IPSA BS 7858:2006 Personnel Screening Certification Scheme

IPSA in association with SRM Ltd can now provide companies with a UKAS certified and approved screening service for vetting your staff in compliance with BS 7858:2006. This service is provided by an inspected IPSA member company, with NQA Ltd accrediting the screening process and the results held on a dedicated IPSA data base accessible to both subjects and employers. This combination guarantees that the British Standard is being complied with and is combined with security of information and continuity of vetting records with supporting reliable service level access when required.

Does your company need to screen your staff?

Screening must be carried out by any company employing personnel with access to sensitive and confidential information, or in positions of responsibility, i.e. financial services and I.T. professionals handling company and client data, employees handling cash or valuables or processing confidential data , security staff, and all those having responsibility for or working with children or vulnerable adults.

An increasing number of British Standards insist on screening of key staff. If your company is ISO 9001:2000 compliant, you will need to incorporate screening into the company’s management procedures. The need for pre-employment screening is now recognised across all sectors of commerce, industry and the public services.

Indeed all public and private sector organisations have a requirement to screen some or all of their staff on appointment and periodically thereafter according to circumstances.

Increased levels of screening

British Standard 7858:2006 includes current address verification, a Credit Check (including County Court Judgments, Insolvency, and a Bankruptcy search), a five or ten-year written employment verification, and two personal written references.

In addition to the British Standard 7858:2006 screening, we can offer:

• Enhanced level service which includes 7858:2006 checks, increased address checks, verification of qualifications, director history, and more
• Enhanced to FSA FIT2 for FSA regulated positions
• Bespoke service to your requirements

Who should carry out the screening?

Screening can be done in-house, provided the vetting staff have been trained and have the necessary knowledge to correctly screen subjects, detect fraudulent or forged documents, and the ability to follow strictly the screening procedures.

Alternatively, the IPSA/SRM Screening Service can be engaged to provide a full service in respect of all your company’s or organisation’s requirements. Additionally the subject records (initially valid for three years) are held on a dedicated secure data base that can be accessed by the subject and employers. These records and their availability obviate the need to restart screening from the beginning each time a subject has to be vetted and allow records to be updated from time to time as required to maintain a current screening record of an individual subject.

Certification and Verification

Under the scheme all individuals screened to the requirements of the standard, or employers representing the subject, will be issued with an IPSA BS 7858:2006 certificate.

Employers may check the validity of a screening certificate by a search of the IPSA BS 7858 data base. Organisations engaging personnel employed by other bodies e.g. contractors etc. that have been so screened, can request verifiable proof of screening compliance and thereby reduce the costs of further screening and satisfy themselves that the industry standard has been complied with and also meeting any additional auditing requirements.

For further details view the web site: www.staffvetting.com or contact the IPSA office.