UK Security Clearance Has anyone done it?

[soupforbrains]

Hi all,

Has anyone on here gained UK security clearance for work? I have just been offered a new job which is great package and I'll be accepting it. Once I've started I have to get UK Security Clearance.

They told me about this before my final interview because as they said it can be 'intrusive'. I've no skeletons in closets to worry about but I'd like to know more about the process and what it entails. My dad went through it decades ago and at that time it was very intrusive and my mum was under surveillance for weeks. (This was in the peak of the 'troubles', dad is English and CofE, he married a catholic Irishwoman from Belfast)

Has anyone on here gone through the process recently and can give me an idea of what to expect?

I had a couple of interviews over the years which demanded SC clearance. I was told both times that having the clearance already gave me an advantage over someone who has yet to obtain the clearance.

@soupforbrains as long as its not something blackmailable and you are honest about it they won't care about that. they deff won't demand you do anything. I think its more "If someone said you had to tell your son his fathers identity or release state secrets would you release the state secrets" that it would become an issue.

@MaliceOrgan its not a qualification but SC takes 3 months and DV can take 6 months to get so it may be the deciding factor in the end but hopefully not the only reason!

I’ve got SC clearance and recently renewed. My experience is that it’s not intrusive and pretty straightforward. My parents were Irish catholic immigrants to the UK

For any clearance the key thing if to tell the truth.

They are looking for your vulnerabilities. Often they are asking for information they already know, and if you lie that’s it.

They are not going to disclose the info about your son’s father to anyone or make you, but don’t lie about it. Most people who fail clearances do so because they lied, usually about silly little things (like not admitting to a speeding fine).

No that's fine, I would tell them about the whole situation happily. It's not something I am ashamed of or particularly hide, it's just to protect my son until he is ready.

I just wondered because someone on this thread said that if you're gay you have to come out to everyone so that you can't be blackmailed.

Oh, one other thing: if you do get clearance it’s best not to tell too many people that you have it.

I do, but it's fine, provided there's nothing dubious in yours, or your immediate families backgrounds. They didnt check close friends out, but I suppose some jobs may. Some colleagues who are themselves, or have Northern Irish relatives had similar issues to your Dad when they were first employed, but that was during the Troubles so things may have changed since then.

If you come from a family of gangsters with a multitude of convictions, or if a close relative has been convicted of corporate fraud or something then you should worry, but otherwise you'll be fine.

@soupforbrains

No that's fine, I would tell them about the whole situation happily. It's not something I am ashamed of or particularly hide, it's just to protect my son until he is ready.

I just wondered because someone on this thread said that if you're gay you have to come out to everyone so that you can't be blackmailed.

I said that about secrets because someone at DHs work got sacked (this was 20+ years ago) for being gay and not out - they considered them a security risk.

Just be honest and you'll be fine. I'm not an expert but I imagine a secret from your child is not the sort of thing they worry about.

@soupforbrains

No that's fine, I would tell them about the whole situation happily. It's not something I am ashamed of or particularly hide, it's just to protect my son until he is ready.

I just wondered because someone on this thread said that if you're gay you have to come out to everyone so that you can't be blackmailed.

I disagree that if a person was gay & in the closet that they wouldn’t pass clearance.

Everyone is treated on a case by case basis, there are people with DV clearance who may be having affairs, have bizarre preferences etc. They must be honest to the interviewer.
Blackmail is a concern, but there’s no need to out yourself today and potentially destroy their current life on the off chance of being a potential future blackmail risk - otherwise they would lie to the interviewer and be a greater risk

I've done SC clearance within the last 6 months. Wasn't too bad and took 7 weeks. That's with having an absent father with no clue where he was.

A colleague had DV clearance last year. Filled all in and submitted. Her parents admitted that after submitting her dad had served time for attempted murder. She had to go back and resubmit. It took longer, but she still got the clearance.

I had an SC check done some years ago - mostly into my finances (the contract I was working on was for a global bank) - and a few more personal questions, such as my 'out' sexuality and any previous convictions / political leanings (I was briefly a member of the Socialist Workers' Party in my teens!).

It was all fine - as PPs have said, it was more the length of time it took (I think about five-six months, as I remember).

Also, my family background is straight-down-the-line vanilla, so I would imagine it was a staggeringly boring job for the person responsible for doing mine...