Force Vetting Unit

Mr Nick NicklinForce Vetting Coordinator

Purpose of the Vetting Office

• To ensure all persons having access to Police Sites and Information are vetted in order to protect our assets

• They include Police Officers, Police Staff, PCSO’s, Special Constables, Contractors, Agency Workers, Partnerships, SW1

• Our aim is to eliminate security risks to the organisation and give the public confidence in our dealing with them

Different Vetting Levels

• The DBS Barring (CRB)– This is controlled and certificates issued by DBS Liverpool

• Police Vetting– Police Officer and Police Staff

Recruitment Vetting (RV) & Management Vetting (MV)– Non Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV)

Level 1, 2 and 3

• National Security Vetting– Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)– Security Check (SC)– Developed Vetting (DV)

The vetting level depends on the role undertaken not the position or rank the individual has within the organisation.

Vetting Processes Summary

Elements:• Receiving of the Application• Checking for Accuracy• Entered in Database• Allocation to Researcher• Research of the Application with Databases• Recommendations and Decisions• Refusals and Reviews• Review Process

Authentication

• Authentication, whilst not a formal security clearance, underpins all levels of Police Vetting and National Security Vetting and is carried out by the company

• Authentication is used to confirm an individual’s

– Identity– Nationality– Employment eligibility– Residency qualification

Research of the application for Police Vetting

• All named people on the application form

Address Check Avon & Somerset area intelligencePolice National ComputerPolice National Database (Intelligence from all Forces)

• On the applicant (only)

Experian Credit Check

Recommendations and Decisions

• National Vetting Policy for the Police Community 2012

(This will change during 2014 to the Codes of Practice to cover the Governments Integrity Programme)

• Force Policy

Refusals and Reviews

• The decision to grant or refuse a vetting clearance is made against a number of criteria which is specified in the National Vetting Policy 2012

• The policy takes into account convictions, cautions, and fixed penalty notices. Convictions are never SPENT for police vetting purposes

• There is an expectation that applicants will answer the questions honestly, as integrity is also important

Appeal & Review Process

• Under the National Vetting Policy there is no formal ‘Appeal or Review’ process for people who do not work for the Police

• In this Force as best practice if any vetting clearance is refused, we allow the applicant to have the decision reviewed within 14 days

• The applicant will be informed of the reason for the refusal, but the Constabulary reserve the right not to inform the applicant of the reason for the refusal, where it could compromise the security of the information or breach legislation

Work load and commitments

• Approximately 300/350 applications per month, processed by 4 members of vetting staff

• There is a 14 day national agreement to complete vetting checks for other Forces

• No in Force service level agreement at present but every effort made to complete checks and give a decision within 21 working days, subject to no ‘out of force’ enquiries

DBS Barring

• The DBS Barring are responsible for making barring decisions

These decisions are based on information they hold as well as information held by the police

DBS - Referrals

• Referrals are made to the DBS when an employer or organisation has concerns that a person has caused harm, or poses a future risk of harm to vulnerable groups, including children

DBS – PNC (Police National Computer)

• On the 29 May 2013 legislation came into force that allows certain old and minor cautions and convictions to no longer be subject to disclosure on a DBS certificate.

DBS – Filtering of Convictions

• PNC records which contain more than one conviction will not be eligible to be filtered and all the convictions will be disclosed.

• PNC records which have one conviction but contain multiple offences will not be eligible to be filtered and the conviction will be disclosed.

DBS – Filtering of Cautions

• Filtering of cautions, warnings and reprimand is slightly different from convictions in that it applies to individual offences rather than an overall conviction.

Useful Links

• DBS• https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/

disclosure-and-barring-service

• PNC Filtering• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-

filtering-guidance

Force Vetting Unit

Any Questions

Nick Nicklin Force Vetting Coordinator

• Phone: 01275 814665

• Email: nick.nicklin@avonandsomerset.police.uk

• Mail: Police Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road, Portishead, Bristol BS20 8QJ