New vetting guidance for police forces published by College of Policing

New and more robust vetting standards have been introduced for potential and serving police officers and staff, to ensure that only those who are suitable can join, and remain, in policing. 

The updated College of Policing guidance makes it clear that vetting is a continuous process and is the responsibility of everybody involved in policing. It strengthens the process of annual integrity and vetting reviews and reinforces the need for immediate review whenever adverse information is discovered about an individual, regardless of their length of service. 

The guidance – known as authorised professional practice (APP) – was developed following significant consultation with the public and stakeholders and will support forces to spot and respond to risks posed by individuals before they enter policing and during their time in service. It aims to bring greater national consistency to police vetting to ensure the highest standards are maintained. 

Parts of the strengthened guidance were developed to address some of the recommendations following the Casey Review, Angiolini Inquiry, and HMICFRS report which found changes were needed in police vetting to better protect the public. Many of the recommendations relate to existing guidance which was not being followed consistently, and therefore the revised APP makes these areas clearer, easier to follow, and more effective. 

Other features of the updated guidance, which will be used every day by vetting teams across England and Wales, include:  

  • An increased focus on vetting reviews – the process in which officers and staff are routinely reassessed throughout their career 
  • The introduction of mandatory, randomised re-vetting 
  • The strengthening of existing checks, particularly for roles where people have more interaction with vulnerable people, especially within domestic abuse and child protection units 
  • Further clarification that every clearance holder must have their vetting reviewed at least once a year to proactively search for any changes in circumstance or concerning information.  
  • Enhanced guidance to support the sharing of information when a person transfers to another force 
  • A new national vetting application form for all 43 forces which will replace the fragmented approach which sees different forces using different forms. 

The College of Policing, the national body for police leadership, standards and performance, has published the new guidance in collaboration with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) as part of a wider ongoing mission to transform police vetting and keep the public safe. 

Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, Director of Public Safety & Risk at the College of Policing, said: “The new guidance makes clear that it is the responsibility of everyone in policing to support the vetting process. It is vital that every single person in policing maintains the highest ethical and professional standards and acts with the utmost integrity – and vetting is a fundamental part of making that happen. 

“Chances to stop despicable offences at the hands of serving police officers have been missed, and we cannot afford to ever make those mistakes again. The College of Policing’s new vetting guidance will help raise standards and bring far greater consistency in the way police forces vet potential and serving personnel.  

“This work has only been possible through a shared commitment and collaborative working, both inside and outside of policing. We will continue to work with the NPCC and the Home Office on a wider project of vetting transformation to ensure that only the very best people are able to join and stay with the police.” 

Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vetting, said:  “We are pleased to see the publication of the revised vetting Authorised Professional Practice (APP), which is the culmination of significant collaborative work to create a practical document supporting policing in ensuring anyone entering, and remaining in the service, meets the high standards the public rightly deserve.   

“Vetting should never just be a moment in time and the revisions importantly strengthen the need for continued assessment of an individual’s suitability to hold their role in policing, empowering colleagues and management to raise concerns which could trigger re-vetting at any stage.  

“The APP is another vital piece in our continued work to create a robust and fit for the future vetting system, which ensures our officers and staff are held to the highest standards and that we can swiftly identify and remove those who do not belong in policing.” 

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “We trust police officers to keep us safe, and their conduct must be of the highest standards. Anyone who fails vetting should not be serving, and these new consistent and higher standards will ensure officers unfit to serve do not fall through the gaps.  

“Policing is doing vital work to restore trust, but we must go further. That is why this government has pledged further reform to strengthen the processes that hold officers to account.” 

Contact Information

Patrick Ford

patrick.ford@college.police.uk

Notes to editors

Additional information  

  • The new guidance focuses on supporting forces to more effectively use the vetting Code of Practice and APP.  
  • The revised APP aims to provide better guidance and clarity on vetting decision making, and contains a new section which clearly leads the reader through the process of the national decision model (NDM). 
  • The changes on decision making are in direct response to HMICFRS criticism of the quality of vetting decision making in their thematic report, and are designed to give greater support and guidance to decision makers. 
  • The vetting APP is, unlike most other APPs, accompanied by a Code of Practice making it a legal requirement for chief constables in Home Office forces in England and Wales to give ‘due regard’. The Code of Practice, which was updated in 2023, sets out the expectations of chief officers in relation to vetting, which are to be applied by police forces in England and Wales. 
  • The College published a revised vetting Code of Practice in 2023 which made it clear that, ‘if a person working in policing is unable to hold the required vetting clearance to perform their role, the force will consider an alternative suitable role with a lower level of vetting clearance. If such a role is not available or clearance cannot be granted at the lowest level, the individual will be subject to dismissal proceedings, as vetting clearance is a requirement of their role’. 
  • The dismissal of those who are unable to hold vetting clearance is not a new feature of the guidance. The first version of APP in 2017 stated that dismissal of police officers and special constables should be through the Police (Performance) Regulations. These regulations set out the ‘gross incompetence’ procedures and APP explains that they are an appropriate mechanism to dismiss those who are unable to competently perform a role in policing because they do not hold a vetting clearance.  
  • The Vetting APP 2024 enhances the guidance provided in relation to dismissal when a vetting clearance is withdrawn by setting out how the appeals process should be conducted for internal officers and staff. It establishes the need for a panel that includes an independent member and includes a template for appeal panels and a template dismissal process in the appendices. 
  • With regards to re-vetting, there already exists the provision for force vetting managers and chief constables alike to re-vet officers, particularly in the case of adverse information coming to light. 
  • It is also now a requirement that where a clearance has been declined on renewal or withdrawn following a review, that if existing internal police personnel appeal the decision it must be heard by a vetting appeal panel, with at least one panel member who is independent to policing sitting on the panel. 
  • The APP also introduces a new formalised ‘flagstone intelligence marker’ to be added to the Police National Database to mark people who exhibit unsatisfactory or concerning behaviour during the online assessment centres for new applicants, which previously would typically only have been flagged on internal systems. 
  • Many of the recommendations from the Angiolini enquiry and HMICFRS report have already been met, and other recommendations do not fall within the remit of this guidance specifically.  Separate work is being undertaken to address these recommendations. The College of Policing is working collaboratively with the NPCC and Home Office on wider transformation of the vetting process, which goes beyond this guidance.    
  • Those working in vetting will be provided further support in in delivering consistent and effective vetting as the College roll out vetting accreditation and assurance for forces. A key intention of the accreditation and assurance is to develop a standardised training programme for those working in vetting that will support them in delivering good quality vetting decisions and rationales. It provides an opportunity to focus on particular risks, offer specific training on these and provide a more standardised approach.