Security · Screening
What goes in a BS 7858 screening file?
BS 7858 is a paid British Standard for screening people who work in secure environments, so its full requirements are only in the standard itself. SIA guidance says approved contractors should get a file accounting for every stage of the screening process, not simply a certificate. NSI's summary of the 2019 edition gives five years as the minimum screening period, and ten where a longer period is required. A file normally shows the consent, identity, history verified period by period, any unverified periods, the checks made and the outcome. Check your own copy of the standard.
No card needed. Trial credits are valid for 14 days; plans start at £20 a month.
What is public
- BS 7858:2019 is listed as current by BSI.
- SIA: firms in the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme are required to work to BS 7858 or an appropriate sector equivalent. Your pre-employment screening must conform for you to remain an approved contractor.
- SIA: outsourcing your screening does not outsource your responsibility, and some elements of BS 7858 cannot be outsourced.
- SIA: at the end of screening, your provider should give you a file accounting for every stage, not simply a certificate.
- NSI Technical Bulletin 0049 (2019): five years as a minimum, ten years where a longer period is required.
What a working file records
The stages below are how we lay a file out. They are our own layout, not a reproduction of the standard.
- Screening period, start and completion dates, signed consent.
- Identity, address history and right to work.
- SIA licence, with the register check date and result.
- Each period of the history, who verified it, how and when.
- Periods that could not be verified, and what was used instead.
- Criminal record and financial checks, as done, not what they showed.
- The outcome your firm recorded, and who decided.
Doing it with Formatix
Upload the application form, register result and reference replies, and Formatix fills the file. A CV entry is never shown as verified. It does not run checks, reproduce the standard or say anyone meets it. New accounts get 10 free credits, valid for 14 days, with no card. Paid plans start at £20 a month, and one credit fills one document.
Sources
- SIA, SIA approved contractors and outsourced pre-employment screening, 17 June 2024, gov.uk.
- SIA, FOI response on vetting to BS 7858, 17 November 2023, gov.uk.
- BSI Knowledge, BS 7858:2019, knowledge.bsigroup.com. The standard itself was not read: it is paid for.
- NSI Technical Bulletin 0049, 8 November 2019, nsi.org.uk. A certification body's summary, from 2019.
Frequently asked questions
- Is BS 7858 screening a legal requirement?
- It is a condition of the SIA's voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, with sector equivalents allowed. The SIA licenses individuals, which is a separate requirement.
- Is it five years or ten?
- NSI's bulletin says five years is the minimum and ten where a longer period is required. Your contract or client may set which applies.
- Does an SIA licence replace screening?
- No. The licence is the SIA's check of the person. Screening is the employer's, and approved contractors stay responsible for it.
Try it on your own documents
Upload a document your firm already sends and a CV, and see the result in your own template.