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SC disappeared - complete nightmare!

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    SC disappeared - complete nightmare!

    Last 5 years worked for a government agency. They were kind enough to put me through SC in 2017....
    I've got the letter from BEIS (not who I worked for but I guess they were the overarching government department) stating that my SC is active until 2027.
    Same client for all this time - accessing secure systems until I left on October 1st

    So I left, got a new gig via a consultancy company at a government department. Role needed SC - yep no problem here's the letter etc.

    The gov dept have come back and said no clearance found. All they can find is a dormant clearance from 2013 which is for a company I've never worked for! It looks very much like its someone else not me.

    Despite explaining all of this, nope still can't find you're clearance.

    Of course, the consultancy, despite believing me, are getting push back from their client. Obviously, I cant access systems I need to. Theres a very real danger of getting the boot here.

    Anyone had this before? Anything I can do?

    (there was an email address on the original BEIS letter but that person has left - tried that!)at

    Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

    #2
    I believe your last client should hold your SC and it get's transferred to the new client. It's not just a thing you hold and you can swan in to a new company like insurances or anything. When you move clients the old client should transfer it to the new one.

    You need to contact the vetting people at your last client who should hold it. I assume that is the email you've tried so if they've left you'll have to try find someone else. They should really have a group email like vetting@ or security@ or something like that as well as personal ones so contact someone you worked with to get them to dig around and come up with a contact number or email. At worst just find the general telephone number for your client and ask. They should be able to get you to the right people even if you are bounced around a bit.

    If that fails then just fire off a mail to anyone you can.

    If your old client isn't being helpful then try BEIS directly. Search google and see if you can come up with any articles that have BEIS names in you can try contacting. Like the one below. Unlikely to be them but if they've a hole in their bum they should take a security question seriously enough to help you.

    https://beis.gatenbysanderson.com/faqs

    Also try searching linkedin for BEIS security people or same for your old client. SOmeone like this might be able to help. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-leigh-556041104/
    Last edited by northernladuk; 10 December 2021, 10:55.
    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
      I believe your last client should hold your SC and it get's transferred to the new client. It's not just a thing you hold and you can swan in to a new company like insurances or anything. When you move clients the old client should transfer it to the new one.

      You need to contact the vetting people at your last client who should hold it. I assume that is the email you've tried so if they've left you'll have to try find someone else. They should really have a group email like vetting@ or security@ or something like that as well as personal ones so contact someone you worked with to get them to dig around and come up with a contact number or email. At worst just find the general telephone number for your client and ask. They should be able to get you to the right people even if you are bounced around a bit.
      Thanks - yes thats my understanding.... All my last client have been able to do is provide the letter I already had. Like I said, looks like it was all dealt higher up by BEIS.

      Apparently, they centralised the system a few years ago and have had problems with legacy records.... Great!

      Good idea you have there though....
      Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        For the future though, SC is like gold dust and as you can see is the key to getting an advantage in the contractor market. Very valuable. Nearly every role that comes through for me at the moment is SC cleared. You need to do everything you can to keep close to it. Get all the details of the vetting officers that dealt with it and understand exactly where it is for this exact reason. Make sure you've got all the right contact details, know where it is and even investigate what to do about transferring it even if you aren't close to leaving. Double check the process just before you leave so the move to the new one is seamless. IMO it's too valuable just to rely on a process you don't know, a piece of paper and not care anything else about it.

        Last edited by northernladuk; 10 December 2021, 11:02.
        'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

        Comment


          #5
          Worth remembering two things - clearance for contactors is for five years, usually (ten for permies) and it lapses the day you leave the last post that required it, the one year grace period is not guaranteed and may not meet the needs of a new client anyway.

          Also you can work on secure systems without clearance provided supervision can be provided (for example, you can see the code but not necessarily the data it is working against) and are escorted inside secure areas. The only roles that demand clearance are where such supervision can't realistically be provided or you need high level access rights such as a DBA or Sysadmin (something less than 5% of all roles meet that criterion...) Most non-Ministry managers either don't know that or won't spare the resources to do it. It's probably worth asking the question, especially if it's work you have done while cleared in the past.

          Worst case is you have to reapply for vetting. With a following wind and push from the requesting authority, it can be done in two weeks. So irritating but not terminal.
          Blog? What blog...?

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by malvolio View Post
            Worth remembering two things - clearance for contactors is for five years, usually (ten for permies) and it lapses the day you leave the last post that required it, the one year grace period is not guaranteed and may not meet the needs of a new client anyway.

            Also you can work on secure systems without clearance provided supervision can be provided (for example, you can see the code but not necessarily the data it is working against) and are escorted inside secure areas. The only roles that demand clearance are where such supervision can't realistically be provided or you need high level access rights such as a DBA or Sysadmin (something less than 5% of all roles meet that criterion...) Most non-Ministry managers either don't know that or won't spare the resources to do it. It's probably worth asking the question, especially if it's work you have done while cleared in the past.

            Worst case is you have to reapply for vetting. With a following wind and push from the requesting authority, it can be done in two weeks. So irritating but not terminal.
            Point of note. 7 years for nuclear industry.
            See You Next Tuesday

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Lance View Post

              Point of note. 7 years for nuclear industry.
              I did say "usually"...
              Blog? What blog...?

              Comment


                #8
                There is something to consider that when FCO services & DBS merged together in 2017; they had to combine two separate databases from two entirely different government bodies together. I’m not going to delve into the issues that arose from the merger but needless to say quite a few people had some mild shocks on what occurred.

                There is a very strong chance you might find you got grandfathered into the new system with your SC.

                Worth a check with the UKSV:
                https://www.gov.uk/guidance/security...nce#contact-us

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by BlackCountryContractor View Post
                  There is something to consider that when FCO services & DBS merged together in 2017; they had to combine two separate databases from two entirely different government bodies together. I’m not going to delve into the issues that arose from the merger but needless to say quite a few people had some mild shocks on what occurred.

                  There is a very strong chance you might find you got grandfathered into the new system with your SC.

                  Worth a check with the UKSV:
                  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/security...nce#contact-us
                  Yeh I've heard a similar story about "problems"
                  Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    FFS - canned due to lack of SC.....
                    Nice one. Feck knows whats happened to my clearance. Despite me producing a letter from 2017 no-one can find it!

                    Consultancy company getting heat from client about it, game over.

                    Feckin great. And I had a choice of 4 gigs before I chose this one in october - such is life...
                    Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

                    Comment

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