BS7858:2019 is a set of guidelines for background checking security officers in the UK. While it isn't legally needed to have this clearance, a lot of companies require their officers to be screened to this level. This is because it proves the officers are of a high quality, and mitigates risk for both the officer and the company.
All the checks we perform need to abide by this set of guidelines, which is why it may seem that we're asking for a lot of documents.
Why is it needed?
If you are screened to the standard of BS:7858, it proves that you are reliable, honest, and proactive. It also shows there is little to no risk in asking you to work on high profile sites or in delicate situations, and it means that companies will have solid insurance that protects them and you.
What does it cover?
Your activity history:
This shows that you have been involved in a provable activity for at least 5 years, and haven't attempted to hide anything that might affect your risk level or trustworthiness.
Your address history:
This backs up your activity history, and shows that you've been where you say you've been.
Your name or alias history:
If we're not able to prove your activity or address history, this helps us to make sure we're looking at all the right information.
Your SIA:
This proves to us that your SIA is active and real, which shows in turn that you have been DBS checks recently.
Your identity:
This shows us that you are who you say you are, and we can be confident your SIA and right to work document definitely belong to you.
What could happen if this check went wrong?
We could hire someone for a high profile or sensitive site who was intending to cause harm, or was known to be an unprofessional or dishonest worker. This would let down the client, revoke their insurance, and perhaps prevent them from working with us again. There also could be legal consequences depending on the situation.