Civil service, juvenile cannabis caution.

[dottycat123]

My adult DS has passed the interview for a civil service job where he would be dealing with fraud investigations. He is currently going through the security checks and has had to disclose a juvenile cannabis caution for possession he received around 12 years ago. Clean DBS and no further involvement with Police. Will this prevent him from passing security? We can't seem to find a definitive answer online. Thanks

He is currently going through the security checks and has had to disclose a juvenile cannabis caution for possession he received around 12 years ago.

He needn't have declared a caution. It is spent (normally immediately or up to 3 months depending on conditions). His DBS check is clean because the caution would not have appeared on it, because it was spent.

Good luck to your DS getting a job in the Civil Service, I hope it's the start of a long CS career for him.

Thanks for that, hopefully all will be well.

It depends on the kind of vetting.
If its Developed Vetting he needs to declare EVERYTHING, as its a measure of integrity and truthfulness as well as previous conduct.

I am not sure if it's developed vetting but he has declared it so hopefully they will see it as a one off stupid teenager event.

BPSS is very different to Developed Vetting, they are chalk and cheese. My response was based on his security clearance being BPSS, ie basic security level.

he wouldn't need DV unless he will be in a security role protecting a senior member of government (for example) or having to work on Defence projects at Secret classification. And for DV you normally go through the basic security first, then they enhance it with DV.

Thanks for people's responses. The role is intelligence officer in a financial area so hopefully the lower level of clearance is adequate.

He has done absolutely the right thing by disclosing it. It’s unlikely to stop him passing.

No he'd be working with sensitive information. He will need a higher level of clearance.

I'm in intelligence and we all have Develooed Vetting level of clearance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels

It'll depend on his employers as to whether they care, but it's not that simple.

Not sure that’s something you should admit to online…

It's perfectly allowed.
No information apart from what is readily available online has been shared.

That they work in intelligence and hold that level of clearance? The wrong people could easily get extra information from post history and try and work out who you are.

I mean, I have a huge bag of aniseed balls I'm trying to use up 🤷. I also NC regularly like a sensible human.

And then what?
People who handle official secrets are often public figures, head of Mi5 is known, government figures, top civil servants, members of the armed forces.
You'd be surprised quite how many people work with sensitive information and are perfectly normal people.
Personally I work in civil service, I don't need higher clearance but I work with those that do. I am friends with those that work on nuclear subs, another that build bombs and another that works for NATO.
If anyone approaches anyone them and tries to get information, guess what, it gets reported. It's never actually happened to them, as far as I'm aware.

Fair enough if it’s a risk you are happy with than that’s your choice. I just think openly posting about holding clearance online is a pointless risk to take.

Risk of what? Would you care if I had BPSS? Or SC? Or of course, being MN, I could be a fantasist and hold no clearance at all but work in a warehouse or barefoot in the fields or something.

Any how, OP, none of us can state what your son will see happen, as it will depend on what clearance level he requires. Certainly all the people I work with hold no cautions etc, however I wouldn't know if it has seen others fail vetting before employment.

It’s heavily discouraged to post online about the level of clearance you have. If you genuinely held DV you wouldn’t post about it!

It’s good he has declared it. He will find out soon what the outcome is.

It will be fine 🙂

I never said I did, in fact I made it very clear that I don't.