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* Disclosure & Barring Service Corporate report MID-POINT REFRESH: DBS STRATEGY 2020 TO 2025 Updated 7 June 2023 CONTENTS * 1. Chairman’s foreword * 2. Chief Executive’s introduction *

3. Our Purpose, Vision, and strategic priorities * 4. Strategic priorities * 5. Our values and behaviours * 6. Our refreshed strategic objectives * 7. Strategic Objective One: Customer

Experience * 8. Strategic Objective Two: Technology * 9. Strategic Objective Three: Making a Difference * 10. Strategic Objective Four: Our People and Organisation * 11. Supporting our

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-2025-strategy/mid-point-refresh-dbs-strategy-2020-to-2025 1. CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) board began the

process of producing this five-year strategy during the summer of 2019. It was important to us that the strategy was ambitious and focused on both quality and people. We published the

strategy in April 2020, after co-creating our priorities and objectives from 40,000 contributions from our staff and partners. Despite the rapidly changing world around us, and the need to

re-prioritise our energy and resources to protect our people and maintain service delivery, the objectives in our strategy remained relevant. We were able to support the national COVID-19

effort, through the introduction of fast-track checks of the Barred Lists for those in specific COVID-related roles, and we delivered hundreds of thousands of these checks since the

beginning of the pandemic. Whilst we committed to refreshing our strategy halfway through its term, we recognise that we are in a very different place to where we were when we originally

produced the strategy back in 2020. So now, in 2023, we are pleased to publish this mid-point refresh, noting that we are already on-track to deliver over 90% of the deliverables within the

original strategy. We have taken account of the post-COVID environment we now live and work within, and the significant changes we have made to our ways of working as a result. We also

recognise the significant improvements we have achieved in our barring service performance, the delivery of our major projects, and the recognition we have received as the highest-rated

public service organisation for customer satisfaction, for the second time. In first producing the strategy, we wanted our objectives and their achievement to contribute to employers making

safer recruitment decisions through use of our products and services, and this fact remains. We are a safeguarding organisation. The learning we have gained over the first three years of

this strategy however, alongside the achievements we have made, put DBS in a stronger position to focus on the tangible difference we can make – not only to those who use our services, but

to those who benefit from them too. We have refined our Purpose and Vision, to encompass the contributions we make beyond recruitment, recognising the role we play in the ongoing safer

employment of those working with vulnerable groups. We have also enhanced our focus on diversity and inclusion for our people, customers, and partners, and our focus on the sustainability of

our organisation, and the services we offer, to improve the impact we can have for the communities that we serve. In line with this, while quality continues to be central to this strategy,

we have expanded upon our strategic priorities to recognise the nationwide focus on achieving the best value for money in what we do, and to highlight our focus on the wellbeing of our staff

and sustainability. Across the final two years of our strategy, we will have further opportunities to rise to the challenge of maximising the contributions we make to safeguarding. We feel

the objectives we are now setting, detailed throughout this mid-point refresh, will ensure that DBS continues to develop, thrive, and provide services and products of the highest quality. 2.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S INTRODUCTION DBS is a national organisation that undertakes an incredibly unique safeguarding role, providing significant protection to the public. Last year, we issued

7.5 million DBS certificates (up from 6 million, when this strategy was first published), and we maintain two Barred Lists that include over 88,700 people. We employ over 1,200 members of

staff to deliver these services. Quality remains at the core of what we do – in our products, in the services we provide, and in the decisions that we make. Our strategy brought further

improvements to an already well-performing organisation, modernising our services, the way we work, and how we interact with our partners. Since 2020, we have introduced new ways of working

for our people, giving them greater flexibility in how and when they deliver our services. We have introduced new technology to enhance our effectiveness, improved the quality of our

practices, and vastly improved the performance of our barring services. We have forged new partnerships with faith institutions, national sporting bodies, health and care partners, and

others, to expand awareness of what we do and make improvements for people who use our products and services. We also supported the national response to the pandemic, the Homes for Ukraine

scheme, and we reduced the cost of our primary disclosure (DBS check) products by an average of 16%, despite the rise in inflation. This mid-point refresh of our strategy maintains our

commitment to make tangible improvements to our public services. Over the next two years, we will continue to improve the way these services are accessed, the speed and efficiency of our

processes, and we will make better use of technology to enhance what we do, and how we do it. In 2023, our new barring portal will become fully operational, making it easier to use for

people making a barring referral, and enhancing the quality of information we use in our barring decisions. We will digitise our DBS check applications and certificates, and bring

enhancements to our Update Service, whilst continuing partnership working with Registered Bodies (RBs) and Responsible Organisations (ROs), the police, and other stakeholders. We will embed

our new value for money framework across DBS, optimising the efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and economy in everything that we do, and we will adapt to changes in legislation, to support

the rehabilitation of offenders. We are going to replace some of the legacy systems for our staff to optimise our capabilities and continue to find ways to further enhance our

sustainability. We will continue to build on the work with our partners, both strategically and operationally, to make recruitment and employment safer, with a more inclusive and diverse

workforce to improve our performance. I will continue to focus my efforts to ensure we deliver our strategy over the remaining two years on behalf of the board, our workforce, and the

public. 3. OUR PURPOSE, VISION, AND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES In this mid-point refresh of our 2020-25 strategy, we have refined our Purpose and Vision to better reflect our intentions. 3.1 OUR

PURPOSE Protecting the public by helping employers make safer recruitment and employment decisions, and by barring individuals who pose a risk to vulnerable people. 3.2 OUR VISION We will

make recruitment and employment safer, by being a visible, trusted, and influential organisation. We will provide an outstanding quality of service to all of our customers and partners. Our

people will understand the important contributions they make to safeguarding and feel proud to work within an inclusive and increasingly diverse organisation. When we launched our strategy

in 2020, we identified three strategic priorities to support our Vision. We prioritised Quality, People, and Profile, developed from the feedback we received across the organisation. We then

created two strategic objectives for each priority, and over sixty tangible deliverables, 90% of which we are already on target to deliver. With the progress we have made over the past

three years, and the learning gained through enhanced engagement with our customers, partners, and staff, we have been able to strengthen our Vision and place a refined focus on the outcomes

we intend to achieve. 3.3 OUTCOMES The achievement of our Vision will be demonstrated by the delivery of 6 outcomes. Aligning to the approach of other government departments and our

sponsor, the Home Office, these will form the basis of DBS’ first Outcomes Framework delivery plan. OUTCOME 1: AN OUTSTANDING QUALITY OF SERVICE – TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMER AND PARTNERS OUTCOME

2: A VISIBLE ROLE IN SAFEGUARDING – FOR EMPLOYERS AND THE PUBLIC OUTCOME 3: TRUST AND INFLUENCE WITHIN SAFEGUARDING LANDSCAPE – MAKING RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SAFER OUTCOME 4: OUR PEOPLE

UNDERSTAND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS – TOWARDS THE SAFEGUARDING OF VULNERABLE GROUPS IN OUR SOCIETY OUTCOME 5: INCLUSIVE AND INCREASED DIVERSITY – IN ACCESS TO OUR SERVICES, ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR

CUSTOMERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, AND IN OUR PRACTICE AND OPERATIONS OUTCOME 6: PRIDE IN DBS – FROM THOSE WHO WORK FOR US AND WITH US Our outcomes framework will provide further detail on how we

will apply these outcomes to each of our strategic objectives and how we will measure our progress towards delivering against them. This will be published shortly after this mid-point

refresh of our strategy. 4. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Our strategic priorities capture the core themes that underpin everything that we do and cut across all of our strategic objectives. The

priorities carry tangible deliverables to ensure that we retain focus and momentum on activities that make a difference for the whole of DBS, as well as our partners and stakeholders. 4.1

QUALITY We will deliver the highest possible quality of products and services, to the highest standard of practice and integrity. 4.2 VALUE FOR MONEY We will achieve optimal value from how

we work, where we work, and who we work with, for our customers and stakeholders. 4.3 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION We will increase the diversity of our workforce, of the representation in our

decision making and service offering, and the inclusiveness of our operations and the services we provide. 4.4 SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING We will look towards increased sustainability in

the improvement of our products and services, and enhanced focus on the wellbeing of our people and customers. During the first three years of our strategy, the activities which supported

delivery of these priorities, and other specific areas of focus, such as our approach to partnerships and RBs, were captured in nine individual strategic plans. As part of this mid-point

refresh of our strategy, we have consolidated the remaining elements of these plans, within our four new strategic objectives. However, we maintain a specific focus on our priorities of

quality, value for money, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability and wellbeing. QUALITY We will deliver the highest possible quality of products and services, to the highest standard of

practice and integrity. That is the focus of this strategy and all four of our strategic objectives are aimed at increasing the quality of what we do, and ensuring we are contributing

towards safeguarding the public. Safeguarding means both helping employers make safer recruitment and employment decisions, reducing the risk to vulnerable groups including children, and

ensuring that criminal records disclosure supports individuals’ rights to rehabilitation. For this reason, we are committed to providing accurate, accessible, high-quality services for our

customers. This includes employers, DBS check applicants, and individuals that have been referred to DBS in order for a barring decision to be made. The DBS Safeguarding and Quality charter,

published in 2021, sets out the core principles of our approach to quality and remains the ‘golden thread’ that runs through all DBS activities, including this strategy. Once developed, the

DBS outcomes framework will seek to measure the quantitative and qualitative difference we are making in relation to the principles set out in the charter. The Quality, Finance, and

Performance Committee provides oversight and assurance of our quality agenda. VALUE FOR MONEY We are introducing a new value for money framework in 2023, which will enable us to achieve

optimal value from how we work, where we work, and who we work with. The framework reflects the approach taken by the National Audit Office, which monitors government spending, and looks at

the inputs (activity), outputs (results), and outcomes (the difference made to customers and the wider public). The framework also focuses on the ‘four Es’ as detailed below: ECONOMY

Minimising the cost of resources used while having a regard to quality – ‘spending less’ EQUITY The extent to which services are available to and reach all people that they are intended to –

‘spending fairly’ EFFICIENCY The relationship between the output from goods or services and the resources to produce them – ‘spending well’ EFFECTIVENESS The relationship between the

intended and actual results of public spending (outcomes) – ‘spending wisely’ The framework will align with the planned DBS outcomes framework which will set out a range of measures relating

to DBS’ performance and impact. This plan will incorporate the existing key performance indicators (KPIs) set out in our annual business plan, including our published service standards

about the quality and speed of DBS checks, and of our barring decisions. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of our strategy and we have enhanced our Vision

and values to reflect this. We plan to improve the diversity of our workforce, of the representation in our decision making and service offering, and the inclusiveness of our operations and

the services we provide. During the first three years of our strategy, we established a dedicated team to drive and support delivery of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within DBS.

We introduced a board apprentice scheme for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and developed and launched a DBS accessibility policy to maximise accessibility of communications,

systems, and processes. We also developed links with other government departments on EDI issues, published our EDI charter, created and embedded Strategic Leaderships Team (SLT) champions

for protected characteristics, and launched an EDI network within DBS. Key elements of the strategy between now and 2025 include reviewing our procedures and systems to make the customer

application process more accessible and inclusive, and developing a process so that customers with additional needs can nominate a third party to act on their behalf in interactions with

DBS. We also plan to further step up our programme of work to recruit staff from a wider range of backgrounds and will, through the DBS Academy, support current staff to develop their

careers, with a particular focus on underrepresented groups. Our existing annual KPIs relating to the percentage of staff from an ethnic minority background will be extended to a further

suite of local KPIs as part of the outcomes framework. This will help to track our progress at a more granular and local level within DBS including measuring the percentage of staff

declaring that they are LGBTQ+ or disabled. We will undertake diversity reviews at board, SLT, and other management levels. This will enable us to understand the diversity in representation

we have in our decision-making structures, and explore opportunities that may exist to improve this. In relation to inclusive and accessible services for our customers, we undertake research

via surveys and by seeking feedback from customer groups and organisations on individual DBS services or topics. In 2023-24, we will be doing further work in this area, including the

analysis of existing data to support our inclusion agenda. SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING We will look towards increased sustainability in the improvement of our products and services, and

enhanced focus on the wellbeing of our people and customers. By 2025, we want to be recognised as an example of how organisations should achieve sustainability goals, by other government

departments, private organisations, and across communities. During the first three years of our strategy, we have made good progress. Our Green strategic plan has seen a significant

reduction in our carbon footprint, through our move to remote working, a reduction in travel, and adoption of virtual meetings. We have also seen a reduction in printing and the associated

use of resources, and a move towards electronic scanning of barring records. Future developments include the recruitment of a specialist sustainability manager to shape and deliver future

activities. Staff wellbeing is an important element of our overall performance, so DBS aims to develop a best-in-class wellbeing offering, fully embedded across the organisation via five key

themes: physical, emotional, financial, social, and accessible and connected. This will help our people optimise their health and wellbeing, resulting in a working environment where

individuals thrive, and the organisation succeeds. We have funded flu jabs to reduce illness, introduced a wellbeing ‘passport’, and provided financial wellbeing support including dental

plans and staff discounts. We started the development of our menopause policy, embedded our network of wellbeing advocates and our ‘Just Ask’ advisory group of disabled staff, as well as

signposting staff to mental health and carers’ support. Our plans now include further staff engagement activity to build staff awareness and access to wellbeing support, enhanced mental

health first aid and support measures, and an external review of our Transgender and Gender Identity policy for staff. 5. OUR VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS Our original values and behaviours remain

at the core of what we do, however we have enhanced our commitments and elevated our aspirations to further improve diversity and inclusion in our work. 5.1 WE PURSUE EXCELLENCE We challenge

ourselves to be creative and explore new ways of working so that we can provide the best possible service to our customers. We always seek to produce our best quality work, consistently and

accurately. 5.2 WE WORK TOGETHER We collaborate, we actively listen, learn, and share information with our colleagues throughout DBS and with external partners. We respect and value

everyone, and we recognise and appreciate each other’s efforts. We are transparent, and we communicate clearly, openly, and with transparency in all of our interactions at work. 5.3 WE ACT

WITH INTEGRITY We are accountable, we take responsibility for our actions and decisions, and follow through on our promises. We make sure that we treat all of our colleagues fairly. We

behave with professionalism, seeking to do the right thing. We are customer-focused, putting the needs of our customers first in all of our actions at work, making sure that we deliver the

best possible service for them. 5.4 WE EMBRACE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION We actively create conditions for diversity of representation, diversity of thought, and diversity of experience, to

constructively challenge our thinking and the choices we make. We look through the eyes of others in the decisions that we take and the products and services we offer, to maximise the

accessibility of opportunity, our organisation, and the work we do. 6. OUR REFRESHED STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES In 2020, we set out six objectives we would focus our efforts on achieving. We are

on track to deliver over 90% of the activities under those objectives, so have now concentrated our focus on a new set of four strategic objectives for the remaining two years of this

strategy. 7. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE ONE: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE We will provide increased reliability, consistency, timeliness, and accessibility of service for our customers, increasing quality

and value for public money. 7.1 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Over the first three years of our strategy, we progressed changes needed to be compliant with future safeguarding legislation, improved

the quality and inclusivity of our existing products and services, and we mapped out future service improvements. We commenced the embedding of our Safeguarding and Quality charter, and EDI

charter in our work, by improving our approach to quality and the accessibility of our services. To support future service improvements, we established an innovation framework for DBS, as

well as a plan of research and horizon-scanning activities. We will continue to focus on the needs of our customers and stakeholders, making our products and services as effective and

efficient as possible, maximising the value we provide and maintaining excellence in customer service. 7.2 HOW WILL WE DO IT? IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION WE RECEIVE AND SEND We will

strengthen our outward-facing policies and procedures for RBs and ROs. We will increase automation and reduce manual matching of people’s information with Police National Computer (PNC)

records, to improve quality and consistency which will in turn enable additional capacity for service improvement, accessibility, and assurance. We will develop detailed plans to address

accessibility issues for our customers. CUSTOMERS WILL MORE EASILY RESOLVE ENQUIRIES, ACCESS GUIDANCE AND ADVICE WE WILL INCREASE THE ABILITY TO RESOLVE ENQUIRIES VIA OUR WEBSITE. WE WILL

INCREASE THE FUNCTIONALITY OF SELF-SERVE SUPPORT FOR CUSTOMERS TO ACCESS AT ANY TIME THEY NEED IT. WE WILL INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND REFINE OUR RANGE OF GUIDANCE AND ADVICE. OPTIMISED

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DESIGNED AROUND CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS We will listen to our customers and optimise our product range. We will be digital by default, whilst remaining focused on increasing

accessibility for all. We will reduce manual interventions in our operations and seek to develop new product options based on what customers tell us they want. BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

FROM EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY WE WILL BROADEN AND DEEPEN STAFF UNDERSTANDING OF THE SAFEGUARDING AND QUALITY CHARTER TO ENSURE THAT MANAGERS AND TEAMS KNOW HOW THEIR WORK

CONTRIBUTES TO IT. WE WILL INTEGRATE VALUE FOR MONEY METRICS INTO THE DBS OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK, TO DEMONSTRATE VALUE IN THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE. WE WILL DRIVE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR

WAYS OF ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. GREATER ACCESSIBILITY AND EASE OF USE OF OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES We will change our systems and processes to make the disclosure

application route more accessible and inclusive. We will create a new policy to enable customers to nominate a third party to act on their behalf. Our new outcomes framework will articulate

how we will know when we have succeeded in achieving these deliverables and this strategic objective. 8. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE TWO: TECHNOLOGY We will drive efficiencies and value for money

across DBS and foster a culture of innovation through a modern, stable, secure, and accessible technology estate. 8.1 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? In the first three years of our strategy, we

focused on maintaining and enhancing our existing technology. It was critical that we replaced and stabilised our legacy estate, while building capability to progress modernisation of our

digital services (with a focus on moving towards paperless applications and digital certificates), and ensuring we had the technology tools we needed to be an efficient organisation. This

started with a wholescale transfer of our services to a new operating model and relentless efforts to upgrade our systems whilst maintaining effective performance of our services. Our

approach has enabled us to deploy technology solutions supporting COVID-19 fast-track checks of the Barred Lists, the application of new filtering rules and supporting the Homes for Ukraine

scheme. This was in addition to delivery of our technology roadmap, including the ongoing implementation of paperless applications for Standard, Enhanced and Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS

checks. We need to build upon this momentum and drive efficiency and value, whilst innovating and modernising what we do and how we do it. 8.2 HOW WILL WE DO IT? NEW CUSTOMER FACING

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES We will introduce a new live and accessible digital Standard and Enhanced applications service available for rollout to Registered Bodies. We will provide our customers

with a new live and accessible digital online results service. We will offer an improved and more accessible DBS check update and subscription service. DATA WILL DRIVE INSIGHT AND

INTELLIGENCE IN OUR BUSINESS We will improve data quality and decision making by completing data mapping and assigning ownership of all DBS data. We will implement tactical improvements to

the PLX Algorithm which compares individuals’ information against police databases and migrating our automated check processes to a new and more accessible cloud solution. We will implement

a new strategic data integration hub, as well as establish a new data management practice. NEW TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES TO SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE AND OUR EFFICIENCY We will implement new business

services solutions and training and development for our staff. We will improve our security tooling and services. We will establish a new customer relationship management (CRM) product team

and develop plans to replace our legacy CRM solutions. REALISE FURTHER VALUE, INNOVATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY We will decommission redundant software applications and infrastructure. We will

finalise internal product and service owner roles so that we can better maintain, refine, and develop the products and service we offer to members of the public, employers, and the other

organisations we work with. 9. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE THREE: MAKING A DIFFERENCE We will strengthen our reputation as a recognised and trusted provider of public services, and as a source of

specialist expertise who actively contributes to safeguarding across the communities we serve. 9.1 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Over the first 3 years of our strategy, we placed a greater emphasis

on safeguarding and the impact our services have in supporting vulnerable people. We focused on being recognised as a professional and trusted organisation. We launched our EDI charter,

strengthened our capability to deliver marketing and business development activity, widened our social media communication channels, introduced the DBS Employee Engagement Forum, and

completed our new employee engagement survey. We also aligned our communications planning to the government functional standards for communication and started to review and refine our online

content to ensure it is streamlined and accessible for all customer groups. Last year, we embedded a more effective model for supplier management and compliance to support effective and

efficient delivery of our services. We also moved to an increasingly outcomes-focused planning model, to better demonstrate how we contribute to safeguarding objectives. We need to continue

to build on what we have achieved, to optimise the reach and impact that our organisation and our products and services offer. 9.2 HOW WILL WE DO IT? NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS We

will develop an extended suite of external campaigns, focused on the duty to refer for barring and optimal utilisation of our disclosure products, across identified key sectors. We will

engage and seek to partner with organisations and influencers that link to the rehabilitation of offenders and supporting product development required to increase employment for

ex-offenders. NATIONAL AND LOCAL COLLABORATION WITH FORMAL SAFEGUARDING BODIES We will deliver changes required by any new legislation or policy, such as to the rehabilitation periods within

the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. We will implement a stakeholder tracking and evaluation framework for our work with

external partners. We will enhance our information sharing practices to strengthen our approach to collaboration and dissemination of our learning and insight. GREATER AWARENESS OF OUR

STATUTORY FUNCTIONS We will seek to agree a model of working across all relevant local authorities where we provide barring services, to ensure timely and effective information sharing that

enhances our capability to safeguard the public. We will develop cross-sector processes to strengthen our ability to hold organisations to account for their duty to refer for barring and

providing the information required to consider barring decisions. 10. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FOUR: OUR PEOPLE AND ORGANISATION We will make DBS a modern workplace, with a talented and diverse

workforce who are empowered to do their jobs and to fulfil their public duty. 10.1 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? In the first 3 years of our strategy, we concentrated on the development of the DBS

Academy in our effort to move towards becoming an exemplar organisation, produced an action plan to act on the findings of our 2021-22 employee engagement survey, and continued to deliver

the commitments in our EDI strategic plan. We delivered year two of the Wellbeing strategic plan, promoted initiatives that benefit our local communities through the use of volunteer days,

and established a joint network to support the maturing of EDI at DBS. We reduced our carbon footprint through such measures as our move to more remote working, reduced printing, reduced

travel and considering electronic scanning of barring records. Building on what we’ve achieved and taking account of how the ‘world of work’ has changed in the last 3 years, we have

developed a vision for the future of work and need to deliver this to grasp both the opportunities this provides, but also the value and efficiency we need to achieve for a high performing

public service. 10.2 HOW WILL WE DO IT? AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR We will improve flexible working arrangements for all staff, which will in turn provide a greater balance

of personalisation for our people and effectiveness for our organisation. We will seek external recognition, accreditation, and awards to attract and retain talent. We will develop

opportunities for greater flexibility in the benefits available to our people. IMPROVED DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION We will implement an enhanced programme of EDI training for all managers and

staff. We will explore opportunities to promote the contributions of under-represented groups in the development of our practices, and the products and services we offer. We will have a more

effective approach to developing our staff skills and capability that also focuses on under-represented staff groups, through measures such as expanding workforce planning to include

critical post analysis and succession planning. We will also implement a range of purpose-built recruitment and development programmes including apprenticeships. STAFF REWARD AND RECOGNITION

We will further develop measures to ensure that staff are appropriately rewarded and fairly recognised for their achievements. We will develop our ‘total reward’ approach and provide staff

with the right information to make informed choices. WORKPLACES FOR THE FUTURE We will explore the options available for the most appropriate, effective, and efficient working environments

for our business and our people. We will identify new ways to increase our sustainability, reduce our carbon footprint, and better contribute towards supporting the communities where we live

and work. STANDARDS AND PRACTICES We will continue to align with cross government standards, and work with the Home Office to deliver upon the arm’s length body review of DBS. 11.

SUPPORTING OUR STRATEGY 11.1 GOVERNANCE The DBS board will continue to oversee the delivery of this strategy and will work closely with the Home Office in doing so. The board has enhanced

its committee structure, with the introduction of its Change Management and People committees, which will continue to meet regularly, along with its Quality, Finance & Performance, Audit

and Risk, and Remuneration committees, to assure the strategy’s progress. Similar enhancements have been made at executive level, with the introduction of our Strategic Plans Oversight

Group, People Steering Group, and Associate Director Group 11.2 INCREASED CONNECTIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT We have further enhanced the capabilities to empower and engage with our staff. We have

our employee-led forum, our EDI network, a quality assurance framework that provides quality walk-arounds and better communication, and direct engagement channels for our staff to utilise.

11.3 FINANCE AND FUNDING We are funded by the fees generated from our disclosure products (DBS checks). Our income is dependent upon the volumes of applications for DBS checks and Update

Service subscriptions received each year. Fees for Basic, Standard, Enhanced, and Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS checks, and the Update Service, allow volunteer applications to be

processed free-of-charge. The fee income generated from checks also funds our barring operation. We will continue to set a budget within each annual business plan, which will include the

costs for delivery of this strategy. Over the period of the plan, we will regularly review our fees to ensure that our costs are aligned, and that we are adhering to the principles of

Managing Public Money, as well as the additional scrutiny we will apply with our new value for money framework. 11.4 REPORTING ON DELIVERY In each year’s business plan, the board will agree

a set of targets and measures to monitor our progress in delivering the strategy. We will report our progress through our annual report and accounts. Both our publications will be available

through our website. 11.5 CONCLUSION This mid-point refresh of the DBS strategy remains ambitious and focused on quality and safeguarding. It refines our Purpose, Vision, and strategic

priorities and objectives, alongside how we will behave and the values we embody. It continues to set out what we want to achieve in order to improve the quality of our products and

services, and the range of actions we will take to deliver this. The remaining two years of our strategy will be a journey of continuous improvement and will see further significant and

positive change. We will continue to look to the future and ensure that we never fall behind. Our ultimate aim continues to be to enable employers to make safer recruitment and employment

decisions. We look forward to working with our staff, our partners, and the public to ensure that DBS continues to play its role in this important safeguarding arena. Back to top