Public invited to share feedback on revised vetting guidance

The public are being invited to share their feedback on the updated Vetting Authorised Professional Practice which is being revised by the College of Policing. This provides technical guidance on delivering vetting, supporting the vetting Code of Practice which sets out the expected standards for vetting and ensures all police officers and staff across England and Wales  are vetted in line with the public’s expectations, making sure that only those who meet and are able to maintain the requirements of vetting can join and continue to work in policing.  

The College is continually working to improve the standards and consistency of police vetting and this feedback is vital to ensuring our revised guidance serves its intended purpose of setting a new standard for police vetting. The revised guidance will help improve decision-making for vetting teams and support them with following the processes and procedures to ensure their force complies with the vetting Code of Practice and delivers vetting to the highest standards. 

Tom Harding, Director of Public Safety and Risk at the College of Policing, said: “It’s essential that the public are able to trust the police to carry out our duty of keeping them safe and protecting them from harm. As we work towards building this trust, we can’t allow the excellent work by our dedicated officers and staff to be undermined and damaged by those who fail to meet expectations or behave in an unacceptable way.  

“This feedback will allow us to make sure we are effectively supporting forces to identify vetting risks, which includes public safety, security and behaviours from officers and staff before they enter policing and during their time in service. 

“By setting a national standard for vetting procedures the public can be reassured that the process is robust and they can safely place their trust in us to fight crime and keep them safe.”