Police vetting guidance – have your say

We're asking for feedback on our updated guidance for the vetting of all police officers, staff and volunteers.

The guidance updates follow revisions to the Code of Practice for police vetting principles in July 2023. The Code sets out the expected standards for vetting.

What’s changed

Authorised professional practice (APP) is the official source of professional practice for policing. Our police vetting APP is used every day by vetting teams across England and Wales. It has been restructured to follow the modern vetting cycle and includes:

• guidance for vetting teams on the processes and procedures they must follow to ensure their force complies with the vetting Code of Practice and delivers vetting to the highest standards
• greater support and resources to improve decision-making in police vetting, aligning to the national decision model (NDM)  
• a new standard of vetting for those within policing who work closely with the most vulnerable people in society
• details of the annual integrity and vetting review process – which replaces the existing annual integrity process – and ensuring all within policing undergo regular vetting reviews
• the introduction of a national standard vetting application form, optimised for digital use

Purpose of vetting

Vetting is used to uncover possible risks to public safety or national security. It's carried out during the recruitment process for all police officers and staff, and usually involves a series of background checks. These checks are carried out by teams in police forces and can look at things such as previous convictions, employment history, relationships, social media use and financial history.

Why we're updating our guidance

Updating our APP guidance is part of our continuing work to improve police vetting. This work aims to:

• support forces to spot and respond to unacceptable behaviour from people both before they enter policing and during their time in service
• bring national consistency to police vetting and ensure the highest standards are maintained

The updates also respond to a recommendation made by His Majesty's Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in its thematic report, An inspection of vetting, misconduct and misogyny in the police service. 

Have your say

Our consultation closes at 11:59am on Wednesday 20 March.

(Although many aspects of this APP and associated links are publicly accessible, some areas are restricted. This is due to GDPR requirements or the sensitivity of the information. Links to those specific sections are restricted to police forces and government agencies only.)