Baseline Personnel Security Standard, commonly referred to as BPSS is one of the most common types of screening carried out in the United Kingdom.
In short, BPSS is the required ‘pre-employment screening of individuals with access to government assets’, and involves a series of checks.
BPSS security clearance is not formal security clearance but is still rigorous. This thoroughness is necessary, as BPSS provides access to UK OFFICIAL assets as well as occasional access to UK SECRET assets and the Public Services Network (PSN).
Additionally, employees might be required to work in certain areas where SECRET and TOP SECRET information could be overheard, emphasising why BPSS needs to be thorough.
BPSS checks were initially conducted to protect national security and minimise the risk of illegal workers and identity fraud. As such, they’re seen as a necessary precaution to mitigate the risks of employees working with potentially sensitive information.
BPSS security clearance is necessary for a range of jobs including civil servants, government contractors, and members of the armed forces to name a few.
That said, it can be requested by any employer even if the job isn’t in a government area. This comes down to the fact that many companies choose BPSS as a matter of best practice when vetting their employees.
What Checks Are Involved With BPSS?
There are a range of checks that need to be carried out for BPSS security clearance.
The checks involved with BPSS include:
- Right to work
- Identity verification
- Unspent criminal record
- Employment history
1. Right To Work
A right to work check will involve checking your nationality and immigration status.
This check is necessary to carry out before a person is employed to ensure they are legally allowed to carry out the work for the job in question.
If you’re a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to work by providing a British passport or an Irish passport or passport card.
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to work with a share code or your immigration documents.
Employers are also required to do a ‘follow-up check on employees who have time-limited visas to ensure they continue to have the right to work in the UK’.
2. Identity Verification
An ID check will also be required to clarify that the applicant is exactly who they say they are.
This is the check that the majority of people will be the most familiar with, as it’s often a requirement when applying for credit cards and setting up bank accounts.
Useful documents to prove your identity would be a form of photo ID, the best of which are valid passports and driving licences.
Identity verification is essential to minimise the likelihood of identity risks.
3. Unspent Criminal Record
The criminal records check is the least intrusive, in that it will cover unspent convictions only.
If ‘a conviction or caution is still on your basic criminal record’, this is known as an unspent conviction.
In England and Wales, this is generally established through a basic DBS check, or in Scotland, a Disclosure Scotland report.
That said, for other nationalities, a criminal record check will be requested to establish any unspent convictions.
Criminal records that are considered spent are not part of the BPSS standard.
4. Employment History
Employers are required to ensure that a prospective employee’s history of work is continuous and any gaps in employment are accounted for.
An employee’s employment history can be ensured through reference checks.
For self-employed individuals, written references from professionals such as solicitors, and accountants will confirm their employment status.
Additionally, some individuals might have part work and part academic history or might only just be entering full-time work after finishing full-time education in university.
In this circumstance, an academic history will need to be sought out and documented for the BPSS.
In addition to these checks, individuals will also be required to disclose any significant periods of time (6 months or more in the past 3 years) they have spent abroad.
How We Can Help
Fuse is a specialist division of CPS Group, offering tailored digital transformation services supporting consultancies in winning and delivering secure projects and programmes.
We’re experienced in providing projects across all key delivery areas and have an extensive network of security-cleared associates within numerous levels of security clearance, including Baseline Personnel Security Screening (BPSS), Counter Terrorist Check (CTC), Security Check (SC), and Developed Vetting (DV).
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If you have any questions surrounding BPSS security clearance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our digital transformation specialists by filling in the form on our website or email query@Fusedigitalconsulting.co.uk.
Written by Jemima Thomas for Fuse Digital Consulting.