Sharing criminal records may not be mandatory for security job roles anymore

The security job role is one of the most preferred options in the United Kingdom. While the entry requirements may not be that tough to meet for the aspirants, one thing that is must for the candidates is to be trustworthy and honest. This is because there are immense responsibilities linked with the job role such as being in charge of the entire premises at night when no one is around. Also, you as a security guard will also be responsible to ensure the safety and security of the premises, the staffs working as well as the visitors. For this reason, it was mandatory for all those applying for any of the security training courses to provide the details of the criminal background check.

What are the changes all about?

The recent modifications in the UK law have brought in amendments about the necessary disclosures to be made during job applications. It has been stated that the details of candidates having multiple criminal accusations or charges would automatically be made public and linked to their personal details. This is especially due to the fact that the tenure of criminal activities or the age of committing the crime was generally not mentioned in the details. Thus any candidate who was accused under criminal records under the age of 18 would not be exempted either. The new amendment has made the security training course application process easier for the applicants up to certain extents.

Can anyone with a criminal background apply for the license?

Now the question is what the benchmark for not sharing the details is and what criminal offenses would be neglected? The Security Industry Authority has come up with a procedure that can help you to know your eligibility to apply for the licenses even if you have a criminal record in the past. The procedure is carried out through an online approach where the candidate needs to fill in the details and the SIA would scale the background depending upon the details reported incidents as provided by the candidate. This helps the candidate to know beforehand if his records would be neglected or if he needs to share the details with the employer. That means candidates having minor criminal records such as theft, drug possession, etc. may be able to work in the private security industry of the UK after all.

But it does not mean that you will not be required to submit a disclosure of your background check. Rather, you may not need to share all the details with your potential employer.

Discuss with your training provider

While you can check out your eligibility from the official SIA website, discussing the issue with your security training provider can help you to develop valuable insight on the topic and prepare better for the situation. This can not only help you to avoid later harassments but also allow you to be prepared about the things to come from the very beginning. You can also research the web to know more about the changes.