For employees or contractors working in government departments, or who have access to government assets.
Accredited, regulated & certified
BPSS Screening is a government approved employment screening standard typically applied to Civil Servants, Members of the Armed Forces, Defence, Temporary Staff and Government Contractors.
The Baseline Personnel Security Standard is not a formal security clearance, but as a foundational pre-employment security check, BPSS clearance serves as the first level of national security vetting in the UK and provides a consistent and reliable approach to workforce vetting.
We’re committed to delivering screening services that meet the highest standards of quality and compliance. Our employment screening processes are aligned with key British and international standards, including:
These certifications reflect our commitment to robust procedures, transparency and clear governance as our screening practices are regularly audited by independently appointed inspectors, who are granted direct access to our screening files to ensure full transparency and strict adherence to standards.
Sample certificate
We know the risks, regulations, and real-world challenges you face. That’s why we deliver not only compliant employment screening, but also practical support, fast turnaround, and clear communication every step.
For employees and contractors working in or supplying government agencies, the civil service, defence.
Checks included:
Reports included:
Obtaining BPSS clearance through National Screening Agency can be a reasonably speedy process. Once you’ve logged in and uploaded the candidates basic details to our client portal, one of our screening specialists will be assigned and the background checks will begin.
If the applicant can rapidly provide all the information we need, and the relevant third parties contacted respond quickly to our screening specialists, we can often complete the BPSS clearance in as little as 2-3 days. More typically however you’d expect 5-10 working days as the clearance can be held up, for example, during the process of verifying employment history due to slow response of third parties.
As a DBS umbrella body our screening application interfaces directly with the Disclosure & Barring Service and the Basic Disclosure check needed for BPSS clearance will be completed promptly. We will provide both a physical and electronic DBS certificate.
BPSS clearance will remain valid for as long as the employee remains employed by the company that requested the BPSS clearance.
Equally the validity of the BPSS clearance remain intact if the employee stops working for the company, but returns to their employment with one year of the BPSS clearance being issued.
Another BPSS screening will be required if there’s a break in employment by or for the government of over 12 months, a significant role change, or moving to a role with another company or government organisation.
Regular reviews every 2 years are recommended as good practice.
BPSS screening is arranged by the employer before a role starts. Get in touch with us today and we can get started on obtaining BPSS clearance for your employees straight away. Our employment screening application is designed to streamline the vetting process and ensure a quick turnaround of your BPSS clearance certificates.
Once all the required BPSS clearance checks are complete, we will issue a paper BPSS certificate, available for download on the client portal of our screening application. The requesting company can then access and retrieve the BPSS certificate as needed.
