Case Study: Plymouth University achieves faster DBS checks and boosts tuition income with GBG OnlineDisclosures

Plymouth University - Customer Case Study

Plymouth University, which runs around 3,800 annual DBS checks for courses with off‑campus placements, faced slow, paper‑based criminal record screening that caused delays, extra administration and lost enrollments (about five students a year). To address the risk of lost tuition and potential fines, Plymouth University chose GBG and its GBG OnlineDisclosures eBulk online service to replace the manual checking process.

GBG implemented an online portal (with Post Office ID validation and e‑Bulk DBS linkage), enabling batch invites, applicant self‑completion and real‑time monitoring — reducing errors, enquiries and staff workload. As a result, GBG’s solution cut processing costs by £31,000 per year, sped checks to as little as a few days, and allowed Plymouth to admit an estimated five extra students (around £135,000 in additional tuition), while requiring minimal training and providing ongoing support.

Plymouth University

Roland Monger

Admissions Manager