In this Project Management Recruitment Ideas, we take the next step in security checks and look at security clearance. Security checking is an area we have touched on previously on the Camel – however I wanted to go into further detail about what security clearance involves. You’ve probably seen the job advertisements that state “this job requires security clearance” or in some cases “you must be security cleared”. This latter statement is actually impossible so read on to find out why.
Security Clearance
As an individual you cannot apply for clearance personally however you may be required to be cleared for a new post. Organisations will submit you to clearance bodies such as The Defence Vetting Agency (DVA) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for a specific post – the reason for this being that some roles (especially those working in sensitive areas such as Defence, Education, Central Government, NHS etc) may require the individual to be exposed to sensitive information and/or vulnerable people.
So what do the checks involve and what are they for?
Here’s a summary of the standard checks available at present in the UK:
DV – Developed Vetting; for individuals who will have access to TOP SECRET information and assets and is the highest form of security checking available at present in the UK. To obtain this level of clearance you must first complete the SC (Security Clearance check), an extensive DV questionnaire, credit checking, reference checks and a comprehensive interview with a vetting officer. The process will also include interviews with any friends and family you propose as a character witness. To obtain DV level clearance it if often the case that you will have been a resident in the UK for at least 10 years. The DV process can feel quite intrusive – the bottom line is they need to make sure that you’re not a person with ulterior motives or someone who could be blackmailed for what you know in your line of work (what are your weak spots?)
SC – Security Check; is for those who will have regular access to secret information and assets with occasional exposure to TOP SECRET information. To obtain this level clearance you will complete the BPSS (Baseline Personal Security Standard) checks, in addition to this you will be required to undergo credit checking and UK criminal and security checks. Individuals applying for this level security clearance will normally have been resident in the UK for a minimum of 5 years.
CTC – Counter Terrorist Check; this level of clearance is aimed at individuals who will be exposed to public figures and access to commercial establishments. This level security clearance does not grant access to protectively marked information or assets. The process includes BPSS (Baseline Personal Security Standard) check and a check against national security records. To obtain such clearance you will normally have to be resident in the UK for a minimum of 3 years.
BPSS – Baseline Personal Security Standard (formally Basic Check) and EBS – Enhanced Baseline Standard (formally enhanced Basic Check); although not deemed as formal security clearances, a number of employers are taking these checks out on new employees as a matter of process. The check includes retrieval of references and screening identity documents.
CRB – Criminal Records Bureau; this level clearance is aimed at individuals who are working with children and vulnerable adults. Financial services and legal organisations also lean towards assigning these checks to posts within the organisation. The checks include disclosure of all convictions, cautions and warnings held on the Police National Computer.
Enhanced CRB – Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau; this clearance is aimed at individuals or posts which have a greater exposure to children and vulnerable adults, such as working closely with, providing care, supervising, training or taking sole responsibility for such people. The checks are the same as the CRB clearance but also involve local police force information considered relevant by Chief Police Officers.
When applying for roles requiring security clearance be prepared to be screened; checks can be personally intrusive both your family and friends will be contacted and asked to provide personal references / asked to discuss you on a personal level. Also consider that refusal for security clearance may not be directly your blame; recently a news article was published on Kevin Kennedy who found himself appointed to a new role back in 2004 having previously worked in the Civil Service for 25 years. The role was subject to security clearance which was rejected on grounds that information on a family member which had been uncovered by the police. See the article from the BBC News website.
Please note, these checks can take a number of weeks to complete which can slow down the recruitment process, making a start date later rather than sooner. However some organisations do start new employees whilst checks are underway and place employees on less sensitive work until cleared. For further information on security clearance visit the HMGCC (Her Majesty’s Government Communications Centre) website.
For information on eligibility for non UK Nationals – it is advised you contact the employer direct as there are different criteria matches required depending on the role applied for; areas such as National Security are more stringent on their necessities as vetting needs to go back a minimum of 10 years for DV and 5 years for SC clearance.
And back to that anomaly that exists on some job advertisements; “must be security cleared”. Not one person can actually apply for a job with security clearance in place because you need to be vetted by the organisation you work for. So if you have been previously security cleared you will have to be security cleared again by the new organisation you work for. Of course for employers it is a better bet if you have previously been cleared because the chances are there are no problems; these candidates may therefore be the preference when it comes to shortlisting and interviews but at the end of the day, if you are right for the job, the employer won’t let the matter of clearance stand in the way of a job offer.
If you are actively seeking work in Central Government or other organisation that require Baseline Personal Security Standard as a minimum you can speed up the clearance process by applying immediately for your CRB check (Disclosure Scotland in Scotland). It is this check in particular that can take a number of weeks to be processed. You will be asked to attach the resulting certificate to your Baseline application.