Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling (a) existing probation staff and (b) potential probation recruits to take up roles in the Unified Probation Service that do not require access to the ViSOR database if they do not pass the new police vetting requirement for ViSOR access.

Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) level 2 has been in place for over a decade in HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) for ViSOR users and is a level of vetting agreed by Police and, at the time, the National Offender Management Service as a minimum requirement for using ViSOR.

Potential probation recruits whose role will require the use of ViSOR undergo NPPV at recruitment stage, however we do not review or support failed vetting applications at that stage. Potential probation recruits whose role will not require the use of ViSOR do not undergo NPPV.

Every applicant is entitled to appeal a negative decision which is heard by a panel chaired by the Deputy Chief Constable of Warwickshire and have access to advice to the Vetting Support Officer who understands the necessary requirements for a successful application. This ensures no loss of integrity highlighted by the vetting process.

In the event of a failed application, there is a procedure in place for any further investigations in the process, including examining the applicant’s original recruitment level vetting. The review is based on a review of a risk to the service and further considerations on employment and redeployment within the HMPPS, MoJ or the wider civil service.