BPSS Checks for businesses
BPSS Checks are a fundamental and mandatory part of recruitment in many industries. They help organisations recruit safely in areas where there is a risk to UK security or assets. Committing to the BPSS standard is one of the best ways to strengthen your recruitment. Even if they aren’t mandatory for your business.
What are BPSS Checks?
BPSS stands for Baseline Personnel Security Standard. BPSS is the standard used to assess employees working in government departments.
BPSS Checks is the name given to the selection of background checks carried out to achieve this standard. It includes:
Identity Checks
3 Year Occupation History Checks
Right to work Checks*
Unspent Conviction Check (Basic DBS Check)
This combination helps establish a certain level of trust in an individual before they are employed.
*Right to Work Checks cannot be outsourced to a third party like Personnel Checks. These checks must be completed by an employer or a government-authorised IDSP.
Who Needs Bpss Checks?
BPSS Checks are mandatory for the following groups:
Individuals with access to OFFICIAL assets of UK origin.
Individuals with occasional access to SECRET assets of UK origin in the normal course of business or during conferences or courses or briefings.
Individuals taking custody of a small quantity of SECRET assets.
Individuals with entry to areas where SECRET assets are stored.
Individuals working in areas where SECRET and TOP SECRET information might be overheard.
Individuals with access to equipment capable of handling SECRET information.
Individuals with access to the Public Services Network (PSN).
This means that anyone working in the armed forces, civil service or a government department on either a permanent or temporary basis needs to be BPSS checked.
Why are BPSS Checks good for business?
Although mandatory for some, many businesses adopt BPSS as their recruitment standard. The comprehensive nature of BPSS means you can be confident that your recruitment isn’t leaving your business vulnerable.
Get in touch today to learn how you can strengthen your recruitment.
Why choose Personnel Checks?
Personnel Checks are one of the top-ranked DBS Umbrella Bodies in the country and the only one to achieve a 5-star rating on Trustpilot. Our mission is, and will always be, to provide quality service and a seamless checking experience for our clients.
We process tens of thousands of checks each year and maintain an error rate of less than half a percent. Thousands of businesses across the UK already trust us to manage their screening process. Why not join them?
There are no set-up fees, and you could be running your first checks in under 30 minutes! Click the link below to get started.
THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES TRUST PERSONNEL CHECKS
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BPSS Check FAQs
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We offer a completely online screening solution for BPSS Checks. Completing the checks online is quicker and easier than completing paper application forms.
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Usually, it is only a Basic DBS Check that is needed to comply with BPSS regulations. However, in some circumstances, you may be asked to provide a Standard DBS Check.
There are normally two situations where this happens.
If you or your organisation are being contracted to work on a military site, and the Ministry of Defence or other government body consider the work to be in the interest of national security.
The other situation is usually a misunderstanding of the rules about DBS Checks.
If you are being requested to complete Standard DBS Checks for your BPSS, get in touch and we can help you determine exactly what you need.
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The average turnaround time for a BPSS screening package is 3 days but can be done in as little as 24 hours.
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Background checks never come with a specific expiration date. This is because the checks are only technically accurate at the point of issue.
It’s always best practice to conduct new checks on any individual you are recruiting. Regardless of if they have had BPSS Checks carried out by another organisation recently.
For existing staff, you should consider completing the checks at regular intervals. Most organisations tend to choose a range between 1-3 years.
