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

[willendure]

Q : I start a new job needing SC but my old company still holds it. What to do?

Give your details to your new company, they will contact your old one and have it transferred to them. Simples. My experience is with the MoD but I am told that the Police will not transfer SC across to another company. I am not aware of this so more information is required when dealing with the police.

Q : I am not SC cleared and seen a great role but it says SC holding applications only please?

It is illegal for the agent to discriminate in this way and it is highly likely he is not working in the best interests of the customer as he maybe passing over the best talent in preference for some chump with SC. Apply anyway and then report him. Address to follow, as I can't find it right now.

Just had an agent tell me I can't apply because I don't hold active SC. I sort of think fair enough, it de-risks things for the client since if they have an active SC they can be pretty sure of getting either a transfer, or the candidate succesfully passing a re-vetting.

I tried to argue with them a bit, but... well arguing with stupid people is hard! But really, is it even worth trying to argue about ? Maybe just push on it once and then let it go if they say no anyway ?

[ppiper]

Been filling out my sc form today. In regards to my youth arrest for shoplifting, there isn’t a section for other details so should I just put yes to the have you ever been prosecuted/cautioned bit and then describe what happened and that I’ve put yes however I’m not sure if I got a warning or a caution etc

[malvolio]

I'm not too worried because I really doubt I'll ever need DV or anything more than SC but it makes me wonder what did it for me

On the form it had something about outgoings, and I misread it as my monthly bills because I help prop up a big household, so then got an email back saying "are you sure this is right?" and I realised the outgoings were meant for gambling lol, and I thought yeah I don't think they want someone who spends £2k+ a month on gambling lol and was able to correct it.

I never got told the specifics, but I think my mum has some kind of criminal record from her days living rough back in the 80s.... she said to me once she wouldn't be allowed to serve on a jury. But the same woman also worked at nursing homes and as a home carer for the elderly when I was in primary and secondary school, so not sure how that would be OK for that but would hurt me for this.

You won't be told the specifics, it would rather defeat the whole purpose of vetting if you know what they are looking for. It is a risk assessment for a specific set of circumstances so you can't even compare one with another.

FWIW it might not even be anything in your past. Your social media might have shown up a connection to someone who is of interest. And as an aside, discussing it here is not doing you any favours either...

Whatever, you lost, there's no point in worrying about it since there is absolutely bugger all you can do about it.

[NotAllThere]

You were asked to provide details of social media and you didn't provide them with all accounts.

This.

If you think your "private" social media accounts are anonymous, then you're not very aware.

[Hidingfromwork]

Never gone higher than SC but I believe the old joke with DV clearance was they knew things about you that you didn't know about yourself. As Enhanced SC is between the two it could be anything.

I'm not too worried because I really doubt I'll ever need DV or anything more than SC but it makes me wonder what did it for me

On the form it had something about outgoings, and I misread it as my monthly bills because I help prop up a big household, so then got an email back saying "are you sure this is right?" and I realised the outgoings were meant for gambling lol, and I thought yeah I don't think they want someone who spends £2k+ a month on gambling lol and was able to correct it.

I never got told the specifics, but I think my mum has some kind of criminal record from her days living rough back in the 80s.... she said to me once she wouldn't be allowed to serve on a jury. But the same woman also worked at nursing homes and as a home carer for the elderly when I was in primary and secondary school, so not sure how that would be OK for that but would hurt me for this.

[SussexSeagull]

Never gone higher than SC but I believe the old joke with DV clearance was they knew things about you that you didn't know about yourself. As Enhanced SC is between the two it could be anything.

[Hidingfromwork]

Your last two paragraphs could in part be the reason. Why would you think otherwise? Troll account alert. You were asked to provide details of social media and you didn't provide them with all accounts.

Wind it in, I'm not a troll.

It's the same answer I've given every other time I've been through vetting for clearance, re social media: everything else is private / not something I associate with my name

And frankly the amount of accounts I've made on different forms of social site (reddit, forums, gaming services) etc would be too long to recall. The only one I keep associated with me is linkedin.

[agentzero]

Your last two paragraphs could in part be the reason. Why would you think otherwise? Troll account alert. You were asked to provide details of social media and you didn't provide them with all accounts.

[Hidingfromwork]

I'm a little perplexed here.... as part of new project was instructed to go through the clearance for a major UK Crime Agency. Enhanced SC. It's been rejected, and as usual they don't bloody say why and say there's no appeal, which is also helpful (typical gov. tosser mentality I suppose)

I've been told not to worry because others have been rejected and it seems to be a common trend, but it's insulting... I've had other stuff before, NPPV3, CTC, MOJ & MOD level SC, absolutely no problems whatsoever, all come through fine.

I haven't really got any dodgy connections.... my dad used to occasionally sell duty free fags for his mates a long time ago when I was a kid, and we don't talk anymore anyway. My other half's sibling had their kid took off them for neglect (for which we were temporary foster carers before they got a long term placement) but that's it. I don't really have any substantial debt (about £500 worth of interest free credit payments which I've been consistently paying off, and that was just so I could treat myself) and the only interaction I've had with the police was once as a kid for making a prank phone call to a local school pretending I was trapped in their locker room (where they asked me not to do it again, this was a long time ago), and once a few years ago when the neighbours made a rubbish allegation of harassment (because I walked past their side window, which is where our grass was) which the police laughed at and NFA'd because it was clear they were bonkers. The 2nd was disclosed btw, as far as I recall.

All I've been told is that clearance acceptance for this agency is supposedly 20% but I don't get the logic in it, just seems bonkers. I don't really drink, don't partake in drugs, keep a low profile on social media.

The only other thing I can think of is when they asked about social media, I just gave them my linked in. I don't really use facebook (and its set to private anyway) except for messaging and my twitter account is a pseudonym and not really associated with my public name. I also use reddit and some forum accounts but again, those are private and not something in the public view.

Any ideas what it could be?

[b0redom]

Similarly I got a TS10 traffic violation for going through a bus lane in 1999. I was pretty pissed off at the time because I did it to get out of the way of a police pursuit vehicle with flashing blue lights, but.....

Anyway, like fatJock I also put that down on every SC form.

[fatJock]

For SC do you need to declare stuff from youth? Like shop lifting a game at around 15? Can’t remember anything about it and it was 20 years ago

I was 16 and punched another 16 year old lad off a bike - he called the Police and I got a £40 fine but no prosecution of any severity. I still tell them in my SC renewals.

Best to be transparent - not having a clean rap sheet isn't the issue, honesty is. Declare everything.

[NotAllThere]

They really are...

I suspect he means that they're not really that fussy - so long as you declare everything. Like a minor youthful bit of arrant stupidity and cupidity.

[ppiper]

Thanks. I was only wondering because I thought the form asked specifically for convictions. Appreciate the assistance everyone

[SussexSeagull]

As ever, answer the questions they ask. If there is a 'anything else to declare' question and they don't specify the caution (as I suspect it was) can be ignored you might want to consider adding it as I can't see something that happened 20 years ago when you were a kid causing too many problems, especially if you admit to it.

[malvolio]

...

I got SC clearance well before I was even a citizen of the UK. They really aren't that fussy.

They really are...