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.

If its any consolation, the police force is depressingly still very sexist and racist on the whole, populated with far too many angry white men. She will have a nicer life in an alternative career.

But he has played an active role. He gives her money and he owns the house she lives in. He may not have done any more than that, but that is clearly enough. OP, I think the best thing you can do is help her to consider other alternative careers which won’t have the same vetting process rather than get hung up on why she has been refused this.

Submit a complaint to the ICO about the refusal to answer the SAR request and that should at least mean they have to provide a more explicit reason for not providing the information.

Your DIL is prime candidate for joining the police so I would expect there is a very valid reason for the decision the police have taken. Regardless of the fact she does not have a relationship with him, she is living off him by staying in that house. Sounds like there is something very bad about him which the police are aware of. It is him and her DM who she needs the answers off not the police. I feel her, she must be heartbroken but I do also see if from the police point of view.

They have positive action to support recruits from diverse backgrounds

They do indeed, but fortunately the vast majority of those from "diverse backgrounds" live blameless lives, whereas this guy clearly doesn't

Obviously it's disappointing for the DIL, but as a PP said "the view is that the rights of the individual are outweighed by the wider risk to the public", and I thoroughly agree with that

Certainly DIL could ask her father for more information about his activities, but is it honestly likely he'd be straight with her when she's hoping to join the police of all things?

It’s unfortunate for her. It sounds like she needs to stop accepting money from him as this could be a problem? And Cut ties with him, as if she doesn’t know where he lives or her siblings it doesn’t seem a great relationship anyway. She might then be able to apply in a few years?

Not trying to be nasty but this is just so unrealistic. It’s just not how it works. She’s been vetted. She’s failed for whatever reason. Nobody can or will go back and ‘negotiate’.

Her mother also may be a weak link - she might be seen as being vulnerable to a criminal while also having influence over her daughter. It is very sad for her but she may need to reconsider her career choice.

For DV they will already know. Not naming him would’ve been worse and she could have been facing criminal charges. DV is high level vetting and not everyone will get it.

@AnotherAppleThief she gets the job, they find out her father is some notorious terrorist/criminal/whatever and then they sack her for lying on her application.

They already know. Proper vetting is intense, lifestyle, past, friends and their connections, your in laws and their partners. It goes deep. Lie, they already know and it’s a criminal offence. You can’t negotiate your way out of it and demand they tell you the information. It will be covered by the official secrets act.

I wonder if there could also be something in the mums past.

Woman completely taken in by a man she loves. Helped him in something dodgy some way. Took the fall for it. If the Dil was young when this happened, she may not know.

Also - just by being a secret, she’s a blackmail risk.

I'm sorry it's not what you want to hear, but this story illustrates why vetting is so important. And living in a house paid for by a father with in interesting way of making money makes it a no.

Met officer ‘unaware’ her husband was a drug dealer

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b3a210dc-7986-11ed-bcd8-855e06175970?shareToken=1d12918421708c74ffe67bef92895007

Why do you think signing the Official Secrets Act makes any difference?

I advised that she should still name him as her Father. She did.

So I imagine that she's either blaming you, or you are blaming yourself, and you're desperately trying to put things right.
I'm afraid you can't.

This actually. DS failed vetting with the Met, for unknown reasons, but as he is adopted quite possibly some dodgy dealings by the birth family. He was accepted by another force though. Now because of a role he has with the intelligence corps he has the highest security clearance possible. But he was mighty pissed off when rejected by the Met.

I've been looking and can't see this question but I've stopped scrolling.

She lives with her mum? Does your son live there, too? Or why doesn't she live with your son, if not?

So sorry for your DIL, that's completely unfair. But the reasoning may well have to do with organised crime/national security/blackmailability. So hard to challenge.

Fwiw, she's not alone. A friend of a friend once applied for a job translating for the government - job ad was a bit vague about exact role. Passed all tests with flying colours, thought she had it, then was rejected after vetting.

Vetters had spoken to friends from university and concluded she'd had 'a string of unsuitable boyfriends'.....so a mix of concern about her being manipulable with good old-fashioned sexist moral judgment.

The whole vetting process sounds like an excellent opportunity for gatekeeping by misogynists and racists, tbh. Since they can invoke high and mighty terms ('national security') while refusing to explain themselves in detail.

Hmm. Well if her father is mixed up in any sort of criminal activity she is living in a house funded by, and supported by money from, the proceeds of crime. It's hardly surprising she failed!

@ThreeLocusts plenty of BAME people, including those from Commonwealth countries, get security cleared so work for the police, armed forces and civil service. They just have families including parents who are open about all their children and their business affairs.

The connection to Pakistan will be the issue. She will be unable to get the necessary vetting clearance.

Half of my local police force have connections to Pakistan. Are you suggesting I should be worried?

Only if they have children with activists and don't tell the activists they are police officers -

www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jan/20/undercover-police-children-activists

@Quveas not at all, I’m suggesting her father has connections that will be a risk.