BS7858 was published by the British standards Institution in October 2012, although it became effected on 1st May 2013. This represents the fourth edition, strengthening the previous i.e. 2006 measure and providing further BS7858 insight into how members of the security workforce should be vetted. This screening standard has focused on the pre-employment bs7858 sia register check screening of individuals working within security surround and gives the best-practice testimonial sia register check. More specifically, it delves into the requirements of individuals that are employed or work within BS7858 environments where security and the safety vetted ltd of mass, goods, or property are a requirement of the employing organisation, vetted ltd or where security is in the people’s interest. This extends to surgical operation within data security, sensitive information, service declaration, and confidential records. Who Does it Cover? This standard relates to the security industry. It is regulated by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and endorsed by the associations such as the National security inspectorate. As such, the security party forms a significant proportion of the organisations utilising the standard, but it is also widely used within industries where security services overlap, such as hospitality and events or secure logistics. Typical roles and areas covered by the standard include ancillary staff, acquisitions, and transfers, and the security circumstance of contractors and subcontractors vetted ltd. Much like the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), the adoption of the BS7858 has become widely adopted as BS7858 provides comprehensive and robust benchmark companies can mirror. There is an increasing acknowledgement from hiring organisations that the contingency workforce, including third-party contractors, should be screened to the same banner as their own employees. Ultimately, many of these workers will still have the same level of access to company assets and information. Bring Your Organisation in the Level of One of the Best in the Security Industry The private security industry Act 2001 authorises the SIA to establish a system of inspection for security services providers. So, those organisations who satisfactorily meet the agreed standards may be registered as approved, which is known as the Approved Contractors Scheme (ACS). This has the primary objectives of raising industry performance standards and helping in the development of new opportunities. To gain ACS accreditation, in addition to meeting the fit and proper conditions, an organisation must adapt ACS standards. As mentioned by the SIA, British standards are embraced within the ACS, e.g. BS7858. The importance of participating in the scheme and being the part of ACS register is further highlighted by the SIA as organisations have, therefore “identified themselves as being amongst the best service providers of private security services in the UK.” It is also important to note that this scheme is entirely voluntary. If a company wants to outsource their pre-employment screening as part of the ACS, guidance from the SIA suggest that where a British standard code of practice exists, the organisation should aspire to work towards BS7858 or some equivalent appropriate industry sector. Moreover, at a micro-level, whilst BS7858 is a best-practice recommendation, it is not necessarily required for an individual to obtain an SIA license. It is possible that a security operative may have gained an SIA license, but may not meet the thorough standards of BS7858. It was proposed by SIA in 2013 that to obtain a business license from 6th April 2015 onwards, security industry services would need to conform with the relevant British standards and the fit and proper conditions just like the ACS. Failure to comply would have made it a criminal offence to supply individuals for security industry services without the appropriate SIA business license. That could have led to the prosecution and the possibility of unlimited fines. However, this proposal failed to come into realisation, with the Home Office continuing to work with the security industry and security industry authority on the development of regulations for the private security industry. Which Services Are Involved? The organisations give preference to partner with a trustworthy background screening company, working cooperatively to find out whether a full BS7858 service is required to the exact standard. So, an organisation may wish to adopt a package of services based upon the standard. A package which is fully compliant with the BS7858 standard would consist of: Basic Criminal Record Check – Search for ‘unspent’ convictions Credit Enquiry – Credit Score, ID Verification, Electoral Roll Verification, Address Verification, CCJ, Bankruptcy, Insolvency and IVA Search Employment Check – 5-Year Written Employment Verification with Gap Verification Character Reference – Typically covers candidate strengths, areas for growth, adaptability and integrity Does BS7858 form a crucial part of your screening programme? Contact us today to find out more. This blog post is for informational purposes only and nothing contained in it should be construed as legal advice. We expressly disclaim any warranty or responsibility for wrong arising out this information. Contact Us Today at: : +44 789820 5035 : info@acs-consultants.co.uk : www.acs-consultants.co.uk
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