Gaining security clearance is often an essential part of the vetting process for many public or government-related projects. Depending on the type of project and position of the role, an employee can be required to pass several low to high levels of security clearance. But if you’re a contractor hoping to work on public on government contracts in the UK, how exactly do you get security clearance?
WHAT IS SECURITY CLEARANCE?
Security clearance is required by the Government to ensure that people working with ‘sensitive assets’ do not pose any risk to national security by having access to this information.
There are four levels of security clearance:
Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)
Security Check (SC)
Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC)
Developed Vetting (DV)
BPSS
This category includes the Baseline Personnel Security Standard and the Enhanced Baseline Standard (EBS). These are generally used as pre-employment checks. The first simply ascertains the trustworthiness and reliability of a prospective candidate and the second acts as a pre-cursor to more in-depth security clearance levels. For more information click here.
CTC
This clearance is for candidates who will be working with sensitive data or materials, or who are vulnerable to terrorist attack or whose work will involve unrestricted access to certain government or commercial establishments.
SC
This is the most common level of clearance and is for those candidates who would require access to ‘SECRET’ assets or occasional controlled access to ‘TOP SECRET’ assets.
DV
This clearance is the highest level of security clearance, which is for candidates who will have substantial unsupervised access to ‘TOP SECRET’ assets and/or will be working with intelligence and security agencies.
HOW DO I GET SECURITY CLEARANCE?
If a role requires you to be security cleared, the necessary checks will be arranged by the hirer and carried out through a Government agency. As a minimum, you will be asked to prove your identity (including your nationality and immigration status) and complete a Criminal Record Declaration Form. Higher levels of clearance may require more intense background checks on your criminal record, a credit reference check and a security service check.
THE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS
If a role requires you to be security cleared, the relevant security checks will be arranged by the person hiring you but will be carried out by a Government agency. As a minimum, you’ll be asked to prove your identity (including your nationality and immigration status) and complete a Criminal Record Declaration Form. Higher levels of clearance tend to require more intense background checks on your criminal record, a credit reference check and a security service check.
Depending on the level of vetting required, security clearance can take anywhere between 1 day and 9 months.
BPSS: 1 to 2 days
CTC: 6 to 8 weeks
SC: 4 to 12 weeks
DV: 6 to 9 months
The forms can be complicated, especially if you’re filling them out for the first time. Our advice is to read the guidelines thoroughly and complete the security paperwork as soon as possible – if you delay on this, it will only make the process longer. Lastly, be sure to triple-check the forms before processing them; mistakes or missing information will extend the time it takes for clearance to be processed.
If you’re interested in applying for one of our security cleared jobs and/or have some questions about the security clearance process, please contact us.
SECURITY CLEARANCE RETENTION
Once provided a clearance last 5 years (typically for a contractor) or 10 years (for a permanent member of staff). It is important to understand that once a contract is finished or permanent employment is left that the clearance will be retained as live for 12 months. After 12 months the clearance will lapse. If a clearance wishes to retain the clearance they will need to do two things:
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One obtain employment that utilises/needs the clearance
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Two ensure that in their new role the relevant part if the organisation they work for has taken on ownership of the clearance either by “transfer” or “sharing” both equally valid to keep a clearance live.
You must not assume even if it is the expected that your clearance will be properly processed once you take a new which needs your clearance. It is vital that you confirm yourself that his has happened .