Security Clearance (SC) Q&A Read first before asking questions

[SimonMac]

Okay but according to the Met Office, mine is still current and live after three years but that is MOD SC.

Nope, all SC lapses after 12 months of not being used, I transfered mine from Met Office to ATOS, then it lapsed before I could move it to my current client.

When you were at the MO? I was there 01/2009 - 10/2010

[kevsboredagain]

If you need and already have security clearance, think carefully before taking a contract abroad.

I always had clearance to secret level in the UK and worked for many years on defense projects. I then took a contract in Germany and there I also had clearance for NATO Confidential stuff. I could visit companies in the UK on business and they could even verify this clearance on their computer systems. After 10 years in Germany, I tried to return to the UK. No one will touch me for a job requiring clearance because I've been out of the UK for so long, even although the German clearance is still valid. I cannot even return to work on the exact same project that I was working on in Germany.

As my whole life has been spent on jobs requiring clearance it means, for the first time in my life, I'm now out of work and struggling to find work.

[DaveB]

One to be aware of for those that use LinkedIn Groups etc.

MoD warns contractors about security clearance forums :: Contractor UK

[psychocandy]

Disclosure Scotland - Anything at all to do with SC or completely different?

Pimp is advising me to get Disclosure Scotland because it acts like BC allowing me to work on site whilst SC is being done. Sounds like bollacks to me.

But its only £25.

[number11]

I recently applied for an entry level data entry job. Is it normal for the agency to put you forward for a SC without having an official job offer?

Surely it's just wasting everyones time if there's a chance I won't even get the job after this ridiculously long process.

[malvolio]

I recently applied for an entry level data entry job. Is it normal for the agency to put you forward for a SC without having an official job offer?

Look on the bright side. 90% of agencies would have rejected you out of hand, regardless how good you are.

Surely it's just wasting everyones time if there's a chance I won't even get the job after this ridiculously long process.

These days that's an average 30 days - and often less - if everyone gets the paperwork in on time. Given the scope of what they have to do to clear you, and how many requests they are handling at any one time, that's none too shabby. Plus you don't need active SC to start work for 95% of roles anyway, only BPSS.

[Gateway]

Data Protection

Hello People,

I am new to this forum.

I had a basic question about Security Clearance.

I wanted to know that if the data I fill in the form for SC is shared with the company I work for.

For Example :

Company A employs me and wants to get a SC for me as their work with the government. So I have to fill the form and submit it. I want to know if MOD or any other government body who does the SC pass the information I fill in the form to Company A. If so would it be a breach of Data Protection Act or not.

Please let me know.


Thank you.

[Quokka]

Always remember there are a variety of different approaches and situations with clearance applications. For the majority of people here, an SC would be needed for working for a List X or other private company supplying government. In the majority of these situations the processing will be performed by an MOD agency (DBS NSV) with the decision on clearance made by them too. I will assume that a system like DBS NSV's online 'Cerberus' is used, rather than an unsealed paper form being handed in to your company (who can then, obviously, read it...)

For someone directly engaged by a government department or agency as an individual, their clearance will be granted by that organisation directly; in these situations the vetting agency (whether DBS NSV, FCOS or other) will do the admin work, and make a recommendation, but all the information will be passed to the agency's personnel security team for a decision to be made under their DSO's authority (for most agencies, the Departmental Security Unit will be in the government department, not the agency; larger agencies have their own DSU).

In this case, the information /won't/ (in general) be passed to the management of your area. Unless, like I did, you work for the DSO directly, and then they personally get to see the entire case file! There are some exceptions, which I'll get to.

If you work for a private company under contract, then as said the vetting agency will make the decision based on their standard guidelines. They would not pass the majority of the information to the employing company.

The one exception in both cases is if there is something they feel that the line management should be aware of for 'aftercare' reasons - something to keep an eye on. If the criteria for applying for an SC are met (i.e. number of years in UK) then it is actually quite rare to fail an SC completely, but it may be granted with caveats or potential risks to be managed: for obvious reasons it is important that anyone managing the work of that individual is informed of these.

In all cases, any medical information required can be supplied on a seperate sheet and sealed in an envelope; this would /only/ go to the medical advisor at the vetting agency. Only their recommendations would be supplied to anyone else, and the full details would remain entirely confidential.

You also ask about the Data Protection Act. Any transfer of information would be for the purposes of processing or managing the clearance, therefore would be allowed by the DPA. It is also worth remembering that security clearances are a National Security activity and would in any event fall under the exemptions in the act for national security matters.

[malvolio]

Hello People,

I am new to this forum.

I had a basic question about Security Clearance.

I wanted to know that if the data I fill in the form for SC is shared with the company I work for.

For Example :

Company A employs me and wants to get a SC for me as their work with the government. So I have to fill the form and submit it. I want to know if MOD or any other government body who does the SC pass the information I fill in the form to Company A. If so would it be a breach of Data Protection Act or not.

Please let me know.


Thank you.

As far as the client is concerned, you are cleared or you are not cleared. No specific data is passed over - why would it be? However, you will be on the Cerberus system and therefore your details will be available to any authorised user of Cerberus, although they will tend to be fairly trustworthy people.

Anyway, ask the clearance authority; they are the only ones who will know for certain.

[Gateway]

Thank you very much for the clarification.

It really helps.

Will keep in mind to ask about DPA.

Thank you.