If you’ve been looking at making a move into working with the Police, you’ve probably seen the term NPPV. NPPV stands for Non-Police Personnel Vetting and applies to people who are working with the Police but who aren’t police officers. This could cover roles such as CCTV operators, administration staff, people working for the Immigration Service and police management personnel. The type of vetting which people have to go through to become a police officer is much more in-depth than even an enhanced DBS check.
What is checked through DBS?
DBS, or the Disclosure and Barring Service, is a system used to check up on the criminal records of people who are applying to work in certain occupations. Most of these will be people who are working in the healthcare system, care sector or with children. DBS is a system designed to protect vulnerable groups of people from being abused or harmed by people who have a criminal past. Depending on the types of checks being done, the DBS certificate will show all past convictions and cautions, as well as any other relevant information held by the Police. The employer will then use their judgement to decide whether or not to recruit that person.
NPPV
If you’re applying for a role in the Police, you’ll be subject to a higher-level vetting than a simple check into your criminal record. NPPV is designed to look thoroughly at all aspects of not only your life, but that of your spouse or close relations too. The form differs by Police force, but it’s typical to be asked to give names, dates of birth and addresses for your spouse and adult children, or parents if you still live at home, details of your financial past such as whether you’ve ever been to court over a debt or are in arrears on a loan, details of any friends or acquaintances who you think are engaged in criminal activities, and whether any of your relatives or friends belong to extremist groups. NPPV is all about building an overall picture of your character and weeding out any people who much be susceptible to being blackmailed or tempted to pass on information to criminals for financial gain.
As NPPV checking is far more detailed than DBS, checks can take longer to perform. Checks may also have to be run on several members of the family as well as on the person applying for the permission. Depending on the role, there will be a set period after which the vetting process is repeated. This is usually three years but can be more or less frequent depending on the role and responsibilities. Police officers and Special Constables go through similar vetting processes.
Having a distant cousin who has been in prison, or a spouse who was in debt as a student won’t stop you from getting a job with the Police as civilian staff. Closer links to criminals or more recent financial difficulties might though, so check out the policies and applications online before you apply.
