Vetting Caseworker - UK Security Vetting

Job summary

UK Security Vetting (UKSV) is the single government provider of National Security Vetting, helping the government keep citizens safe and deliver essential public services by understanding and managing security risks.

As part of Cabinet Office, UKSV has a vital role in creating a unified vetting database, portable vetting options, and standardised pricing across government. Our goal is to operate as a highly efficient and customer-focused organisation.

We believe UKSV is a fantastic place to work, and we understand that maintaining a good work-life balance is essential for everyone. We're all about making sure your wellbeing comes first and giving you chances for a long, successful, and rewarding career.

When you become a part of UKSV, you also become part of a friendly, supportive, and diverse community. We’re here to help you build your confidence and enjoy your experiences both at work and beyond.

So whether you're looking to outline your career path, better manage your wellbeing, or thrive in a positive and inclusive environment, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Job description

UKSV is at the forefront of national security vetting. This entry-level Delivery role offers a fantastic opportunity to start or build a career in the Civil Service, providing strong progression, teamwork, and genuine impact. You will join a diverse, supportive environment with clear career pathways and excellent benefits.

What you will be doing:

As a Vetting Caseworker, you will play a vital role in the end-to-end vetting process. Your responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing and Verifying Applications: Managing vetting applications, checking identities and information provided to ensure accuracy;
• Stakeholder Communication: Responding to enquiries from applicants, sponsors, and others via email and phone, clarifying requirements, requesting missing information, and keeping stakeholders informed;
• Data Security and Confidentiality: Handling sensitive personal information with the utmost care, ensuring data privacy and security at all times;
• Service Delivery: Providing high-quality, reliable support by understanding the overall vetting process and how your work contributes to moving applications forward and supporting colleagues. This may include flexing to priority areas of the business outside your core role;
• Working in a target driven environment and being adaptable to change, including being trained / upskilled and deployed to other Delivery areas, in support of the business as and when required.

Person specification

Essential criteria

As a Vetting Caseworker within UK Security Vetting, we are seeking motivated individuals who possess the following qualities:

• Exceptional Attention to Detail: The ability to spot errors, verify data, and ensure high levels of accuracy;
• Self-Motivated and Collaborative: Capable of managing tasks independently while also working effectively as part of a team;
• Resilience and Agility: Proactively embraces change and demonstrates the flexibility required to effectively adjust priorities, processes, and methods in a dynamic work environment;
• Data Handling and Security: Understands data protection principles and can handle confidential information securely and discreetly;
• Clear Communication Skills: Expresses ideas clearly and professionally, both in writing and verbally;
• Consistent Service Delivery: Provides reliable, high-quality, customer-focused support to all stakeholders;
• Sound Judgment: Demonstrates impartial, well-grounded judgment by applying policy and evidence fairly.

Additional information:

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

You will be provided all of the necessary training you will require to take on your new role. The first stage of training will be a course which may last up to 10 weeks and during this time you will be required to attend an office location 5 days per week. The course will be followed up by a consolidation period which may last an additional 5 weeks. Both timelines are dependent on how quickly you pick up the role. Once your training is completed you will switch to the hybrid working model. Please note part-time employees would be required to commit to full-time hours for the training period.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,405, Cabinet Office contributes £7,939 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Casework Skills Test.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23.55 on 2nd March 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

There will be maintenance for online tests on Sunday 15th February. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between 12pm and 1pm. There will also be maintenance on Sunday 1st March from 4pm until midnight. Your progress will be saved, and you will be able to continue once the tests are available again.

If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

The final stage of your application will include -

• A Statement of Suitability (500 words max.) Please use your statement of suitability to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.
• You will also be assessed on behaviours at application stage.

Your Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the 'Person Specification' section of the job advert.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your statement of suitability. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Should you be successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an interview where you will be assessed on experience, behaviours and strengths.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – WC 2nd March 2026
Expected interview date/s – WC 23rd March 2026
Interview location – Interviews will be held face-to-face at both locations, and if you are unable to attend on any of the specified dates, we may not be able to offer alternatives.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via menurecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : UKSV Resourcing Team
• Email : uksv-resourcingteam@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : menurecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : menurecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)Vetting Caseworker - Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 664kB)