Across the UK, many local authorities and transport operators are currently facing significant delays in processing Enhanced DBS checks — a challenge that is having a direct impact on the delivery of essential home-to-school transport services.

For children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), these services are not optional; they are a vital part of ensuring equal access to education. Reliable, qualified and fully vetted drivers are crucial to making sure every child travels to and from school safely and comfortably.

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Why the Delays Matter

Enhanced DBS checks are mandatory for any driver working on home-to-school transport contracts. However, recent backlogs mean that many applications are taking weeks longer than usual to process.

For operators, this creates a serious operational challenge. Even when suitable drivers are available, they cannot legally start work until their DBS clearance is received. This leaves depots short-staffed, routes uncovered, and families facing uncertainty about daily transport for their children.

At a time when finding qualified drivers is already difficult, these delays can put additional pressure on both local authorities and operators to maintain service continuity.

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A Shortage of Qualified Drivers

Home-to-school transport drivers require more than just the right attitude — they often need a D1 licence (without the 101 restriction), a valid CPC qualification, and a tachograph card if they’re driving an accessible minibus. These combined requirements already limit the pool of eligible drivers, and adding DBS delays into the mix makes recruitment even tougher.

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How Driven People Helps Operators Stay Prepared

At Driven People, we support some of the UK’s largest home-to-school transport operators. We understand the importance of compliance and the need for a steady pipeline of pre-cleared, qualified drivers ready to step in when needed.

To minimise the impact of DBS delays, we continuously run Enhanced DBS checks on suitable candidates — even before specific vacancies arise. This proactive approach ensures that operators have access to a pool of compliant, experienced drivers who can cover temporary, emergency, or temp-to-perm positions at short notice.

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Supporting Essential Services

Home-to-school transport is an essential public service, particularly for SEND pupils. Operators and agencies alike share the responsibility of keeping these services running smoothly and safely.

While the current delays in Enhanced DBS processing are creating challenges, proactive workforce planning and continuous compliance checks — as we do at Driven People — can make a real difference in maintaining continuity of care and service quality.

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Get in touch with the team to find out more on how we can help support your operations today.

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