Legal and Professional Standards Department - Other Force checks procedure (P04i)

1. Summary of changes

1.1. This standard operating procedure (SOP) was reviewed in October 2023 - no amendments to content made. 

2. What this procedure is about

2.1. The purpose of this SOP is to ensure that police officers, police staff employees, members of the Special Constabulary and non-police personnel, are checked against relevant intelligence and information databases holding information on individuals subject of the vetting process.

Compliance with this SOP and any governing policy is mandatory.

3. Detail the procedure

3.1. The requirements for police officer and Special Constabulary recruitment vetting are outlined in the College of Policing Circular 02/2011 entitled Police officer recruitment: eligibility criteria for the role of police constable. The circular includes guidance on the checks to be undertaken prior to the acceptance of applicants. These include qualifications, nationality, finances, criminal convictions, armed services checks and references. The APP vetting extends this guidance to include police staff employees and non-police personnel.

3.2  The APP vetting requires forces to support each other in ensuring the integrity of the police recruitment process, by carrying out certain checks for other forces on applicants, family members and/or associates as required.

3.3  The Central Vetting Unit will therefore carry out checks for other forces in respect of individuals proceeding through the vetting process.  

3.4  The central vetting unit will ensure that vetting enquiries are made across all force areas by utilising the Police National Database (PND). Forces should support each other in ensuring the integrity of all vetting processes by responding promptly to any requests for further information following a positive trace on the PND. Professional Standards Department (PSD) checks will also be requested from other forces as necessary.

3.5  In addition, where the applicant has disclosed previous armed services employment, or such employment has been discovered, a check must be carried out with the relevant service.

3.6  Upon discovery that there is additional information held elsewhere within forces in the UK then the request for information should be extended to include the force area where the information is held.

3.7  Prior to any request for information it is imperative that a Police National Computer (PNC) check is carried out on the person(s) to be checked. This will prevent unnecessary checks being requested and carried out where an individual would ordinarily fail vetting based on the PNC data alone.

3.8  The request should be by way of secure email. Fax or postal services should not be used. 

3.9  The Central Vetting Unit will maintain a single email address and be the single point of contact (SPoC) to receive and co-ordinate all vetting requests from other forces. 

3.10  The Central Vetting Unit will respond to a request for information relating to an applicant applying to work within another force area. Checks may include local intelligence databases, following a possible trace on PND and PSD checks. This information will be assessed for relevance and disclosed to the requesting force if appropriate.

3.11  In addition, if there is any record that another force has, or may have, information or intelligence on that individual, then the existence, but not the content, of such information should be disclosed to the requesting force so that they may contact the force owning the information.

3.12  If through the examination of force records, the existence of relatives or associates with relevant information or intelligence held on them is discovered, this should also be disclosed to the requesting force.

3.13  All checks should be recorded and managed and the reply retained by the Central Vetting Unit or PSD as appropriate. All information passed should be assessed using the National Intelligence Model 3x5x2 system, to ensure data protection compliance, effective management, and an audit trail of the exchange of information.

3.14  It should be remembered that the ‘receivers’ of the information are not the ‘owners’ of the information. Any request for disclosure should be discussed with the ‘owning’ force as a matter of routine prior to any response. Particular care must be taken when the information comprises intelligence. In these circumstances, before disclosing that information exists, the views of the ‘owing’ force must be sought, as directing an individual towards another force area could in itself highlight the existence of information or intelligence. It is essential there is a clear, audited dialogue between all forces involved.

3.15. The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty upon specified authorities (which includes the police) to ensure that their functions are discharged having due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. Our staff are not immune from radicalisation, therefore if such concerns regarding an individual or institution are identified, these should be referred to the Kent Police prevent team via the FIMU at the SB JIU.

4. Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

4.1. An EIA has been carried out and shows the proposals in this policy would have no potential or actual differential impact on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, transgender, disability, age, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

5. Risk assessment

5.1. This SOP has been assessed as medium risk.

6. Consultation

• Counter Corruption Unit
• Central Vetting Unit
• Human Resources
• IT Security
• Health and Safety
• Legal
• Freedom of Information
• Finance

7. Other source documents 

• APP Vetting
• Cabinet Office Security Policy Framework
• College of Policing Circular 02/2011

8. Security

8.1 Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management policy (Policy W1000 – Information Management).

9. Retention and disposal of records

9.1 Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal policy (Policy W1012 – Records Review, Retention and Disposal).