Anyway to get SC Clearance without a role confirmation?

[ladymuck]

The simple answer to any agent asking about SC is say "Yes. I've had it in the recent past, and see no reason I wouldn't be able to get it again".

As has been repeatedly pointed out, the clearance is likely to need to be re-applied for in a new role anyway. If it's a very short term contract the vetting people at the new place might just contact the vetting people at the old place and allow a person to work on that basis without applying.
I've never known an agent ask for evidence of clearance, and in some cases the worker will not actually receive any evidence so have nothing to show anyway.
In fact it would be simple to say "Yes I have SC" refuse to evidence it to the agent as it's not his business, and when/if you are interviewed by the client be honest.

I thought if you had SC you weren't allowed to say so?

So is it more like "I don't not have SC but I can't not confirm either way" ?

[Lance]

I thought if you had SC you weren't allowed to say so?

So is it more like "I don't not have SC but I can't not confirm either way" ?

that double negative there makes no sense. The first one is fine. HTH

[malvolio]

I thought if you had SC you weren't allowed to say so?

So is it more like "I don't not have SC but I can't not confirm either way" ?

True - but you're also not entitled to ask about it either. So perhaps your answer should be "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that"

It's all bullocks anyway. This is about agencies looking for ways to cut down the candidate list, and consultancy managers not wanting to have the cost of extra supervision on their project budget (which, incidentally, has to be included as a line item in the original tender response. Go figure...).

If the end client wants you, they will sort out clearance. The real crime is that they won't hear of you because of the above constraints. Hence most HMG work is done by the same pool of people with no exposure to the latest technologies.

We all know what the problem is, the challenge is to find a way of punishing companies who break or ignore the Cabinet Office guidance. Since clearance per se is not a law, that is extremely difficult, to say the least.

[northernladuk]

I thought if you had SC you weren't allowed to say so?

So is it more like "I don't not have SC but I can't not confirm either way" ?

That's true. MOD guidance says..

It is Cabinet Office/MOD policy that individuals should not make public the level of security clearance they hold; this includes staff disclosing their vetting status in order to secure employment opportunities. Individuals should also ensure that any reference to holding a security clearance on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is removed in order to protect them from personnel security risks that can arise if they draw attention to their level of vetting on-line.

Individuals seeking employment outside of the Armed Forces, should be made aware that Government departments, their prime contractors and recruitment agencies are expected not to ask for prior security clearances when recruiting other than in exceptional circumstances. In order to support this policy, the Cabinet Office has established a Code of Conduct reinforcing Government and the recruitment industry’s shared commitment for ensuring vetting requirements are applied fairly. All Contractors will be expected to comply.

That said we know that absolutely no one takes any notice of the bit in bold so makes the whole advice a bit pointless really.

[David71]

I thought if you had SC you weren't allowed to say so?

So is it more like "I don't not have SC but I can't not confirm either way" ?

Pretty good bet that anyone standing outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre conference center in London yesterday has an SC: http://www.securityclearedexpo.com/

I think everyone I spoke to on a exhibitor stand asked me 'Do you have an SC / DV /NPPV' depending on the particular business they were in.

[malvolio]

Pretty good bet that anyone standing outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre conference center in London yesterday has an SC: http://www.securityclearedexpo.com/

I think everyone I spoke to on a exhibitor stand asked me 'Do you have an SC / DV /NPPV' depending on the particular business they were in.

Yeah. The whole existence of that particular group is against all sort of rules, up to and including the definitive Cabinet Office guidance on security management. One day someone up in their ivory tower will realise that drawing your staff form a limited pool of often outdated personnel is behind the failure of so many HMG projects. It's not like they haven't been told, in some detail, with examples.

[CoolCat]

Yeah. The whole existence of that particular group is against all sort of rules, up to and including the definitive Cabinet Office guidance on security management. One day someone up in their ivory tower will realise that drawing your staff form a limited pool of often outdated personnel is behind the failure of so many HMG projects. It's not like they haven't been told, in some detail, with examples.

its not so much that they are "outdated" its that they live in a small bubble, of self reinforcing views, that repeatedly make the same mistakes, and tend to hire their mates from the forces rather than any concept of the potential candidate with the most merit, etc

[ladymuck]

its not so much that they are "outdated" its that they live in a small bubble, of self reinforcing views, that repeatedly make the same mistakes, and tend to hire their mates from the forces rather than any concept of the potential candidate with the most merit, etc

Oh well, that is an outlier though. Nothing like that happens anywhere else, ever.