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Defence

DBS checks are for positions involving certain activities and high levels of responsibility, such as teaching children or dealing with vulnerable adults, and can also be obtained for certain other professions such as judicial appointments or RSPCA officers.

A DBS check is carried out and results in certificates being issued to an individual. Employers can then ask to see this certificate to ensure that they are recruiting suitable people into their organisation.

There are four levels of check:

• Basic check
• Standard check
• Enhanced check
• Enhanced check with barred list(s)

The information contained on each type of check is different.

Although not an official security check, it does provide an insight to a candidate’s integrity, and is used as standard in government for roles such as civil servants, armed forces, and government contractors. The check includes verifying nationality, ID, and immigration status, as well as employment history and a basic criminal records check. This check cannot be carried out by the applicant and must be completed by the organisation offering employment. 

This type of check will be carried out for any applicant that may have access to sensitive or military information, or be working with high profile / public figures if a vulnerability to terrorist attack is identified.

A security check (SC or SC cleared) is required for people who have substantial access to secret or occasional controlled access to secret assets.

A full security check clearance process comprises:

• A baseline personnel security standard (BPSS)
• Departmental/company records check
• Security questionnaire
• Criminal record check
• Credit reference check
• Security service check

Developed Vetting (DV) is the highest level of security clearance and is required for people with substantial unsupervised access to secret assets or for those working in the intelligence or security agencies.

A full DV security clearance process comprises the following mandatory vetting stages:

• A baseline personnel security standard (BPSS)
• Departmental / company records check
• DV security clearance questionnaire
• Criminal record check
• Credit reference check
• Security service check
• Check of medical and psychological information provided

SIA Operates the compulsory licensing of individuals working in specific sectors of the private security industry within the UK. The activities licensed under the Private Security Industry 2001 regulation pertain to Manned Guarding.

NATO has four levels of security classification: NATO Restricted (NR), NATO Confidential (NC), NATO Secret (NS) and COSMIC Top Secret (CTS). NATO’s clearance levels function independent of any clearance levels for other nations. However, it is understood that for most NATO nations, granting of a NATO security clearance is handled in a similar manner to that of obtaining a national security clearance.