Security Clearance

[Too Late]

Hi all. Have a question

I was working for a government body as a consultant which they security cleared me. I assume they are my sponsor during the process and they drove it through until i was cleared. 20 months later i moved to a different government body and they transferred my SC over. I have found out it has lapsed a few weeks ago and they are having to try and expedite the process to get a renewal as quickly as possible

My question is, who is responsible for my clearance? Is it the sponsor or is it me? Seeing as i cant liaise with the vetting control to see get information on my clearance, i assume the sponsor manages this?

I am asking because the company who placed me at the government is alluding to it being my responsibility.

Thanks
Nick

[sociopath]

Individuals can't apply for clearance afaik do how can it be your responsibility?

[mikees]

You might be stuffed. Its the sponsors responsibility but the UK Vetting Service have reduced capacity to 15% (Fifteen) and they were always a bit slow. They will focus on clearing people for roles that directly effect CV19.

[98elise]

sociopath said:

Individuals can't apply for clearance afaik do how can it be your responsibility?

This.

[Piersman2]

About the only thing you'll know as an individual is who gained you clearance for you and how long it's valid for.

When you move to another company they'll usually contact the previous employer and ask for the details so they can have you re-assigned over to them by the SC people.

[768]

So many companies are rubbish at this, not that UKSV make it easy.

[Too Late]

Thanks all

Chasing it today. Renewal forms filled in

[2Btoo]

FWIW renewal always used to be much quicker and easier than first application.

[Too Late]

So renewal is now in to vetting.

What has annoyed me, the company which placed me in the government role are still saying i am responsible for my SC. How can i be responsible when i call up the SC vetting office and they say that they cannot give me the expiry date, opnly my sponsor can do this.


Is there anything out there which documents the responsibility of my SC so i can back my claim up that it was their responsibility to renew it and not mine.

Thanks

[blank]

Are you speaking to the designated security controller?

It's their responsibility.

[Too Late]

No. I am speaking to the consultancy company who is liaising security controller.

[Autopilot]

Too Late said:

So renewal is now in to vetting.

What has annoyed me, the company which placed me in the government role are still saying i am responsible for my SC. How can i be responsible when i call up the SC vetting office and they say that they cannot give me the expiry date, opnly my sponsor can do this.


Is there anything out there which documents the responsibility of my SC so i can back my claim up that it was their responsibility to renew it and not mine.

Thanks

Yep, it's quite clearly documented here in the 'Why you need a sponsor' section' - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/united-kingdom-securit...

"Your sponsoring organisation will own the security clearance, so it is their responsibility to inform UKSV when an individual no longer needs security clearance for their role, or has left the organisation.". A link to this page should settle your quarrel.

Sounds to me like a few things have gone wrong to be honest. SC is applied to a role, not a person, so although you were security cleared, if you started another role that didn't require SC, it should be revoked and if not transferred to a new role which requires SC, it will lapse.

What should happen when transferring SC (where allowed) is that new company HR or Security Controller contacts equivalent person at your previous organisation, asks a few questions and that's pretty much the end of it.

From memory, unless it's specifically for a shorter period, SC always used to be valid for 10 years providing all terms are met, so shouldn't have expired in this short a period. I'd say somebody messed up somewhere and like you say, it's got nothing to do with you at all, you have no control over it what so ever.

I'm a contractor and mine lapsed because I was in a non-SC role for over a year. When a new role required me to be SC Cleared, it took 3 or 4 weeks for the application to be processed and SC granted....there wasn't a pandemic going on at the time, so who knows how long it will take, but BPSS is enough for now and nowhere is allowed to discriminate against you for not having SC (despite places saying you must already have it).

Hope this helps!