DBS- how long did yours take?

[sarahc88]

hello! I've applied for my DBS on the 9th, and already it's on stage 4 of 5- Just wondering how long everybody elses took to arrive, as I've heard that they can often get stuck at stage 4 (police check) for a fair while.

Interested to know! :)

[Vikki5531]

hello! I've applied for my DBS on the 9th, and already it's on stage 4 of 5- Just wondering how long everybody elses took to arrive, as I've heard that they can often get stuck at stage 4 (police check) for a fair while. Interested to know! :)

Hi Sarah,

Mine took 3 weeks in total to receive my certificate but my Partners took a couple of weeks longer and we applied at the same time.

I think it was stuck on stage 4 for a couple of weeks xx

[joannes]

Hi Sarah,

Mine took 3 weeks in total to receive my certificate but my Partners took a couple of weeks longer and we applied at the same time.

I think it was stuck on stage 4 for a couple of weeks xx

Mine is FINALLY in the printing stage. They received mine on 14th Feb. It took 1 week to get through stages 1,2,3 and then spent 7 weeks at stage 4 so is now in its 9th week. I'm in Yorkshire and the DBS service have said that Humberside Police Force seems to be the most stretched financially and is processing them much slower than other constabularies because of staff shortage. My husbands went off 4 weeks after as he has one already that was done 8 weeks before I applied for mine but Ofsted won't accept it as I haven't clicked through their link so then had to apply for his so could be another month for him. On the plus side, his took 1 day to get through 1,2,3 so much quicker on those stages than mine. It has been painstaking, although I know other people who have had theirs back in a week. No rhyme or reason to it. Good luck!

[flipflop20]

I think it depends on if uve had one before. Both my husband and I have had them done regularly for different jobs etc both having the last one about 2yrs ago! Mine took 10days, husbands took a week!! I was quite shocked x

[joannes]

I think it depends on if uve had one before. Both my husband and I have had them done regularly for different jobs etc both having the last one about 2yrs ago! Mine took 10days, husbands took a week!! I was quite shocked x

don't think there's any sense to it. My CRB for teaching was done a year ago and my husband's DBS for his bus driving was done end of November. No criminal records or dealing with any services or authorities and two addresses each. I do think it's luck of the draw. Am hoping even though his was sent 4 weeks later that it won't take another 4 weeks to come through; would be really unlucky for us both to come within days of having it escalated through capita.

[natlou82]

Hiya, I was a lucky one, my hubby's took a week and mine about 10 days, like others have mentioned I'd had a previous one for Surestart voluntary work and my husband had a lot of background checks done when he started his job about 18 months ago. I can only assume this may have quickened the process :-)

[wee_elf]

Both mine and husbands arrived within two weeks :)

[Joan121]

hello! I've applied for my DBS on the 9th, and already it's on stage 4 of 5- Just wondering how long everybody elses took to arrive, as I've heard that they can often get stuck at stage 4 (police check) for a fair while.

Interested to know! :)

I submitted my DBS application early febuary 2015, stage 1-3 got completed within 3 weeks however it got stuck at stage 4 for months! It has been with the police for over 4 months! i have had DBS checks done in the past and they have never took so long to come back! I have been out of work due to this since feb! WE working class people have bills to pay and mouths to feed which the DBS team are not seeming to understand! the DBS check team are no help at all, every time i ring up they reply with the same answers! This is outrageous!!! i'm appalled with this service. When i ring the police, they have no information that they can provide for me, it's pathetic with the excuses they provide me with, at one point its because they're short staffed and the other they have far too many applications to handle. It has been over months going onto 5 and still no sign of my DBS check getting back to me. DBS and the police are wasting my time! absolute rubbish!!!

[Longbow]

Mine took over 4 months due to my past career (armed forces), I live in Cornwall but had to contact Thames Valley Police directly in the end who put me directly in touch with the woman who processed them, apparently they had a huge back log... funny thing is, that very afternoon she cleared it.

Unfortunately, it had taken so long from start to finish that I had since moved house, OFSTED told me that I then needed a new DBS as the address didn't match up with the address on the business...

It's a terribly bad system, badly designed, badly run and completely impracticable. As for the update service...that's yet another way of the taking money off you for no real reason!

[Pete T]

Both mine any my Wife DBS taken 2 weeks, it really depends on few items the first is how long been your current location the more the better because less history look at, the next will be they need check if on any records police and others and look see what history you have like work places etc so all that will factor in the time scale on when DBS will return.

[Alz79]

They received my application on the 18th and I received my certificate today!....hubby's is still "in process!"

[Laurajaneb]

Where do you go to get your dbs done?

[Amanda70]

Mine, my husband's and daughters took 2.1/2 months because my police force sit on them until they have no Choice but to do them because they've had them so long. All the other checks were done in two days so just the police held them up.

[Minamoo]

I completely sympathize. My dbs was applied for on 2/4/15 and still no sign.
After emailing the police ( after 60 day rule) I waited a further 10 days then called 101 asked for the police area I needed and then the DBS department. I was fortunate that the lady I spoke to was very helpful and it has appeared on the DBS checking system that it's being printed. Hope that doesn't take long :/
Finally!
Maybe something in here will help x good luck!


I submitted my DBS application early febuary 2015, stage 1-3 got completed within 3 weeks however it got stuck at stage 4 for months! It has been with the police for over 4 months! i have had DBS checks done in the past and they have never took so long to come back! I have been out of work due to this since feb! WE working class people have bills to pay and mouths to feed which the DBS team are not seeming to understand! the DBS check team are no help at all, every time i ring up they reply with the same answers! This is outrageous!!! i'm appalled with this service. When i ring the police, they have no information that they can provide for me, it's pathetic with the excuses they provide me with, at one point its because they're short staffed and the other they have far too many applications to handle. It has been over months going onto 5 and still no sign of my DBS check getting back to me. DBS and the police are wasting my time! absolute rubbish!!!