Vetting outcomes

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/004142/R

Version Date: 02/02/2026

The Vetting Department and the Workforce Planning Department has provided the following information:

Please note, the Force is constrained by our published privacy notices and retention schedules. For unsuccessful applicants, including internal candidates applying for different roles, recruitment data is retained for up to 12 months only. After this point, records are securely destroyed in line with GDPR and force policy. As a result, the Force does not hold, and cannot retrospectively produce, a complete dataset covering the full period (10 years) requested.

I am seeking information about vetting outcomes, continued employment, and related correspondence within your police force.
Please provide the following information for the most recent ten full calendar years:
1.         The number of individuals who applied for a role within the force (including police officer, police staff, PCSOs, or specials) and failed to meet the required vetting standards for that role, but who:
o          remained employed by the force in a different role, or

o          were subsequently appointed to a different role within the force that required a different level of vetting.

Information not held; the Force is unable to obtain this information.

2.         Where available, a breakdown of the figures in question 1 by:
o          the role originally applied for,

o          the role in which the individual remained or was later employed,

Information not held; the Force is unable to obtain this information.

o          whether the vetting failure related to recruitment vetting, management vetting, or another vetting category.

3. Whether your force has any policy, guidance, or procedure that permits individuals who fail vetting for one role to remain employed in another role within the force.
   o If so, please provide the title of the policy and the date it came into effect.

The Force follow the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for vetting, and a review would be undertaken of the other role to see if there was any impact or decision required.

4.         Details of any formal correspondence between your force and any relevant labour force unions or staff associations (including, but not limited to, the Police Federation, UNISON, Unite, GMB, or other recognised bodies) that relates to:
o          vetting failures and continued employment within the force, or
o          policies or practices allowing redeployment or retention following a vetting failure.
For this question, I am seeking:
o          the existence of such correspondence,
o          the dates, parties involved, and general subject matter of the correspondence.
Copies or extracts of the correspondence may be provided where disclosure is possible, with any personal data appropriately redacted.
I am not seeking any personal data. Aggregate figures and policy-level information only are sufficient.

As far as the Force is aware, there is no correspondence; the Force would refer to the APP Vetting and undertake a review or make a decision if we declined vetting and were aware that the applicant has another role within Force.