United Kingdom Security Vetting:Referee, Supervisor, Hiring Managers and Contractors
United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) is the main UK government provider of security clearances.
What a vetting referee is
A referee should be someone who has known you well over a significant recent period of your life. We will ask them to describe you and your way of life away from work.
Please make sure that the referees you have nominated are aware that you have nominated them and are willing to be interviewed. Please also advise them that they will not necessarily be contacted.
Note: A link to vetting information leaflets is issued to all referees who are to be interviewed. We may also ask former employers, senior officers and educational establishments for information about you.
If you could please advise anyone else who we might contact, such as your current/previous senior officers/line managers or educational establishment, that you are undergoing vetting and have agreed to the process.
Please note that our enquiries will not be confined to past and present employers and nominated character referees.
Role of a referee
If you are asked to act as a Referee, you will be contacted by one of our Vetting Officers who will arrange an interview with you where we will discuss your friend, this is to help us build a picture of your them. This will then be used to help us gain an understanding of your friend and is part of a multi layered process to assess their suitability to hold security clearances.
At this time, the vast majority of interviews are conducted by telephone. Therefore, if you have sensitive information to divulge, please ensure you are in a suitable office/location to speak freely. Face to face interviews can be arranged in exceptional circumstances. Once your interview is arranged you will be provided with a link to our vetting information page where you will find leaflets explaining the vetting process in more detail.
It is requested that once your interview is booked you are available for around 45 minutes at the agreed time, as a cancellations by you or failure to answer the call may lead to an unnecessary delay in the processing of the clearance application.
Role of a supervisor
If you are asked to act as a Supervisor for a current or former employee, you may be contacted by one of our Vetting Officers who will arrange an interview with you where we will discuss this employee. This is to help us build a picture of the person; specifically, their attitude to their work, their behaviours within the working place and any concerns you may have had about them as a reliable employee. This will then be used to help us gain an understanding of the individual and is part of a multi layered process to assess their suitability to hold security clearances.
At this time, the vast majority of interviews are conducted by telephone. Therefore, if you have sensitive information to divulge, please ensure you are in a suitable office/location to speak freely. Face to face interviews can be arranged in exceptional circumstances. Once your interview is arranged you will be provided with a link to the UKSV Information page where you will find leaflet explaining the vetting process in more detail.
It is requested that once your interview is booked you are available for around 45 minutes at the agreed time, as a cancellations by you or failure to answer the call may lead to an unnecessary delay in the processing of the clearance application.
Hiring Managers
If you wish to employ staff awaiting their clearance there is no central regulation prohibiting the employment of people awaiting their security clearance. The decision whether or not to do this, limiting access as necessary, is a risk management judgement for the area concerned and as advised by their security staff. In making this judgement, the business manager must take into account the sensitivity of the business area, the information held, and local conditions of work and of the practicality of limiting access.
There is no requirement to re-vet staff that re-join within a year of leaving, other than in exceptional circumstances, as long as the existing clearance has not expired.
Where a security clearance needs to be transferred the receiving personnel authority company should conduct a Vetting Status Information (VSI) check at the outset to find out whether an individual holds a clearance and to initiate the transfer.
Contractors
Guidance on security clearance for companies who bid for MOD contracts
You do not need to hold security clearances to bid for UK Government work advertised in the Official Journal of the European Community and other sources. Government contracting procedures make sure that there is no competitive advantage in having prior security clearances. Requests for clearances must be raised during the contractual process.
The Statement of HMG Personnel Security and National Security Vetting Policy (Annex A)‘HMG Personnel Security Controls’ mandates that individuals should not be expected to hold an existing security clearance in order to apply for posts that require vetting, except where such posts are short term and need to be filled urgently. Otherwise, advertising for staff that already hold a security clearance is contrary to government policy, unnecessary and potentially discriminatory, as laid out in the Cabinet Office code of practice document, ‘Recruiting for vacancies requiring National Security Vetting Clearance’.
Aftercare incident report (AIR)
AIRs are usually raised by Local Security Officers in cases where actual or potential security concerns exist about an individual who holds a security clearance. However, anyone who considers they have grounds for doubting an individual’s suitability for access to protectively marked or sensitive assets should report the circumstances to us.
Notifications of this nature should be made via the NSVS portal. Please select the AIR option.
To report an incident via the portal go to NSVS internet portal: report incident
Further information can be found in UKSV National Security Vetting: aftercare information
Last updated 17 August 2021 + show all updates
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Contractors section - out of of date guidance removed.
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Guidance updated and links to vetting information leaflets added
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First published.