Vetting
As you’ll have access to sensitive government information you will require the highest level of security clearance also known as Developed Vetting (DV)
About our vetting process
Vetting is our way of understanding whether it's appropriate for you to have access to classified information. The DV process can be lengthy, but it ensures that we minimise any risks to you or us.
To prepare for the vetting interview you will be required to complete detailed questionnaires and agree referees. The vetting interview is designed to ensure that the Vetting Officer can fully understand you and your life experiences. During the interview you and the Vetting Officer will discuss your personal, professional and online life to date. The Vetting Officer will ask you to cover topics including, but not limited to, your family, friends, finances, health, relationships and lifestyle.
Your Vetting Officer will explore if there are any risks to you holding DV and will work with you to mitigate those risks where appropriate. Some of the questions you will be asked will be personal in nature. Whilst some of these questions may be uncomfortable for you to speak about, please be assured that Vetting Officers are trained in how to make the environment safe for you to have these conversations.
What about referees?
Some of your referees may be contacted and spoken to either face to face or by telephone. We may also write to others. We won’t contact any of your referees before gaining your permission. If you are finding it difficult to identify a referee, don’t worry, you will have the option to talk it through with your Vetting Officer.
How do we make a decision?
For national security reasons we can’t go into details on how we make decisions on vetting. However, each vetting case is put through an established and rigorous process before a decision is made on whether to grant or refuse DV.
Drugs and criminal activity
We have a strict no drugs policy. We don’t accept the use, possession or supply of illegal drugs, (including use of drugs that are illegal in the UK but are legal in other countries) or misuse of prescribed medication. You must adhere to our policy from the moment you submit your application form. You may also be required to undergo a drug test as part of your application. Having a criminal record isn’t necessarily a blocker to getting DV (working for our organisation), and each case will be assessed on an individual basis.
Will I get feedback on the vetting?
Unfortunately, we do not offer feedback on vetting applications due to considerations of national security. If your DV clearance application is refused you will not have the right to appeal the decision. However, you may appeal the vetting process itself if you think that something has gone wrong or if you feel that there were procedural issues. If your DV is granted, you’ll be given an unconditional offer of employment.
Do I have to maintain my DV?
Yes. Once you are granted DV clearance, it becomes your responsibility to maintain it. Our vetting team will be on hand to help you do this. You will have an ongoing relationship with vetting and your clearance will be reviewed at regular intervals during your career with us.
Our secrets are safe with you
Watch our video about the vetting process, and learn more about how this helps ensure our secrets are safe with you.
The Developed Vetting Process. Sometimes called DV.
It’s something we do together.
Everyone in the UK intelligence services goes through it.
It’s thorough and it takes some time.
Our job is to understand whether Britain’s secrets will be safe with you.
To do this, we need to build an open and honest relationship with you.
And really get to know you as a whole person.
We understand that everyone is different. Nobody’s story is the same.
It’s our different perspectives and lived experiences that make us a stronger team. But a big part of keeping you and our organisation safe, is identifying and managing any risks that could make our secrets vulnerable.
When it comes to your vetting interview, we’re professional, discreet and compassionate.
Because you deserve nothing less.
We’re looking to understand you and your story in your own words. Everything that makes you who you are today.
We’ll want to hear about your early years. To where you are now.
Your hobbies, your mental health and your relationships.
We’ll want to know where you have been on holiday. Whether you’ve used drugs or drink alcohol.
We’ll ask you about your friends, your family, your finances, and everything in between.
We understand that some of these topics may feel intrusive. And they may well make you feel uncomfortable.
We’re trained to have these conversations, and we’ll work hard to create a safe space for you to tell us what we need to know.
It isn’t like a standard job interview.
There are no right or wrong answers.
All you need to do is be honest and be yourself.
You can ask us any questions and learn more about the responsibilities that come with having a DV clearance. To make sure it’s the right fit for you.
We take data protection seriously. You can be confident that we will keep your vetting information safe and secure, and access will be restricted to only those who need to know.
If your clearance is granted, this will be the beginning of a constructive relationship with vetting.
We’ll keep working with you to manage your clearance.
To protect your secrets and ours. From whatever the future may bring.
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
Our commitment
The vetting team is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and our promise is to treat you with respect throughout the vetting process. Any information obtained during the vetting process is treated in strict confidence and in line with our statutory obligations. Your vetting information is held separately from recruitment information.
Honesty is the most important part of the vetting process, so please be aware that deliberately withholding or minimising information about yourself might mean your clearance is refused.