BS 7858 screening software that fills the file before the 12 weeks run out
GettingDocs is BS 7858 screening software for the slowest part of vetting: getting the evidence out of the officer. Amy messages each new starter on WhatsApp or email, asks only for what their screening file is still missing, from the SIA licence to proof of a gap in 2021, and checks every reply before it is filed on their record in your ATS. Your screening controller spends the conditional employment period verifying, not chasing.
Thanks, Amy · Fernhollow Security
An officer is eleven weeks into conditional employment. His screening file still has a hole in it.
Ryan starts on a retail guarding contract after limited screening, on the understanding that full BS 7858 screening is finished within 12 weeks. His history shows four months in 2022 with no employer: he was travelling. Without evidence for that gap, his file cannot be signed off, and he cannot stay on site. Here are the same twelve weeks, twice.
- Week 1
The screening administrator emails Ryan a list: references, proof of address, evidence for the 2022 gap.
- Week 3
References and a utility bill arrive. The gap evidence does not. Ryan is on nights and the email is buried.
- Week 7
A second email. He says he will dig out his flight bookings at the weekend.
- Week 11
The file review shows the gap still unverified. Top management is asked to approve a four-week extension.
- Week 12
The extension needs proof that written requests went out. Ryan is stood down from the contract while the file is rebuilt.
A trained officer off the rota, a client asking why, and an extension request your auditor will read.
- Week 1, day 1
Ryan’s ATS record shows screening in progress. A chase rule has Amy ask him on WhatsApp for what his file lacks, gap evidence included.
- Week 1, day 2
He replies with his SIA licence, a bank statement and screenshots of his 2022 flight bookings. Each is filed on his record as it lands.
- Week 1, day 3
One booking screenshot is cut off at the dates, so Amy tells him why and asks again. The full confirmation arrives that evening.
- Week 2
Reminders on your schedule bring in the last proof of address. The screening controller has everything needed to verify.
- Week 5
Verification is finished and full screening is signed off, seven weeks before the deadline.
Ryan stays on the contract. Your screening team never had to chase him once.
Three steps, and nobody chases anybody
When an officer is offered work, Amy messages them on WhatsApp or by email from your own domain, listing only what their screening file still needs. A door supervisor and a CCTV operator each get their own list. No portal, no login, no app.
Every file is filed the moment it arrives, then Amy opens it. An SIA licence photo with glare across the number, or a payslip sent where a DBS certificate was asked for, goes back with the reason, and she keeps reminding at the times you choose until the file is complete.
Documents attach to the officer’s record in Zoho Recruit, Recruit CRM or Crelate, with a copy in Google Drive if you want one. Your screening controller sees whose evidence is complete and who is still holding things up.
- SIA licence
- Five-year employment history
- Basic DBS certificate
- First aid at work certificate
- Assignment instructions
No portal, no login. Only what is still missing is ever asked for.
The BS 7858 vetting checklist Amy collects from every officer
What a file needs depends on the licence sector, the client and your insurer, but most security officer files are built from these four groups. Choose a placement type to see a typical file; Amy asks each officer for exactly those documents.
SIA licence and licence-linked qualifications2 of 2 documents
- SIA licence (front and back of the photocard; a key holding licence comes as a letter)
- SIA licence-linked qualification (the Level 2 award for the sector, or Level 3 for close protection)
BS 7858 screening evidence8 of 8 documents
- Employment history with gaps explained (five years, with dates for every job, and any gap over 31 days accounted for)
- Employment gap evidence (e.g. DWP letter, HMRC self-employment record, travel bookings)
- References (confirmation of each period of employment in the screening window)
- Screening consent and declaration (signed consent to BS 7858 checks, including the public record search)
- Basic DBS certificate (or a basic check from Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI)
- Passport (or other photo identity)
- Proof of address (recent utility bill or bank statement)
- Right to work documents (share code or passport)
Security officer training certificates2 of 2 documents
- First aid at work certificate (Emergency First Aid at Work or higher; a level 3 qualification for close protection)
- ACT Awareness and ACT Security certificates (the free Action Counters Terrorism e-learning)
Security company onboarding paperwork7 of 7 documents
- Assignment instructions acknowledgement (signed for each site)
- Uniform issue agreement
- National Insurance number
- Bank details form
- Emergency contact details
- Signed terms of engagement
- Driving licence (for mobile patrol and alarm response)
Tick Security when you sign up, or later in Settings, and everything on this list is set up for you. UK accounts already have Right to Work, DBS Certificate, CV and Driving Licence built in, and on Pro you can add document types of your own, such as a client’s site induction record.
Security vetting software for every kind of assignment
A door supervisor on a Friday night and a close protection operative on a six-week detail need different files. Chase rules in your ATS decide who is chased and for what.
Manned guarding
Static officers on retail, office, construction and logistics sites, each with a security guarding or door supervisor licence, a screened history and signed assignment instructions before the first shift.
Door supervision
Pubs, clubs and late-night venues, where every officer on the door needs a door supervisor licence and the first aid certificate their licence training called for.
Events and stewarding
Festivals, concerts and football, booked days ahead and in numbers. Amy starts on each officer’s file the moment they accept the shift.
CCTV control rooms
Operators watching public space surveillance, who need a CCTV licence and a full screening file for the control room’s client.
Close protection
Operatives on private and corporate details, with a close protection licence, a level 3 first aid qualification and a driving licence on file.
Key holding and mobile patrol
Officers who hold client keys and answer alarm calls overnight, with a key holding licence letter and a driving licence alongside the screening file.
Documents land in the ATS you already use
Security staffing questions
What does BS 7858 screening need from a security officer?
Under BS 7858:2019, a screening file usually holds proof of identity, right to work, a full address history and National Insurance number, five years of employment history with any gap over 31 days explained and evidenced, a signed consent and declaration, a public record search and a criminal record element. Amy collects everything the officer has to provide; the checks themselves stay with your screening team.
How does it help with the 12-week conditional employment period?
BS 7858:2019 gives you 12 weeks from the start of conditional employment to finish five-year screening, with up to four more weeks only when written requests are on record and top management approves. Amy asks for the officer’s evidence on day one and reminds them at the times you choose, so the weeks go on verifying rather than waiting.
Does GettingDocs check SIA licences or run DBS checks?
No. GettingDocs collects the SIA licence and checks that it is the right document and readable. Looking it up on the SIA register of licence holders stays with your team, as do DBS applications, right to work checks and the credit reference agency search. They just start from a complete file.
Does an officer with an SIA licence still need a Basic DBS certificate?
BS 7858:2019 accepts a current SIA licence for the right sector, a police Appendix C check or a basic disclosure as the criminal record part of screening. Many clients and insurers still ask for a Basic DBS certificate, so it is on the list, and your chase rules decide which officers are asked for one. In Scotland and Northern Ireland the basic check comes from Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI.
Which first aid certificate do door supervisors and security officers need?
The SIA requires an Emergency First Aid at Work qualification, or higher, before door supervision and security guarding licence-linked training, valid for at least 12 months from the start of the course. Close protection needs a level 3 first aid qualification. Amy collects the certificate; whether it meets your client’s terms is your call.
Will this help with our SIA Approved Contractor Scheme assessment?
Approved contractors must screen to BS 7858, and the ACS assessor uses the standard to judge how you vet. GettingDocs does not make you compliant, but every piece of evidence an officer sends is filed on their ATS record, so a complete file is easy to show.
Does this security vetting software work with our ATS?
Zoho Recruit, Recruit CRM and Crelate today, with Greenhouse coming soon. Documents attach to the officer’s record, so your team keeps working where it already does.
Get every officer’s screening file complete inside the 12 weeks
See Amy collect an SIA licence and five years of history from one of your own officers on a 15 minute call.
