The short answer
BPSS (the Baseline Personnel Security Standard) is the UK government’s minimum pre-employment check for anyone with access to government assets — civil servants, the armed forces, and contractors working on government programmes.
BS7858 is a British Standard for screening people who work in secure private-sector environments: security officers, cash handlers, data-centre engineers and similar roles. It goes further back and covers more ground than BPSS.
Side by side
| BS7858:2019 | BPSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | BSI (British Standards Institution) | UK government |
| Typical users | Security firms, CIT, data centres, CNI contractors | Civil service, armed forces, government contractors |
| History period | 5 years (10 where required) | 3 years |
| Identity & right to work | Yes | Yes |
| Gap verification | Gaps over 31 days evidenced | Employment history verified |
| Financial checks | Yes — CCJs, bankruptcy, insolvency | Not part of the standard |
| Criminal record | Basic disclosure + self-declaration | Unspent convictions (basic check) |
Which one do you need?
Follow the contract. If your staff will work on a government programme or with government assets, the department will specify BPSS (and sometimes national security vetting on top). If you are a security, cash-handling, data-centre or infrastructure business, or your client asks for “BS7858”, you need BS7858.
Some organisations need both — for example a security contractor guarding a government site. Because BS7858 already covers identity, right to work, history and a criminal record check, a BS7858 file covers most of what BPSS asks for.
On Yezda, every tenant starts with standard BS7858 and BPSS pipeline templates, so you can run whichever a role requires. See what BS7858 involves.