A complete guide to BPSS (Baseline Personal security Standard)
What is BPSS clearance?
Baseline Personnel Security Standard or BPSS for short is the recognised UK government standard and best practice for pre-employment screening of individuals with access to government assets( BPSS Screening Services, baseline personnel security standard pre employment check) . By carrying out BPSS, you are ensuring that you are employing people who are entitled to work in the UK with the honesty, integrity and values needed for government-related work.
BPSS clearance (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) is a legal requirement in the UK for the pre-employment screening of employees who may have access to government assets and sensitive information.
The ‘basic’ DBS check ensures applicants’ suitability for certain responsible roles and contains information about spent and unspent convictions, as well as forming the starting point of the BPSS clearance process for applicants.
BPSS is a key part of the UK Counter Terrorist Check (CTC), Security Clearance (SC), and higher, Developed Vetting (DV) vetting procedures. Employers in the UK must bear in mind that hiring unauthorised workers can lead to unlimited fines and up to 5 years imprisonment.
Who is BPSS clearance for?
BPSS is intended for individuals who might carry out work on sensitive information for government contracts, or who have access to important government assets. BPSS clearance is usually required for full-time employees and contractors in the communications, energy and financial industries.
The aim of BPSS clearance is to ensure suitable members of staff are employed. Roles BPSS clearance is commonly used for include:
- The police force
- The army
- Civil servants
- NHS
- Government
- Contractors working on government projects
- MOD
- Contractors working on MOD projects
Why is BPSS clearance important?
BPSS clearance mitigates the risks associated with employing into roles where sensitive data is prevalent. It provides assurance of the trustworthiness, honesty and integrity of those being recruited. This is crucial so that employers can hire people who are truly best suited to the role. The government has made BPSS clearance checks compulsory for important government positions for good reason.
Skipping the BPSS clearance process could potentially lead to cyberattacks, the leaking of sensitive information to the press, the public gaining access to patients’ confidential medical records, releasing individuals’ private financial details to the public, criminals, and more.
There is still an ongoing threat to UK national security from terrorism. The UK government has therefore put high-security screening measures in place, such as BPSS clearance, to prevent employers from hiring people intending to harm the UK government or its citizens using their position at work. It’s the government’s duty to protect national security, and employing the wrong people can give rise to insider threats.
How long does BPSS clearance take?
The BPSS clearance process has a fairly quick turnaround and it usually takes approximately 10-20 working days to complete. The checks are relatively non-intrusive, so information can be quickly verified by relevant third parties. However, sometimes delays can happen and agencies may take longer to confirm things like criminal records.
