What is Security Screening and What are Background Checks?

When you recruit staff, apply for jobs or accredit your business you will come encounter ‘Security Screening’ and ‘Background Checks’. However, do you know what these terms actually mean? Do you know whether or not it is just different ways of saying the same thing?

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Security Screening

To maintain strict quality and safety, the government and governing bodies enforce tailored Security Screening standards, which combine specific background checks for different roles.

Below, you will find the most typical security screening standards and when they may be necessary. Explore our Services Page to learn what checks are included in each standard.

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BS7858:2019 Security Screening

The BS7858 Security Standard typically relates to the security industry, which includes the security of people, premises, goods or data. Examples of these roles could be security guards, alarm and CCTV system installers, data centre staff or cyber security engineers. Furthermore, this standard is also recognised by many organisations and would be required for SIA, SSAIB, NSI accreditations to name a few.

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Baseline Personnel Security Screening (BPSS)

To ensure compliance organisations must require Baseline Personnel Security Screening  for anyone who accesses government assets during their work. Quite simply, this is the first level of screening for government contracts. BPSS also forms a part of more advanced government screening standards, such as Security Clearance (CS) or Counter Terrorist Check (CTC). These are typically required when access to Government assets is necessary.

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BAA Airside Pass Security Screening

As you are now familiar with some of the different screening standards, you would probably think that the Airside Pass Security Screening standard refers to anyone wishing to work at an Airport? Well, you are almost correct. Contractors who require access to airport Restricted Zones (RZ) in the course of their work require an Airside Pass. A requirement to obtain this pass is to complete Airside Pass Security Screening.

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Background checks

Background checks are the building blocks of a comprehensive identity verification process, but what exactly can people check? The most typical checks are:

• Previous employer(s) referencing
• Criminal Record Checks
• Financial history checks, such as credit rating or County Court Judgments
• Career gap periods verification
• Character references
• Right to Work in the UK and identity document verification
• Social media searches

These are examples of the background checks we may run. The level and length will always depend on the purpose of screening. 

Now that you know what background checks and the most common screening standards are, you probably want to find out which one is relevant to your business.

Get in touch with our team of experts:

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