Visit the Dorset Police website www.dorset.police.uk
All information you provide as part of this process remains strictly confidential.
Vetting is the process by where you disclose any information that may affect your suitability to become a police officer or detective.
It is a comprehensive process, and the length of time these checks can take will vary. It can range from around one to three months and your place on the programme will be subject to you passing these checks.
The vetting process assesses an individual’s honesty and integrity and identifies any vulnerabilities. It is essential you provide thorough and precise information, as this will then be reviewed by the force you are applying to.
Failure to disclose something during this process may result in a vetting failure, and you not being able to join the programme, on the grounds of honesty and integrity.
Once you receive a conditional offer for the programme in any specialism, you will begin the vetting process.
Checks will be carried out on anything self-declared, as well as making sure nothing else is discovered which could call your suitability into question.
If anything is discovered that hasn’t been declared, this will result in automatic vetting failure. If you’re in doubt about whether to disclose something, it’s always best disclose it.
The vetting you will undertake varies depending on the specialism you apply to and the force you are joining.
While all candidates undergo Recruitment Vetting, those who join our Counter Terrorism specialism may be required to complete additional vetting to allow them to access sensitive material.
You must declare all convictions for past offences, formal cautions (including as a juvenile) and any bind-over imposed by the courts. Some applicants don’t declare information they believe is no longer held on record. Others do not declare information because they believe it is no longer relevant. However, vetting enquiries will reveal incidents from long ago and failure to disclose these will lead to your application being rejected.
This can include any reprimands, warnings, penalty notices and previous charges or summonses. If you have any outstanding charges or court summons which can result in a conviction, your application will automatically be postponed. It will only be considered once the outcome of the case is known.
Here are some examples of common scenarios that need declaration:
Your application may still be considered if you have been convicted for a minor motoring or traffic offence, unless there is a clear pattern of repeat behaviour.
You must declare any traffic offences, such as fixed penalty notices for road traffic offences and recordable offences such as disorder or alcohol-related offences but excluding parking fines.
This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Your application will automatically be rejected for the following motoring offences:
For vetting purposes, there is a requirement that an applicant should have been a resident in the UK for at least three years prior to applying. If a candidate has been outside of the UK for a significant time period, it is likely adequate checks cannot be carried out to ensure suitability for the position and therefore an application may be rejected.
This also applies to applicants who have lived abroad with a member of their family who was working for the armed forces or the UK government. Other circumstances including studying abroad and extended holidays of up to one year could be allowed, on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants must have the status of indefinite leave to remain and work without restriction in the UK; British citizens will have this status. Commonwealth citizens or other foreign nationals must provide proof that they have no restrictions on their stay in the UK. Please note some police forces accept pre-settled status, for other police forces nationals of the EEA or Switzerland require settled status.
All criminal offences tried in a Military Court are recorded on the Police National Computer, therefore, any cautions and convictions received while serving in HM Forces must be declared.
You must declare all cautions, convictions and investigations linked to your friends and family, to ensure that you aren’t vulnerable to extortion or blackmail. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and does not necessarily hinder your application.
The following factors will be considered:
You must declare any interactions with the police in your lifetime, regardless of the circumstance. This includes being stopped, questioned, interviewed, detained, or otherwise involved in police activity, even if no formal record or charge resulted. Some applicants say a police officer told them an incident wouldn’t be recorded. You should assume that everything is recorded, and failing to disclose it could harm your application.
Full disclosure of these interactions is required to ensure transparency and that your application can be properly assessed.
If your circumstances change during the application or vetting process, it is their personal responsibility to report any changes to the Recruitment Team as soon as possible.
Notifiable changes may include, but are not limited to:
Our recruitment officers are here to support you through the vetting process and answer any questions. They may ask you to clarify the information you have provided or request additional information. Or they can talk to you about how the information you provide during the vetting process, will be recorded.
Vetting guidelines are set by the College of Policing. Police Now cannot influence the guidance or decision-making of the force you are applying to.
You will either be sent your vetting form by the force you have applied to or you will be given access to your vetting form via your onboarding platform. This process won’t start until you’ve accepted a conditional offer with Police Now for our National Graduate Programme. You should complete your vetting form at the earliest opportunity.
To prepare, you can start gathering information in advance so, you can complete the vetting form as soon as you receive it, including:
If you are not sure how much detail to provide, then more is always preferable. Common mistakes include not providing enough detail or failing to declare something. This can cause delays and prevent you from joining the programme in time.
If you have any doubts about the relevance of a conviction or caution, include the details anyway, as it important for you to be open and honest.
In addition to the information you provide on your vetting form, the vetting process may include a range of additional checks to ensure suitability for the police service. These can include:
Communications related to your vetting application may arrive in your main inbox or your junk/spam folder. To avoid delays, check all email folders regularly.
Your information will only be stored on the force’s vetting system and not shared with anyone outside of the vetting unit. Forces must retain all digital and paper records in line with data protection and management of police information requirements.
If you have a criminal record, this doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from applying. Factors considered will include your age at the time of offence, how long ago you committed the offence, the nature and severity of the offence, and any patterns of repeat behaviour.
Your application will automatically be rejected if you have been cautioned or convicted for:
If your vetting clearance is declined or withdrawn, you will not be able to join the programme.
You can appeal a vetting decision, please refer to the Vetting Code of Practice for more information.
Vetting exists to make sure that those joining and choosing a career as a police officer understand the values and public expectations of policing. It is to ensure that your integrity as you enter policing, and when you are in service, is not called into question.
Vetting will be reviewed at regular points in your career.
Vetting is a comprehensive process. The length of time these checks can take will vary for each individual. It can take around one-three months. You should not worry if it takes slightly longer than this, as it varies by force and what type of vetting is required.
To avoid delays, check your inbox and junk folder regularly to ensure you are not missing any communications related to your vetting application.
Our recruitment officers are here to support you through the vetting process and answer any questions. They may ask you to clarify the information you have provided or request additional information. Or they can talk to you about how the information you provide during the vetting process, will be recorded.
If there are any changes in your personal circumstances related to information provided as part of the vetting process, it is your responsibility to highlight these to the force you have applied to and your recruitment officer as soon as possible.
Vetting guidelines are set by the College of Policing. Police Now cannot influence the guidance or decision-making of the force you are applying to.
We ask that you are open and honest and declare all investigations, cautions, convictions or interactions with the police, no matter when these took place or how significant they were. Misleading, incomplete or inaccurate information could result in you not being able to join the programme.
To start initial training, all vetting must be completed.
Here are some examples of common scenarios that need declaration:
If in doubt, disclose.
If you are not sure how much detail to provide, then more is always preferable. Common mistakes include not providing enough detail or failing to declare something. This can cause delays and prevent you from joining the programme in time.
If you have any doubts about the relevance of a conviction or caution, include the details anyway, as it important for you to demonstrate honesty throughout the vetting process.
All applicants must complete vetting prior to joining a force, to identify whether they are suitable to become a police officer. The vetting process includes disclosing information about your friends and family, to ensure that you aren’t vulnerable to extortion or blackmail.
You’ll be asked to provide information on:
Vetting also includes:
You will either be sent your vetting form by your allocated force or given access to your vetting form via your onboarding platform. This process won’t start until you’ve accepted a conditional offer with Police Now for one of our programmes. You should complete your vetting form at the earliest opportunity.
To prepare, you should start gathering information in advance so, you can complete the vetting form as soon as you receive it, including:
If your vetting clearance is declined or withdrawn, you will not be able to join the programme.
You can appeal a vetting decision, please refer to the Vetting Code of Practice for more information.
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Visit the Dorset Police website www.dorset.police.uk