Failed Vetting Process - but SAR denied

[NameChangePoP]

Hello Wise M’Netters

Name change for this, and prob not an AIBU but posting here for traffic in the hopes that some wise person may be able to help.

Backstory:

DIL (22) was born to a white British mum, and Muslim (Pakistan) Father. Relationship between her parents was a secret (they met at 16 and fell in love). He father was sent away to be married early 20’s. When he returned to the UK they continued their secret relationship, and DIL was born. None of his family know about her existence and her relationship with her Father has been sporadic and strained throughout her life. He became a successful Business man and has provided for DIL and her mother since she was born (house, cars, money etc).
Father has been in trouble with the police on occasion, but minor reasons were given and we don’t know the full truth about what these are (This could be relevant)

DIL sees her father occasionally. They don’t have a close relationship, and she tolerates him for the sake of her mother (who is still madly in love with him)
Fast Forward to 2022 and DIL applied to the police force. Passed interviews, medicals, and everything needed. She then had to submit the details for the vetting process. She was unsure whether to put her Father on there as on paper he is nothing to her. He’s not on her Birth Certificate and she has her mothers name. The only real link between them is money he sends her occasionally.
I advised that she should still name him as her Father. She did.

Once submitted, she got a couple of calls from the Police Force asking her to clarify various bits about her relationship with him, which she did with complete honesty.

After a few weeks she was told that he had failed the vetting process. This came as a shock as she has never been in trouble with the police, nor has her mum, her credit is great and she’s not even gotten a parking ticket.~

The letter said she could appeal and also request a SAR – which would give the details as to why she failed. So we sent the request for the SAR and the appeal.
We heard back from the SAR after 3 weeks – they said they can’t give her any further information and won’t tell her why she failed the vetting.

The appeal took much longer (was meant to be 21 days) in total she waited almost 3 months.
The result of the appeal is that they are upholding their decision. It also states that they can’t tell her why due to Data Protection.

She is naturally devastated. She doesn’t understand why, and no one can (or will) tell her why. The only thing we can think of is that it’s something to do with her Father. But if so, how can they punish her for his mistakes/dealings? She explained at length to them the extent of their relationship, that she’s a secret from his family, that she resents him for this, that she speaks to him very occasionally.

Does anyone have any ideas on what we can do (if we even can) now? This poor girl has done nothing to deserve this, she’s worked so hard to get into the Police and now she’s been rejected for something which isn’t her fault.

She wants to be a police officer, yet doesn't have the wherewithall nor the ability to search public records to find her father's address, nor who her own siblings are? Realistically she wouldn't be very good then!

@NameChangePoP write to the DPO, contact details will be in the privacy notice. I wouldn't get her hopes up because there are a number of exemptions that apply to SARs in this context, but it is worth exhausting all avenues just to ensure she's had everything she should.

I only know one other person who had the same thing happen. She also never found out why she failed, but she was applying for a job with a much, much higher level of vetting as she was already ex-Met. It really devastated her.

I could hazard a few guesses what ‘business’ this ‘businessman’ is involved in. They can’t give reasons because it’s him, not her, and it could, as a pp pointed out, be a matter of national security, an ongoing investigation, or links to organised crime. In my past professional experience there’s nothing she can do. Can she try Claire’s law to find out what crimes he’s been in trouble for? It won’t change this, but she’ll have more knowledge of what this person is.

That's a bit harsh. This is a 22 year old young woman who was born into a situation that she didn't ask for. She's struggled with not having a proper father figure her whole life. She's been forced to accept the situation as it is - and has been told to not ask questions about it.
She has no love for her Father. She tolerates him because of her mum, but if it were her choice she wouldn't be related to him nor have any contact with him.

She obviously did the right thing naming him as her Dad, she lives in a house he owns, the link was going to come out at some point.

As much as it seems unfair i think the police have done the right thing. She's living off the proceeds of crime. And are you really buying that she doesn't know what he's been in court for? A google search would tell her.

This.

Also if someone has a common name and an unclear birth date they could easily be mixed up with someone else so she should have dug around to find out about her dad and half-siblings before applying.

Even then if he is a small time criminal with links to more serious offenders and/or certain countries, she would still get rejected.

No it isn't harsh.

If you want to get a job that requires security vetting then you need to be able to gather information about your family background and give the details they need.

One of my friends couldn't get all the information he needed about his step-siblings at the same age, so he couldn't apply for a job he wanted that required high level vetting.

Oh what a shame for the DIL. I think she needs to confront her dad and ask what is going on. Especially for her own sake.

Normally when they can't tell you when its the vetting process is because the police or other agencies are currently working on the case.

The mum may wish to speak to a lawyer since the house etc is in his name. Just as a safety reason.

But he has played an active role, he has provided a roof over her and her mums heads, food,cars and has covered all the other expenses of life.

There is obviously something very iffy about how he has funded her lifestyle. You really can’t expect a police officer to be funded, for example, by the proceeds of crime, or money laundering, or dodgy tax deals or whatever has been thrown up by the investigation. I suggest she contacts him , and asks exactly why he had previous run ins with the law and exactly what his “business” interests are since they have had such an adverse effect on her career plans.

Failing to list him would have been worse.

She has an ongoing financial relationship with a foreign national. That is definitely the kind of thing that has to be declared.

It’s the rare man in completely legitimate business that can manage to keep a secret family and support them financially. The outgoings would be too hard to hide for all but the highest salaried or the self-employed with reasonably high cash flow.

Was/Is the father aware of you DIL's career hopes?

Does her Father have connections to political figures in Pakistan or other politically exposed people? He may be seen as a corruption risk.
He may be involved in money transfers back and forth to Pakistan through the informal systems that are a grey area for AML.
He may have questionable tax affairs if he runs a taxi firm eg are the drivers truly self employed or is he claiming they are to avoid paying National Insurance etc.

The Vetting Unit will not go into detail as to why she failed vetting - this is usually very clearly stated on the form and at the start of the process - this was the case when I had my vetting for the police done this year. They will just say she either passed or failed vetting. It could be for any reason at all, may not even be related to her father who she named on the vetting form.
If she was in any doubt about putting his details down on the form she should have spoken to the vetting team.

Whilst it may seem unfair, the lack of insight as to how the situation may be perceived is concerning and would be a valid reason not to take her on. It doesn’t seem as though she is able to see that her current living situation etc has put her in difficulty and why it will be an issue. I’m sort of surprised she didn’t try and do a bit of digging before applying, she must have had some concern given that she questioned whether to put his name down.

It feels really harsh but she can challenge and question till she’s blue in the face, but she won’t be told. I’m pretty sure there will be things where national security trumps any SAR.

I am thankful that the vetting appears to have been done, and thoroughly! Given that the Met and other police services have not carried out vetting properly and have been wholly criticised for it, I should imagine that there is a lot of scrutiny on how the vetting is conducted and how strictly the criteria for passing is applied. We need the standards to be met and to be strong. I am sorry for your friend but she is unlikely to get any change of decision from any follow up process. She’d be better off thinking about what other options she has for her career.

Unfortunately if he is still sending her money and he owns the house she lives in then thats enough of a connection and potential for conflict of interest to cast doubts.. Perhaps if she can cut him off and move out then shè could reapply in a few years time but it may be hard for her if he still exerts some hold over her mum and she has relationship with mum.

I think you and your DIL are being very niave in relation to her father's business activities

The thing that galls people who have made a SAR is that they are only entitled to their personal data and not that relating to anyone else nor anything that would make a third party identifiable even when redacted (unless they have been consented specifically). It's hard but that's how it is. There are also exemptions to disclosure as mentioned above but include references.

Under SAR she only has the right to access her own data, so if it is the case that the vetting uncovered concerns about her father they would not be able to tell her what they are, or even that the father is was the reason for not passing vetting.

I e recently passed my vetting for prison service

They are thorough! And they take their time, but it's clear there is no further info if you fail

I too am glad that this country has that layer of security to protect us

The vetting process is thorough. I know a young man who failed the vetting because his mother had an undeclared motoring offence.

I would suggest she approaches her mp who may be able to get some answers and potentially broker a solution. Mp's can be very good at these complicated situations

No MP will be able to involve themself in this

Gdpr alone would prevent any details of the father being passed over