Security vetting and bankruptcy - does anyone know...

AdvicePlease

why bankruptcy now means that you cannot pass a security vetting? I recently applied for a role with a police force as a civilian member of staff, and have been shortlisted for interview. One of the forms they have sent me is a security vetting form, and they ask if you have been bankrupt - if so, you must provide evidence that you are now discharged.

I have worked for a couple of other police forces to this one (as a civilian) and neither of them asked about bankruptcy - is this new legislation of some kind, or is it a policy just this police force has introduced?

Thankfully I am only asking out of curiousity, I dont need to ask them about it as I will now decline the interview having got a different job (phew!):)

fermi

http://policerecruitment.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/npia-02-20112835.pdf

BobQ

I cannot say what the police arrangements are or might have been in the past but it seems logical that anyone working in a public or private sector job where they may have access to information about national security, national finances, etc should undergo a vetting process.

Being a discharged bankrupt may not be a crime of itself but it does show that you have been irresponsible in the past with your own personal finances and may therefore be more susceptible to being bribed or more likely to abuse the trust that would normally be involved in handling information.

Sad as it may be for you, the police do need to act in the interests of the public at large and recruit people with unimpeachable integrity as far as they can ascertain it.

[Deleted User]

It's a general thing across all police forces.

Having unmanageable debts is a disciplinary offence, in the police force.

Quite a lot of police officers fell foul of that regulation, when the CSA was created.

fermi

Seems to be that the police put more stringent conditions in place than most vetting. Even than the MoD etc.

I know of at least two ex BRs who have recently gone through MoD vetting (SC & higher) with no probs at all.

AdvicePlease

Ahhhh so the police force have been very zealous and have applied the same principles to civilian staff as they do for police officers! Thanks for the clarification

LOL I know all about financial enquiries Bedsit Bob, I was Developed Vetted by the Home Office for one role I did....finances were only a small part of it, the enquiries about your sexual preferences were interesting

BobQ

fermi wrote: »

http://policerecruitment.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/npia-02-20112835.pdf

Interesting. Personally I am shocked that someone who has discharged their debts as recently as three years ago would still be considered.

fermi

AdvicePlease wrote: »

Ahhhh so the police force have been very zealous and have applied the same principles to civilian staff as they do for police officers! Thanks for the clarification

I recall seeing some document/link that said as much. At least for the majority of roles.

The other one was all I could dig up right now though.....

debtinfo

BobQ wrote: »

Being a discharged bankrupt may not be a crime of itself but it does show that you have been irresponsible in the past with your own personal finances and may therefore be more susceptible to being bribed or more likely to abuse the trust that would normally be involved in handling information.

I disagree, bankruptcy in itself does not show that the person has been irresponsible with their finances. I have met many bankrupts that have been irresponsible, and i have met some that have not. It merely shows that at a certain point a person was insolvent, it gives no indication as to how a person arrived at that situation. In fact many organisations do not have a blanket ban on bankrupts but will ask a person to declare the circumstances of how they became bankrupt and judge them on the merits of their situation.

I have also met many people who not being bankrupt have also been irresponsible and of course there is the odd copper who whilst being perfectly solvent is still partial to a bribe here or there

BobQ

debtinfo wrote: »

I disagree, bankruptcy in itself does not show that the person has been irresponsible with their finances. I have met many bankrupts that have been irresponsible, and i have met some that have not. It merely shows that at a certain point a person was insolvent, it gives no indication as to how a person arrived at that situation.

I take your point that sometimes events may create insolvency but equally many insovent people do get there through irresponsible borrowing and its reasonable for employers to consider such factors in job applications.

In fact many organisations do not have a blanket ban on bankrupts but will ask a person to declare the circumstances of how they became bankrupt and judge them on the merits of their situation.

Clearly this is what the police do in practice, also considering credit rating and lifestyle. But some jobs do need to be more careful about the risks than others.

I have also met many people who not being bankrupt have also been irresponsible and of course there is the odd copper who whilst being perfectly solvent is still partial to a bribe here or there

Fair comment but that is why they also consider if people are living above their means or have poor credit ratings, unusual debts. Not sure about the police but some employers do these checks periodically for certain employed staff.

22bear

Just to re-iterate what debtinfo has said about the various reasons why people become insolvent with some cases not being due to any irresponsibility...my own insolvency occured after I had to give up being a self-employed NHS dentist after suffering a stroke that left me with a pretty useless left hand...one day I had a well paid job, the next day it was gone, leaving me with the next years income tax liability to pay with no income to pay it (this is after being able to pay me income tax religiously on-time every single year for 18 years!)....to declare myself bankrupt was the only solution to clear this debt that I had absolutely no means to pay...

....so I hope you can see bobQ, that not all bankruptcies are due to irresponsibility!