DBS Checks Temporarily Paused as Church in Wales Migrates to New Provider

The Church in Wales has temporarily paused all DBS checks while in order to transition to a new and enhanced processing system operated by Verifile, a provider with advanced cybersecurity credentials.

This migration follows a data breach at APCS, which affected personal data submitted for DBS checks between December 2024 and May 2025. All affected individuals have been contacted directly, and the incident was reported to both the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Charity Commission. Twelve months of credit and web monitoring is being provided to those affected.

In response to the breach, the Church in Wales is strengthening its data protection measures by moving all DBS processing to Verifile. The Verifile system requires job roles to be uploaded and a process of approving descriptors to the roles agreed by Diocesan Secretaries is underway. The deadline for responses is 31 October 2025.

The Provincial Safeguarding Team is currently working closely with Verifile to ensure a smooth onboarding process and to address any queries as they arise.

Individuals affected by the APCS data breach will be notified of the migration to Verifile, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to protecting personal information.

During this transition, all DBS checks are temporarily paused until the migration is complete and the new Verifile platform is fully tested. As part of this pause, the “Initiate DBS Check” function in MyChurchPeople (MCP) has been temporarily disabled. This pause is anticipated to last a maximum of two weeks. Please do not attempt to initiate any new DBS applications until further notice.

Any links previously issued for starting DBS applications via MCP are now invalid. Once the new system is live, new application links will be provided.

Those with applications in progress will be asked to resubmit their details via Verifile. Data held by APCS will be securely deleted during migration. The Church in Wales only retains confirmation of DBS status and expiry date for safeguarding records.

All applicants, regardless of their stage in the process, will receive direct communication outlining the next steps once the new platform is operational.

For updates and FAQs on the APCS data breach, please visit: APCS Data Breach FAQ.

For questions about the migration or support with the new DBS system, please contact the DBS Admin mailbox: mychurchpeople@cinw.org.uk.