Are there different levels of security clearance?

Dominic-Toretto · 18 Jan 2020 at 10:05

Recently been offered a job, how ever it requires security clearance (SC Cleared). The recruiter stated, that it is only basic checks, and will take 20 to 30 days. Reading around online, and looking at the SC forms on the goverment website has me confused, because they look like they require huge amounts of information (the recruiter said they would not need much info), and lots of people stating that it will take months, some cases even longer for clearance?

So, are there like sub levels of "Security Clearance", or is the recruiter just downplaying the process?

All input appreciated

Cheers

Junglist · 18 Jan 2020 at 10:07

A friend of mine works for the Ministry of Defence and I think that was something like 6 months of checks and looked into his family etc

Maundie · 18 Jan 2020 at 10:22

There’s different versions of SC clearance, I hold MOD level and that can be transferred to different organisations (I’m currently waiting for it to be transferred to MOJ) but Met Police require a different version of SC clearance (this cannot be transferred as far as I know) and then above that there’s DV that looks into a lot more things.

NiCkNaMe · 18 Jan 2020 at 10:25

Yeah there's a couple of types, recruiter may be referring to BPSS which is a basic clearance, usually quicker to get, think it can be turned around in a week. Full SC does not take too long (although depends who the vetting agency is), although more paperwork and requires sponsorship iirc. My last one took about 6 weeks. You then have DV which is much more intrusive and longer to achieve, typically requires for MOD/working with certain gov orgs.

ianh · 18 Jan 2020 at 10:55

NiCkNaMe said:
Yeah there's a couple of types, recruiter may be referring to BPSS which is a basic clearance, usually quicker to get, think it can be turned around in a week. Full SC does not take too long (although depends who the vetting agency is), although more paperwork and requires sponsorship iirc. My last one took about 6 weeks. You then have DV which is much more intrusive and longer to achieve, typically requires for MOD/working with certain gov orgs.

And they do interviews with people giving you references as well, rather than being a more general "paperwork only" exercise like the BPSS/SC clearences.

Rotty · 18 Jan 2020 at 11:11

Maundie said:
There’s different versions of SC clearance, I hold MOD level and that can be transferred to different organisations (I’m currently waiting for it to be transferred to MOJ) .

we use both those (I hold both) MOJ can be transferred to MOD but not other way, unless something has recently changed

Dominic-Toretto · 18 Jan 2020 at 11:11

Thank you all for the input, it must be the BPSS that they were referring too!

memyselfandi · 18 Jan 2020 at 12:37

I had various levels of security clearance from about 2003 till last year (changed job and didn't need it any more). What the recruiter said is not true for SC clearance, that requires more and takes longer than that. DV is even worse, although fortunately I didn't need that.

Tbh never found getting SC a big deal ... was pretty straight forward just involved paper work and waiting.

Maundie · 18 Jan 2020 at 15:11

Rotty said:
we use both those (I hold both) MOJ can be transferred to MOD but not other way, unless something has recently changed

Are you sure on this as I successfully applied for a job and the MOJ Recruitment lady said there's no issue with transferring my SC from the MOD (I got this as I was working within BAE Systems) to MOJ?

Street · 18 Jan 2020 at 16:32

Years ago I had an interview for a job that needed DV. I was told at the time it would be very intrusive and would involve them speaking to family etc about me. They said it would take a while to get but it turned out some of the other candidates already had the clearance so were put ahead of me straight away and I didn't get any further.

Delvis · 18 Jan 2020 at 16:35

You'll be getting basic first to be able to be let on site, then you'll get the extra no doubt which takes longer

Janesy B · 18 Jan 2020 at 16:44

I just needed a standard DBS check for my job and I was sitting on my hands for a month before it was sorted.

Dominic-Toretto · 18 Jan 2020 at 16:58

Delvis said:
You'll be getting basic first to be able to be let on site, then you'll get the extra no doubt which takes longer

Is it guaranteed they will do the full check once I am on site? Or are there instances where you only require BPSS?

SlyReaper · 18 Jan 2020 at 17:44

SC can take months, but not always. It kinda depends how "interesting" your life has been, and how much stuff they need to look into. For example, did you spend a gap year in China? The process will probably take longer than if you hadn't. You'll be asked to fill out a questionnaire with questions like "Have you ever tried to overthrow the government", and they'll do background checks on you.

Where it gets really intrusive is if you need DV ("Deep Vetting") clearance.

Rotty · 18 Jan 2020 at 18:13

Maundie said:
Are you sure on this as I successfully applied for a job and the MOJ Recruitment lady said there's no issue with transferring my SC from the MOD (I got this as I was working within BAE Systems) to MOJ?

as I say it may have changed but we have never been able to get MOD transferred to MOJ, only the other way round

My MOJ recently expired and I had to do full process again even though my MOD is still valid

gettothechopper · 18 Jan 2020 at 19:06

SC is not too bad mostly names education Jobs addresses, parents their addresses etc

Some places will let you start work without it (but not let you look at protectively marked stuff until it comes through)

Pawnless Endgame · 18 Jan 2020 at 19:52

JunglistE said:
A friend of mine works for the Ministry of Defence and I think that was something like 6 months of checks and looked into his family etc

I used to work in the MOD, and it was 2 months clearance for me. My work was unclassified though, so that might be why it was less than 6 months.

I later applied for a GCHQ job and didn't get it, but if I did, that would have been 4 months clearance.

Junglist · 18 Jan 2020 at 20:02

Pawnless Endgame said:
I used to work in the MOD, and it was 2 months clearance for me. My work was unclassified though, so that might be why it was less than 6 months.

I later applied for a GCHQ job and didn't get it, but if I did, that would have been 4 months clearance.

I'm not too sure what his exact role is there but it was about 6 months between applying for the role to actually working there. The clearance may well have been much quicker

Josh · 18 Jan 2020 at 20:06

SlyReaper said:
Where it gets really intrusive is if you need DV ("Deep Vetting") clearance.

Lol,

Developed Vetting, not deep. Although they do go deep on the questions.

SC can take a while but all dependant on how busy the vetting agency is. CTC was always very long for me.

CTC
SC
DV

OP this link should clear things up - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/security-vetting-and-clearance

DarrenM343 · 18 Jan 2020 at 20:18

AlphaMale1 said:
Recently been offered a job, how ever it requires security clearance (SC Cleared). The recruiter stated, that it is only basic checks, and will take 20 to 30 days. Reading around online, and looking at the SC forms on the goverment website has me confused, because they look like they require huge amounts of information (the recruiter said they would not need much info), and lots of people stating that it will take months, some cases even longer for clearance?

So, are there like sub levels of "Security Clearance", or is the recruiter just downplaying the process?

All input appreciated

Cheers

SC clearance can easily take 3 months although the government has supposedly brought the time down. Many roles should not require you to have it to start - some will allow you to start after the basic checks have been done (2-4 weeks for this). If you failed the SC clearance, you'd then be removed from site.
SC requires a BS check too I think , this is the basic check as mentioned above(baseline standard I think it's called), usually 3 years of references.
There are difference types of SC, at least two, so they're not all the same. Some are more stringent than others, requiring detailed financial info for example. It depends on the type of organisation which SC type will be required.