BS7858 has changed: here’s what you need to know
The BS7858 lays out requirements for companies performing background screening for employees in a secure environment. It has been changed by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
BS7858:2019 replaced the BS7858:2012 in September 2019, with the BSI withdrawing the 2012 version fully on March 31, 2020.
The BSI offers a more detailed explanation in their BSI Standards Publication. Purchase it from them here.
Recently, there has been a lot of confusion and misinformation circulating about the changes. As a BSI-certified screening company, we wanted to provide some clarity.
-Here are the main elements of the BS7858:2019 changes:
-Addition of a global watchlists check
-Addition of social media checks as a recommended best practice
-Removal of character references
-Right to Work checks corresponding to DBS identity requirements (previously SIA identity requirements)
-Retention of each candidate’s screening file – during the whole employment period, for those unsuccessful applicants, for 12 months and after the end of employment, specified records may be held for an additional seven years
-Anyone performing BS7858 screening should be appropriately trained
There are three areas within the changes we believe are most important.
DBS checks:
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) performs these checks when a person is first registered. Therefore, it is completely unnecessary to include standard DBS checks with BS7858 packages.
If a person is likely to be working in a position where they are in contact with children or other vulnerable groups, a standard or enhanced level of disclosure may be necessary. You can refer to the SIA’s “Get Licensed” handbook or 7.3.2(c) and 7.7(j) in the 7858 Standard for more information.
Global watchlists:
Whilst the previous standard only required searching the HMG sanctions list, section 7.4(c) of the BS7858 Standard has made it mandatory to search a variety of global watchlists, fraud and sanctions databases.
Social media:
The BSI are taking an increased interest in the problems employees can create for companies. In particular, those operating under regulated conditions, with their social media posts. As such, the new standard recommends social media screening pre- and post-employment.
In the words of the BSI, “For some roles, it might be prudent to seek additional information using best practice social media and other open-source internet checks to provide greater insights and reduce risk.”
For more information and guidance on social media screening, see our previous blog post here.
Credence provides packages that cover the new requirements of the updated standards – either for those employed in SIA regulated positions or for those employed in a secure environment, although unregulated by the SIA. Our flexibility allows us to create custom packages that cater to almost any need for your organization, including checks for senior leadership roles. Our system has been increasing in speed so you can get your recruits into their roles quickly – with some checks taking as little as one day.