A comprehensive handbook that supports employers and managers in implementing BS7858 screening with clarity and consistency.
“When teams are unsure how to interpret the BS7858 standard in everyday screening decisions, inconsistency and delays can result. This handbook gives you clear explanations, practical examples and structured guidance so you can lead screening with confidence and ensure reliable, compliant outcomes across your organisation.”
Expert Built BS7858 Employer and Manager Guidance
Developed by Graham and Vivianne Johnson, industry-leading screening experts with nearly 20 years' experience implementing BS7858 across the UK security sector. This expert-developed handbook gives employers, managers, and team leaders a clear, practical understanding of BS7858 screening and their responsibilities.
Covers the complete BS7858 framework in plain language: identity and address verification, right to work, credit and sanctions checks, directorship searches, DBS and SIA verification, five-year employment history, HMRC statements, gap investigation, limited screening rules, the 84-day timeframe, file-keeping requirements, and handling adverse information.
Every section includes practical guidance drawn from the Johnsons' extensive experience, explaining what to do, why it matters, and how to support candidates through the process.
Perfect for HR professionals, hiring managers, compliance leads, team leaders, and operations managers responsible for recruitment in security-sensitive roles.
✓ Created by recognised BS7858 specialists with proven operational expertise.
✓ Explains every screening check in clear, non-technical language.
✓ Covers employer responsibilities, file-keeping, and audit readiness.
✓ Includes guidance on limited screening, adverse information, and gaps.
✓ Built from nearly 20 years of real-world screening experience.
Understand the standard. Support your candidates. Stay audit ready.
Expert Developed | UKRLP Registered Provider
Why We Built This
We created this handbook because most employers are told they need BS7858 screening but are never given a clear, practical explanation of what it actually involves or what they are responsible for.
From 2006 to 2024, we operated our own screening businesses, conducting thousands of BS7858 checks across the UK security sector. We saw first-hand how often managers delayed screening because they did not understand the process, how candidates dropped out because nobody explained what was needed, and how files failed audits because employers did not know what to keep.
What Makes This Different
You will get a straightforward guide that explains every BS7858 check, why each one matters, and exactly what you need to do as an employer. It covers the situations that cause the most confusion: handling gaps, managing limited screening, making decisions on adverse information, and knowing what auditors expect to see in your files.
Every section is written from real scenarios we have personally dealt with, the questions employers actually ask, the mistakes we have seen teams make, and the practical steps that keep screening on track and audit ready.
This is not written by trainers who have read the standard. It is built by us, practitioners who have lived it for nearly 20 years. Expert developed, UKRLP registered. BS7858 reality, not theory.
Built for professionals responsible for understanding, supporting, or overseeing BS7858 screening in security-sensitive environments.
You are involved in recruitment but screening is not your specialism. This handbook explains what BS7858 requires, what each check involves, and how you can support candidates through the process without causing delays or compliance gaps.
You manage the hiring process and need to understand what compliant BS7858 screening looks like. This guide gives you a practical reference for every check, timeframe, and employer responsibility so you can oversee screening with confidence.
You are accountable when auditors review your screening files. This handbook prepares you to understand what should be on file, how to handle adverse information, and what NSI, SSAIB, or ACS inspectors expect to see documented.
Our courses are independently accredited by a recognised CPD body so every completed module converts into verifiable CPD hours you can record.
That means your team’s learning is not just a checkbox — it is formal professional development that holds up in audits, appraisals and regulatory reviews.
Certificates are issued instantly on completion in downloadable PDF format, include course duration and CPD hours, and are produced to a standard that employers, compliance teams and auditors expect.
VH Courses is listed on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP), a public register that confirms our status as a legitimate training provider.
This registration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to governed, traceable, high-quality learning provision and makes it easier for corporate procurement, public bodies and partners to verify who we are.
In short, it removes doubt for buyers and supports procurement and audit checks.
This handbook is written in clear, non-technical language specifically for people who are new to BS7858. It explains each check step by step so you can understand the process and your responsibilities with confidence.
Yes. The handbook covers what auditors expect to see in your screening files, common errors that cause failures, and how to keep your records organised and compliant at all times.
Yes. You will find practical guidance on investigating gaps, handling adverse credit or criminal records proportionately, and managing limited screening when candidates need to start before full clearance.
Yes. The handbook gives you a structured, practical reference that covers every check, employer responsibility, and common scenario so you can oversee screening with certainty and clarity.
The handbook is delivered as a professionally formatted PDF document available for immediate download after purchase. You can view it on any device, print it for reference, or share it with your team.