Civil Service CTC security vetting - will my parents be contacted?

[durhampasty]

I am currently filling out a counter terrorism check vetting form for my new civil service job. As part of the process I have to provide parents' name, contact details, address, occupation etc. I am NC with my mother and her new partner due to abuse and I have to provide details for both these people.

I'm concerned that my mother will be contacted by my new employer to confirm the information I provide, particularly as what I provide may be slightly out of date given that I don't currently have a relationship with them. I really don't want them to be contacted because I don't want them to know where I'm working or that I'm starting a new job etc. I also don't want them to have the satisfaction of knowing I need to provide their information to take advantage of a new opportunity for myself.

I could contact my new employer to ask if my parents will be contacted or will otherwise become aware of the situation, but I'm worried that this could then be held against me in the security approval process. But surely I can't be the first candidate who is estranged from a parent for legitimate reasons? Does anyone know if my parents will be contacted?

I've been through various levels of security vetting, and never have my parents been contacted. I dont know about this type of vetting specifically though.

Currently going through it no my mum hasn't been contacted

Only for DV not 'entry level' CT checks. Ask which clearance level you will be?

Only once - but that was a much higher level than counter terrorism check. Standard CT check, no, parents weren't contacted.

I've have that clearance. Nobody was contacted

Actually strike that. I have a higher level than that and nobody has ever been contacted.

I would not be surprised if the staff running the vetting procedure have not had this situation arise before. Apart from any other considerations, a candidate may not have surviving parents.
There will be other ways of verifying details which they could have provided, such as your place and date of birth, schooling etc.
I was involved in the vetting process for a friend whose ICT/civil service role was moving into the realms of "Top Secret", and the specific request was for a person who had known them for a long time but was not related (not quite the same situation, I appreciate).

Yeah CTC (Counter Terrorist Check) is less than an SC (Security Clearance).
As PP said the only Security clearance that will maybe contact your parents is DV (Developed Vetting).
However you may want to add into the notes that you are estranged from your parents and do not want them contacted / are unsure that you have the correct information for them.
They are just looking for you to be up front & honest.

Info - I was the Security Controller for an MOD site working in close conjunction with NSV.

I hold SC level and they didn't contact family. They will only do that for DV which is essentially for frequent "top secret" access.

This is what they check for each level: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#counter-terrorist-check-ctclevel-1b

No they will not, they won't for DV either.

You typically have to get to fairly high levels for them to bother doing any form of extended family interview. They reserve the right to contact anyone, but the odds of it happening are very low.

on the very small odds they do happen to contact your estranged family, you shouldn’t feel like that means your family wins. You should actually view it as an opportunity for them to see your success without them.

this isn’t worth worrying about. Just fill out the form and enjoy your new job

No they don’t contact them directly

I’m DV- parents never been contacted.

Only people they contacted were part of my interview so listed references I provided them.

they wouldn’t even contact them for strap- that’s not what they are checking up on.

Depends what level. My mum was contacted for her brother’s vetting but it was much higher than standard SC.

I think they want the info but don't necessarily contact the people. My brother had to have higher level vetting and needed to provide some details about me but I was not contacted.

@Chattycathydoll NSV done by UKSV will not contact any family members, not at any level (unless accepted as a referee).

As others have said, there will be no need for contact with your parents, but to be sure there is no problem with you highlighting ‘no contact’ and your concerns on the form or contacting vetting about that.

The information will be used for any criminal records, security records etc.

As you have noted, you may not have the right / most up to date information, but have valid reasons for that. If you’re worried that anything is found to be ‘wrong’ then you could also cover that in any notes / contact. If something conflicted then it’s more likely that you would be contacted to verify.

You can have cases where someone can only answer that they have no knowledge about their parents

The vetting information isn’t used for any references etc, it’s ‘just’ a risk assessment over employing you.

Back in the late 80s to 90s I was aware of ex soldiers who would complain about having to make fresh vetting applications to get into the civil service - “I’ve been in for 25 years, so I must obviously be at least SC” …… only to have been unaware of a family connection to something such as the IRA etc - these may have had no impact or caused an unnoticed flag that kept their career out of particular specialisms

Recently I discovered that one of the officers I work with has a relative that’s the founder member of an organised crime syndicate. That’s not affected his career - but is declared

Once I was interviewed as line manager during the DV process for a member of staff moving on. This was during a major restructuring and with people becoming surplus and moving on I was the line manager to people who’s managers had left.
My interview answers were mostly “I don’t know”, “I don’t have knowledge of any concerns, but if there were I probably wouldn’t no”
My lack of knowledge didn’t prevent them from getting the job

I’ve had CTC twice in the past and my parents were never contacted. My partner has SC and his parents were never contacted either (and nor was I as his partner). Most people we know have had some form of clearance and it’s only DV / Enhanced DV where they start to interview / contact people unless they really really are having trouble verifying something.

Ah could it be if the individual was working in tandem/association with a foreign government? I hadn’t considered that it might be them that wanted it done, not UK!

My dd has just gone through this process, apart from calling me checking my dps date of birth I wouldn't have known and this was security clearance at a fairly high level.

I did have to give her details of everyone regularly in our household though, eg dsd's boyfriends details.

@Chattycathydoll possibly, it depends who does the vetting too, UKSV do CTC but could have been somewhere else depending on the employer.

I remember having to report sexual partners. I was 21 and it was mortifying!!!

Thanks everyone for the reassurance - I have completed the form and gave a note explaining why info on my mother and her partner may not be 100% accurate. I just get really anxious about it because as I say, there was abuse involved and I want a complete separation of my life from theirs.

DH filled this out, MIL wasn’t contacted.