relevant information are set out in statutory guidance issued under section 113B(4A) of the Police Act 1997 by the Home Office. The guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452321/6_1155_HO_LW_Stat_Dis_Guide-v3.pdf

It is for the employer to decide whether an individual is suitable for any particular role. The Government does not record the employment decisions made by employers after they have undertaken a DBS check.

Landlords are already expected to conduct right to rent checks on EU citizens before the start of a tenancy, as they do with all prospective tenants. EU citizens may demonstrate their right to rent using a range of specified documentation, including their national passports or identity cards.

These current arrangements will continue for the entire duration of the planned implementation period. In the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without a deal, the Government has been clear that landlords will not be expected to differentiate between EU citizens who arrived in the UK before or after March 2019.

Landlords are already expected to conduct right to rent checks on EU citizens before the start of a tenancy, as they do with all prospective tenants. EU citizens may demonstrate their right to rent using a range of specified documentation, including their national passports or identity cards.

These current arrangements will continue for the entire duration of the planned implementation period. In the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without a deal, the Government has been clear that landlords will not be expected to differentiate between EU citizens who arrived in the UK before or after March 2019.

The Government has made clear that the current arrangements for conducting checks on EU nationals, involving the use of national passports and identity cards, will not change immediately when the UK leaves the EU in March, but will continue during any implementation period.

The Home Office has engaged with a wide range of groups, including UK employers, landlords and financial service providers, on the design of the EU Settlement Scheme and the online service which will enable those granted leave under the scheme to demonstrate their status where required as part of the introduction of the future border and immigration system. We will continue to engage widely as we develop and implement other aspects of the future system.

The Home Office launched a new on-line service for employers conducting right to work checks on 6 April this year, focused initially on checks of non-EU migrants holding biometric residence permits or biometric residence cards. The online service operates on the basis of the migrant first viewing their right to work status, then consenting for the employer to see the data. Employers in receipt of a ‘share code’ provided by the applicant will see the person’s name, facial image and any information which is relevant to their right to work. During any implementation period, use of the new online service by EU citizens will be optional, but in the future border and immigration system this is intended to be the means by which they evidence their status when undergoing statutory immigration checks.

The Government has made clear that the current arrangements for conducting checks on EU nationals, involving the use of national passports and identity cards, will not change immediately when the UK leaves the EU in March, but will continue during any implementation period.

The Home Office has engaged with a wide range of groups, including UK employers, landlords and financial service providers, on the design of the EU Settlement Scheme and the online service which will enable those granted leave under the scheme to demonstrate their status where required as part of the introduction of the future border and immigration system. We will continue to engage widely as we develop and implement other aspects of the future system.

The Home Office launched a new on-line service for employers conducting right to work checks on 6 April this year, focused initially on checks of non-EU migrants holding biometric residence permits or biometric residence cards. The online service operates on the basis of the migrant first viewing their right to work status, then consenting for the employer to see the data. Employers in receipt of a ‘share code’ provided by the applicant will see the person’s name, facial image and any information which is relevant to their right to work. During any implementation period, use of the new online service by EU citizens will be optional, but in the future border and immigration system this is intended to be the means by which they evidence their status when undergoing statutory immigration checks.