Police Recruitment - Vetting advice and guidance

Link:https://youtu.be/7aSiFxg6i88

 Police Vetting: Why "I Forgot" Could End Your Police Career Before It Begins

The Critical Importance of Full Disclosure in Your Vetting Forms

If you're in the police recruitment process, your journey typically follows a predictable path: application form, online assessments, interviews, fitness test—and then, just when you think you're almost there, vetting.

What many candidates don't realise is that this final hurdle trips up countless otherwise excellent applicants. After helping over 3,500 people successfully join the police, I've seen too many promising careers end at the vetting stage due to one simple mistake: incomplete disclosure.

The "I Forgot" Excuse That Vetting Officers Never Accept

The most common reason candidates fail vetting is alarmingly simple—they don't disclose all their previous interactions with police.

When challenged, these candidates invariably respond: "But I forgot about it."

Let me be absolutely clear: vetting officers do not accept this excuse. Ever.

Why? Because they view non-disclosure as an integrity issue. Police officers are held to exceptionally high standards of honesty, and if you "forget" significant events in your history, it raises immediate concerns about either your honesty or your attention to detail—neither of which are qualities forces want in their officers.

What You MUST Disclose (Even If You Think It's Irrelevant)

When completing your vetting forms, you need to disclose:

1. ALL Contact with Police—Regardless of Role

This includes instances where you were:

• A suspect

• A witness

• A victim

• Simply spoken to as part of an enquiry

• Stopped and searched

• Stopped for a traffic check

Yes, even that time when you were nine years old and a friendly officer stopped you riding your bike on the pavement to tell you about a cycling proficiency course (as happened to me).

2. ALL Cautions, Warnings, or Reprimands

• Juvenile cautions or warnings

• Adult cautions

• Formal written warnings

• Penalty notices for disorder

• Fixed penalty notices (except standard traffic FPNs in some forces)

Even if you were 11 years old and received what you think might have been a caution—disclose it. Let the vetting team determine its relevance.

3. ALL Family Connections with Criminal History

If your relatives (especially close ones) have criminal convictions or cautions, you must disclose this. This includes:

• Parents and step-parents

• Siblings

• Children

• Current or recent partners

• Anyone living in your household

4. ALL Historical Incidents—No Matter How Long Ago

There is no "expiry date" on disclosure for police vetting. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act exceptions mean everything must be disclosed, regardless of how long ago it occurred.

Better to Over-Disclose Than Under-Disclose

The consequences of non-disclosure are severe—immediate failure at the vetting stage. But what about disclosing something that turns out to be irrelevant?

The worst that happens is the vetting officer thinks "Bless them for being so thorough" and crosses it off. There are no negative consequences for disclosing too much, but failing to disclose enough will end your application.

As I tell all my candidates: even minor incidents like being taken home by a police officer at age 8 for playing with matches in an alleyway should be mentioned. It sounds trivial, but being comprehensive demonstrates your commitment to transparency.

Real Examples of Vetting Failures That Could Have Been Avoided

Through our 19,000+ member Facebook support group, we regularly hear from candidates who've failed vetting for non-disclosure. Here are some real examples (with details changed to protect identities):

Case 1: The "Minor" Caution

A candidate failed to mention a caution received at age 13 for shoplifting. Their reasoning? "It was just a Mars Bar, and they said it wouldn't go on my record."

Result: Failed vetting.

Case 2: The Witness Statement

A candidate didn't disclose that they'd given a witness statement after observing a fight outside a pub three years earlier. Their reasoning? "I wasn't involved in any trouble myself."

Result: Failed vetting.

Case 3: The Family Connection

A candidate didn't mention that their brother had a conviction for drug offences. Their reasoning? "We don't really speak anymore."

Result: Failed vetting.

How to Successfully Navigate Vetting Issues

While complete disclosure is essential, it doesn't mean that any past incident automatically disqualifies you. Many of my clients have successfully navigated potential vetting issues by:

1. Being completely transparent from the start

2. Providing full context around historical incidents

3. Demonstrating how they've changed or matured since any youthful indiscretions

4. Maintaining open communication with the vetting team

Some of my clients who initially failed vetting have managed to overturn these decisions through directly engaging with the vetting team, but this is only possible if the issue was a genuine misunderstanding rather than deliberate non-disclosure.

Remember: Vetting Comes at the End of Your Journey

What makes vetting failures particularly heartbreaking is their timing. After investing months in the recruitment process, passing assessments, interviews, and fitness tests, candidates find themselves rejected at the final hurdle for something that could have been addressed from the beginning.

Don't let this happen to you. Be meticulous, comprehensive, and absolutely transparent in your disclosures.

Your Vetting Checklist

Before submitting your vetting forms, ask yourself:

• Have I disclosed every interaction I've ever had with police, no matter how minor?

• Have I mentioned all cautions, warnings, or reprimands, regardless of how long ago they occurred?

• Have I disclosed relevant information about family members with criminal histories?

• Have I double-checked with family members about any incidents I might have forgotten?

• Have I disclosed all incidents where I was a victim or witness?

• Have I provided full context around any disclosures to help the vetting team understand them properly?

If you can answer "yes" to all these questions, you've given yourself the best possible chance of clearing the vetting hurdle.

Need More Support?

If you're unsure about any aspect of your vetting disclosure, our Facebook support group of 19,000+ members includes many who have successfully navigated the vetting process, as well as serving officers who understand how the system works.

Click here to join our community and get the support you need to ensure your police journey doesn't end at the vetting stage.

Remember: Your police career begins with honesty—and that starts with your vetting forms.