Security Check at Interview - What do they check!?

[james.edward.dobson]

Hi

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

I had an interview this morning at a company that quite rightly has high security due to the nature of its business.

 

Before the interview started, they requested that I complete a security check form giving my full name and addresses in the last 3 years. From this they will do a security check to ensure I can work for them if successful at interview.

 

What do they check, does anyone know!?

 

I have a police caution from last year. It did not ask on the form to disclose any such information, so can they therefore check if I do?

 

Many thanks for your help.

[Jimbo44]

Hi

 

Firstly, if the prospective employer's application form did not ask for any possible "criminal record details", you are under no obligation to provide them at that time.

 

However, in some types of employment, (such as working with children, the elderly or vulnerable), it is necessary for such checks to be made and the employer is quite entitled to do so.

 

I'm not at all sure of the length of time your caution will remain "live" (i.e. not be regarded as "spent") for, but it might be worthwhile for you to find this out, for future reference if nothing else!

 

I'm not in any way asking what your police caution was issued for, but I would guess that whether or not your prospective employer decides to continue with your application might well depend on how he views the cautions's relevance to his business.

 

Sorry I can't help more.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Jimbo44
typo

[james.edward.dobson]

Hi

 

I am not applying to work with children or vunerable people, security I guess more around the fact that they produce very valuable products.

 

If they are going to do a check of police records, should they not indicate this, or can this all be included within a 'security check'?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Can you please clarify?

 

Your employers must have given you a CRB form to complete, how else are they able to security check you?

[james.edward.dobson]

I think, in a nut shell, you have put my query into better words!

 

I have not filled in a CRB form, just an internal form from them I guess on which I had to detail my addresses over the last 3 years and my full name and date of birth.

 

They will then perform a security check.

 

I am just curious as to what they will check, if anyone knows!?

[Ell-enn]

Sounds more like a credit check to me

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yes, I'd agree with Ell-enn, this appears to be more of a credit check which the employers are calling a security check.

 

I think CRB ask for the last 5 years of address anyway.

[smudger51]

I,m just applying for a job and they to are going to do a check on me.As far as i,m aware it,s all your criminal records including live and spent records.They send your prospective employer one copy and another copy to you.

[james.edward.dobson]

Why would they do a credit check? My credit history has nothing to do with my suitability for or ability to do a job!?

 

It is a far call from the job that I applied for, but at say the airports, do they not do 'security checks' on staff? What do these entail?

 

Thanks.

[Ell-enn]

Hi, you say the company make very valuable products - they may want to check their employees' credit history as someone heavily in debt may be more tempted to commit fraud or theft - not nice I know, but I have heard of this happening.

 

Ell-enn

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Again, as Ell-enn has said, credit checks for a job are becoming far more common than they once were and are for the reasons Ell-enn states.

[james.edward.dobson]

But should they not then just say that they want to carry out a credit check?

 

Do people not need permission to check other people's credit file? Specific permission, not just permission to do a 'security check'?

 

Thanks.

[Gogivit]

Hi,

In the line of work I do, I have to have higher security checks which entails detailing a police caution I received 14 years ago.

 

I have done so (am obliged to do so) and you know what-I no longer worry about it. I know many people with cautions / convictions from the past but because they declared them they were not barred from the job applications or gaining employment.

 

Your Police Caution is relatively new, if you are asked to declare it then do so. General policy is to be honest. If you hide it then you will end up worse of.

 

I wish you luck and hope that you do not stress yourself out with worry and take note that approximately 25% of the UK working population have in their time received a caution!

[james.edward.dobson]

Thank you very much Gogivit. I appreciate your comments.

 

I haven't actually as yet been advised to disclose anything, but of course will do if asked.

 

I have run my question past my agency and they think that they will do a criminal record check, check I have lived in the UK the last 7 years and maybe do a credit check.

 

I do not think that cautions show up on criminal record checks, or am I wrong? Also, I am currently in an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) with my creditors. I do not think they would hold this against me should they run a credit check, would they?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Zamzara]

Cautions (and convictions) only show up for recordable offences: this means offences which potentially carry a prison sentence.

[james.edward.dobson]

I have had a look at the BRD website, and it suggests that any employer can ask for a basic dislcosure from them, and that this only details unspent convictions.

 

If an employer works with children or vunerable adults, then they can ask for a standard disclosure which details all unspent and spent convictions as well as cautions.

 

The job I am in the process of hopefully securing is not with children or vunerable adults, so I assume all the employer can obtain is a basic disclosure on which my caution will not be recorded.

 

Can anyone say if this rings true?

 

Thanks.

[patdavies]

I,m just applying for a job and they to are going to do a check on me.As far as i,m aware it,s all your criminal records including live and spent records.They send your prospective employer one copy and another copy to you.

 

That's a CRB check

[james.edward.dobson]

Yes it is, I meant to say CRB, God knows why I typed BRD!?

 

Are there any other types of criminal record check then!?

[patdavies]

I do not think that cautions show up on criminal record checks, or am I wrong?

 

Yes, you're wrong

 

Also, I am currently in an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) with my creditors. I do not think they would hold this against me should they run a credit check, would they?

 

It would depend on what they are looking for. An IVA is hardly an advertisement of creditworthiness is it?

 

Can you not tell us more about what the job is?

[james.edward.dobson]

So how am I wrong? As I said above, the CRB basic disclosure available to all employees does NOT show cautions. Are there any other types of criminal record check?

 

True, being in an IVA does not show creditworthiness, but what does that have to do with being suitable for a job?

[Zamzara]

The caution will show up on a standard disclosure forever if it was for a recordable offence. (This is an anomaly caused by the fact that official cautions didn't exist when the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act was introduced, so they aren't covered. It's a very unfair situation and means people should never accept a caution without taking legal advice.)

[patdavies]

So how am I wrong? As I said above, the CRB basic disclosure available to all employees does NOT show cautions. Are there any other types of criminal record check?

The CRB only offers standard and enhanced - see here

 

Other organisations do offer checks depending on where you live. CRB only applies to England and Wales Disclosure Scotland is the body that covers that part of the UK and they do offer basic checks.

[Zamzara]

If it's definitely a basic disclosure you may be right, however I was under the impression that a basic disclosure (which only shows convictions) only applies to airports.

 

Standard shows cautions as well, and an enhanced disclosure also shows spent convictions, acquittals, and false allegations.

 

In fact, I'm not sure that an employer can ask for a CRB check at all unless the job involves vulnerable groups or is at an airport.

[james.edward.dobson]

That is exactly what I thought, but I think that they can do a basic disclosure criminal record check for any employee, though this may not be through the CRB, I may be wrong.

 

I am not applying to work with children or vunerable adults, or at an airport, so expect this is all they can check.

 

Thanks.

[Zamzara]

I just looked at Pat's link, and it looks as if you're right, they can check unspent convictions only, not cautions.