Security Clearance - Our guide
1. What is Security
Clearance?
Personnel Security vetting is undertaken in order that
individuals may undertake certain jobs or carry out tasks that
require a national security clearance. These roles and tasks are
located throughout the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, as
well as in the private sector dealing with defence related work. In
addition to this, a number of other government departments and
organisations require Security Clearance for roles
within their organisation or projects. According to the MoD “A
security clearance provides a certain level of assurance at a point
in time, as to an individual’s suitability to have trusted access
to sensitive information” Clearance does not provide a guarantee of
future reliability and therefore all security clearances are kept
under review to ensure that the relevant level of assurance is
maintained.
The clearance levels are processed by the following Government
agencies:
- Defence Vetting Agency (DVA)
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
- Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
2. Why is vetting necessary?
The UK needs a security system to protect against threats from
hostile intelligence services, terrorists and other pressure
groups. Vetting ensures that anyone who goes through the process
can be trusted with sensitive government information or
property.
3. Who is affected?
The system applies to individuals whose employment involves
access to sensitive Government assets, Crown servants, members of
the security and intelligence agencies; members of the armed
forces; the police; employees of certain other non-government
organisations that are obliged to comply with the Government’s
security procedures and employees of contractors providing goods
and services to the Government.
4. How does the vetting system work?
Candidates for jobs that provide access to sensitive information
or sites are asked to complete one or more security questionnaires,
which invite them to provide the personal details needed to enable
the necessary checks to be carried out. Interviews may also be
carried out. The depth of checks varies according to the level of
regular access to sensitive information that the job entails.
5. How confidential is the vetting process?
All personal information gathered during the vetting process is
handled in the strictest of confidence by the vetting agencies.
These bodies include The Defence Vetting Agency (DVA), The Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Metropolitan Police Service
(MPS). If a serious risk is identified then this may be escalated
to the Ministry of Defence security and personnel authorities. Only
with prior agreement would line management be given any relevant
information in order to manage any given risk.
6. How do I obtain Security Clearance?
All individuals require a sponsor in order to apply for security
clearance. Neither individuals nor organisations can ask for
clearance unless they are sponsored, and you will not be sponsored
unless the company is currently contracted, or are in the process
of being contracted to work on a specific MoD classified project.
For large contracts, an officer in the Defence Procurement Agency
(DPA) or Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) - typically a Project
Officer will be your sponsor. For staff in sub-contracted
organisations, sponsorship will be provided through the prime
contractor.
7. How long can Security Clearance take to be awarded?
The following details are a guideline of timescales and due to
the types of information gathered and recorded can only be used as
a guideline and other factors will invariably affect the process
including for example the number of applications in the clearance
process:
- BPSS - 14 days
- CTC - 30 days
- SC - 30 days
- DV - 95 days+
Security Clearances lapse 12 months after leaving the post where
it was required. If you join an alternative security cleared role
within 12 months after leaving your last security cleared post then
there is usually no need to be vetted again. Individuals should be
aware that when clearance is awarded the Vetting Officer will state
how many years it is valid before rechecking is required.
Individuals should also be aware that transferring clearances
between agencies can result in full or partial rechecks,
irrespective of how recent the last check was undertaken.
8. Current levels of Security Clearance.
I. Developed Vetting
Developed Vetting (DV) or DV cleared is required for individuals
with substantial unsupervised access to TOP SECRET assets or for
those individuals working in the intelligence or security agencies.
To gain (DV) clearance you will normally have had to have been a
resident in the UK for a minimum of 10 years.
The following security vetting stages are mandatory before a DV
clearance can be approved:
- Baseline Personnel Security Standard
- Departmental / Company Records Check
- Security Questionnaire
- Criminal Record Check
- Credit Reference Check and review of personal finances
- Security Service Check
- Check of medical and psychological information provided
- Subject Interview and further enquiries, which will include
interviews with character referees and current and previous
supervisors
On completion of the vetting process, the information collected
is assessed and a decision made to refuse or approve DV clearance.
Once clearance is granted, it is only valid for a pre-determined
period after which a review must be conducted if the clearance is
still required. In a small percentage of cases clearance is granted
in spite of some reservations. In these instances, risk management
requires follow-up work and monitoring and this "aftercare" takes
place accordingly.
II. Security Check
Security Check (SC) or SC Cleared is required for individuals
who have substantial access to SECRET or occasional controlled
access to TOP SECRET assets. To gain (SC) clearance you will
normally have had to have been a resident in the UK for a minimum
of 5 years.
The following security vetting stages comprise a full SC
clearance:
- Baseline Personnel Security Standard
- Departmental / Company Records Check
- Security Questionnaire
- Criminal Record Check
- Credit Reference Check
- Security Service Check
On completion of the vetting process, the information collected
is assessed and a decision made to refuse or approve a SC
clearance.
III. Counter Terrorist Check
CTC or CTC Cleared is required for individuals who work in close
proximity to public figures, or who have access to information or
material vulnerable to terrorist attack, or involves unrestricted
access to government or commercial establishments assessed to be at
risk from terrorist attack. A CTC does not allow access to, or
knowledge or custody of, protectively marked assets, but the
baseline Personnel Security Standard which is carried out on all
MoD personnel and contractors, allows a degree of access. To gain
(CTC) clearance you will normally have had to have been a resident
in the UK for a minimum of 3 years.
The following security vetting stages are mandatory before a CTC
clearance can be approved:
- Baseline Personnel Security Standard
- Departmental / Company Records Check
- Security Questionnaire
- Criminal Record Check
- Security Service Check
On completion of the vetting process, the information collected
is assessed and a decision made to refuse or approve a CTC
clearance.
IV / V. Enhanced Baseline Standard and Baseline Personnel
Security Standard
These clearance levels were formerly Enhanced Basic Check /
Basic Check+ and Basic Check. These are not formal security
clearance levels and just aim to provide the appropriate level of
assurance as to the integrity, trustworthiness and likely
reliability of any given individual. This clearance level is
required if you apply for employment in the public sector and Armed
Forces (both permanent and temporary). In this instance you should
expect to be asked to provide information and documentation to
confirm your identity, employment or educational history,
Nationality & Immigration status and Criminal record (unspent
convictions only). This level of clearance is also applied to
private sector employees who are required to work on government
contacts who require access to or knowledge of, government assets
protectively marked up to and including CONFIDENTIAL. There are no
access restrictions for this level of disclosure and the result may
be sent to the applicant or the employer. It is however a
prerequisite to all formal and higher security clearance
levels.
VI. NATO Cleared
NATO has four levels of security classification which are as
follows:
- NATO Restricted (NR)
- NATO Confidential (NC)
- NATO Secret (NC)
- Cosmic Top Secret (CTS)
NATO's clearance levels function independently of any clearance
levels for other nations. However, it is understood that for most
NATO nations, the granting of a NATO security clearance is handled
in a similar manner to that of obtaining a national security
clearance.
VII. MPS Vetted
Metropolitan Police Vetting is carried out for all members of
the Metropolitan Police Service (police officers, police staff and
members of the specials constabulary), Non Police Personnel
including Contactors, Contractors representatives, consultants,
volunteers and any person who requires unescorted access to MPS
premises or uncontrolled access to police information.
The MPS has the following Force Vetting levels:
- Initial Vetting Clearance (IVC)
- Management Vetting (MV)
VIII. SIA
The Security Industry Authority operates the compulsory
licensing of individuals working in specific sectors of the private
security industry within the UK. It is an independent body that
reports into the Home Secretary and its’ activities are licensed
under the Private Security Industry 2001 are:
- Manned guarding (including cash & valuables in transit,
close protection, door supervision, public space surveillance and
security guards)
- Immobilisation, restriction and removal of vehicles
- Key Holding
Whether or not an individual requires a licence is determined by
the role that is performed and the activity that is undertaken.
These are described fully in Section 3 and Schedule 2 of the
Private Security Industry Act 2001. This licensing ensures that
private security operatives are ‘fit and proper’ persons who are
properly trained and qualified to do their job.
IX. Criminal Records Bureau
Criminal Records Bureau clearance is required for posts that
involve working with children or vulnerable adults. In addition
Standard Disclosures may also be issued for individuals entering
certain professions, such as members of the legal and accountancy
professions. Standard Disclosures contain the details of all
convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police
National Computer (PNC)
X. Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau
These checks are required for roles involving a far greater
degree of contact with children or vulnerable adults involving
regular caring for, supervising of, training or being in sole
charge of such people for example a teacher. Enhanced Disclosures
contain the same information as the Standard Disclosures but with
the addition of local police force information considered relevant
by Chief Police Officer(s).
There are three official criminal record disclosure services
within the UK:
- The CRB provides a service for England & Wales
- Disclosure Scotland is a service provided to manage and operate
the disclosure service in Scotland
- Access NI provides a service for Northern Ireland with
disclosures at basic, standard and enhanced levels.
Security Cleared Jobs
Browse secruity
cleared jobs in the UK and abroad on our dedicated secruity
cleared job vacancies page.