Pre-employment screening
BPSS vs. BS7858: Understanding the key differences in security screening checks
Recruitment agencies play a critical role in workforce security, not just in recruiting the right people but in ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, and candidate trustworthiness. Whether you’re placing permanent roles, temporary workers, or contractors, failing to carry out the right pre-employment and security screening checks could expose your agency to legal, financial, and reputational damage.
In high-security environments, due diligence isn’t optional. It’s a hard requirement. That’s why many industries rely on two key security screening standards:
-
Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) – a minimum-level pre-employment check for government-related roles.
-
BS7858 Security Screening – a detailed security vetting process used for high-risk private sector roles.
Both are designed to verify candidate suitability, but they serve very different purposes. The question is: which one should your recruitment agency be running?
Let’s break it down.
What is BPSS?
BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) is a basic security screening requirement for individuals working with sensitive government data, assets, or locations.
It’s not a full security vetting process - it’s a compliance-driven check to confirm that candidates are who they say they are and don’t pose an obvious security risk.
Why recruitment agencies need to understand BPSS
Recruitment agencies placing candidates into civil service, NHS, MOD contracts, and public sector roles must ensure BPSS checks are completed before placement.
Getting this wrong could mean:
- Contract breaches with government clients
- Placement delays due to missing verification
- Legal and compliance risks for your agency
BPSS screening: What’s checked?
- Identity Verification – Passport, driving licence, proof of address
- Right to Work in the UK – Legal employment status verification
- Criminal Record Check (Basic DBS) – Unspent convictions only
- Employment History Verification (3 years minimum) – Ensures work history checks out
- Residency Verification – Confirms candidate has been in the UK
BPSS limitations for recruitment agencies
- Only covers 3 years of employment history (not enough for high-risk roles)
- No financial or credit checks (candidates could have financial red flags)
- Basic DBS only (does not cover spent convictions)
- No security risk assessment included
BPSS is a tick-box exercise for compliance, but it’s not designed for roles requiring deeper security assurances. If you’re placing candidates in finance, private security, or critical infrastructure roles, BPSS won’t be enough.
What is BS7858? The gold standard for high-security roles
BS7858 is the British Standard for security screening, designed for roles where risk must be actively managed, not just acknowledged.
It’s the screening process used for private sector roles that demand high levels of trust, financial stability, and background verification.
Why recruitment agencies need to offer BS7858 screening
If your agency is placing candidates into:
- Private security firms (CCTV monitoring, alarm response, manned guarding)
- Data centres and cybersecurity roles
- Finance and banking institutions
- Utility and energy companies
- Aviation, transport, and logistics security
Then BS7858 screening isn’t just recommended, it’s essential!
BS7858 screening: what’s checked?
- Identity Verification – Passport, driving licence, biometric checks
- Right to Work in the UK – Full legal work status verification
- Criminal Record Check (Standard/Enhanced DBS) – Covers spent and unspent convictions
- Employment History Verification (5-10 years minimum) – Full work history verification
- Residency and Address History – Verifies all addresses in the last decade
- Financial Background & Credit Checks – Identifies risk factors such as debt, fraud, insolvency
- Directorship & Insolvency Checks – Flags potential financial mismanagement
- Character & Professional References – Ensures candidate trustworthiness
- Security Risk Assessment – Evaluates overall risk based on all checks
How BS7858 protects recruitment agencies
- Stronger due diligence – Prevents agencies from placing high-risk individuals into security-sensitive roles
- Regulatory compliance – Many industries require BS7858 screening for recruitment contracts
- Reduces financial risk – Ensures candidates handling sensitive assets or transactions don’t have fraud or insolvency issues
- Prevents reputational damage – A failed placement in a high-risk sector could be disastrous for your agency’s credibility
See how to ensure trust with reliable background checks
BPSS vs. BS7858: Which checks should your recruitment agency be running?
Placing candidates in government, NHS, or MOD roles? BPSS is the minimum requirement. If your recruiters are placing candidates in private security, finance, or critical infrastructure, BS7858 is the gold standard. If you’re not sure, consider if the role involves handling sensitive data, valuable assets, or high-risk environments. If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of those, go with BS7858 check.
The table below can serve as a quick reference guide:
|
Feature |
BPSS |
BS7858 |
|
Purpose |
Basic screening for government-related roles |
High-risk security vetting for private sector roles |
|
Criminal Record Check |
Basic DBS (unspent convictions only) |
Standard/Enhanced DBS (spent and unspent convictions) |
|
Employment History |
Minimum 3 years |
Minimum 5-10 years |
|
Financial & Credit Checks |
No |
Yes |
|
Residency Verification |
UK presence check |
Full address history check |
|
Character References |
No |
Yes |
|
Security Risk Assessment |
No |
Yes |
|
Used in |
Civil service, public sector, NHS, MOD contractors |
Private security, finance, data centres, high-risk industries |
How Access Screening helps agencies meet BPSS & BS7858 standards
Recruitment agencies don’t have time for slow, manual screening processes. That’s where Access Screening comes in.
- Automated BPSS & BS7858 screening workflows – No more chasing candidates for documents.
- Custom-built screening processes – Select the exact checks your clients require.
- Candidate self-service portals – Let candidates submit documents, reducing admin workload.
- Compliance tracking – Instant alerts when checks fail or expire.
- Seamless integration with Vincere recruitment CRM – Keep screening results centralised.
For agencies placing temporary staff, Access Onboarded adds another layer - handling all onboarding processes alongside security checks, ensuring that every compliance box is ticked before placement.
Final thoughts: why recruitment agencies must take screening seriously
The cost of placing the wrong candidate is higher and riskier than ever. A BPSS-level check might be enough for government placements, but in high-security, financial, and private sector roles, agencies need to go deeper in their candidate screening checks.
After all, recruitment screening isn’t just a compliance exercise, it is risk mitigation and compliance for your agency and its clients.
If your agency is still managing screening checks manually, relying on outdated verification processes, or failing to meet industry standards, it’s time to step up to a fully digital and automated screening solution.
Are you ready to see how it works?
Access Screening makes compliance simple, fast, and automated, giving recruitment agencies the confidence to place candidates with complete peace of mind. Automate your BPSS & BS7858 screening today.
Book your free demo with our expert team today
Resources
A Guide to Evidencing the ROI from Screening Software
If you're thinking of making the switch from a manual or partially automated process to reap the benefits of an integrated screening solution, then you will likely need a documented business case to sell the advantages of screening software to your internal stakeholders.
'5 Steps to digitising your candidate compliance strategy’ eBook
A helpful guide to evolving your onboarding process and delivering a reliable compliance strategy through automation.
'The Need for Speed!’ Whitepaper: Unlocking successful candidate onboarding through digitisation
Discover Access Screening’s 2022 research in conjunction with In-House Recruitment, displaying the potential for screening opportunities.