Background checks in security and facilities management
If you supply security staff under a contract, the law sets the first check. Under section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 it is an offence to engage in licensable conduct without an SIA licence, and section 5 makes it an offence to provide security services through an unlicensed operative. The Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK says you must check someone has the correct licence before hiring them.
The SIA checks identity, address history, age, qualifications, criminal record and right to work before it grants a licence. That is a licensing decision, not your pre-employment screening: you still need your own right to work check, and SIA approved contractors must screen staff to BS 7858. Facilities staff on government, police, school or care sites pick up that setting's requirements: BPSS, police vetting or a DBS check, depending on the site and their duties.
When an SIA licence is needed
GOV.UK says you will need a licence if the work is part of a contract for services and involves a licensable activity. The licensable activities are manned guarding, key holding and, in Northern Ireland only, vehicle immobilisation. Manned guarding covers guarding premises, property or people, and has 5 front line licences: cash and valuables in transit, close protection, door supervision, public space surveillance (CCTV) and security guarding.
In-house staff employed directly by the business that uses their services do not usually need a licence, except for door supervision at licensed premises and vehicle immobilising in Northern Ireland. Directors, partners, managers and supervisors of firms supplying security operatives under contract need a front line or non-front line licence. Unpaid volunteers with an agreement that they will receive no payment or reward, people checking tickets or invitations, and stewards directing people to seats or facilities need no licence, but refusing someone entry or making them leave does need one.
The rules may change. The Home Office consulted until 12 March 2026 on whether in-house CCTV operators, and contractors who carry out security services, should be licensed, following the Manchester Arena Inquiry. When this page was reviewed GOV.UK said it was analysing the feedback.
Checking the licence
Search the SIA register using the 16-digit licence number, or the surname and other details such as date of birth and security role. Check the licence type matches the work: a security guard licence, for example, does not allow CCTV use to guard premises against disorder or people against assault, which needs a public space surveillance licence.
Section 5 gives a defence if you did not know, and had no reasonable grounds for suspecting, that the person was unlicensed, or if you took all reasonable steps to secure that they would not engage in licensable conduct without a licence. Our view: record a register check at hiring and whenever you deploy someone to new work, as evidence of those steps. Licence holders must tell the SIA about any conviction, caution, warning or charge for a relevant offence, and any change to their right to remain or work in the UK.
What the SIA checks itself
The SIA checks identity (1 document from group A and 2 from group B) and address history. Applicants must be 18 or over and, for most front line licences, hold a licence-linked qualification. The SIA checks UK criminal records through DBS, Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI, depending on where the person has lived, and asks for overseas checks from anyone who has spent 6 continuous months or more outside the UK in the last 10 years. For non-UK citizens, SIA staff check right to work against Home Office records.
It also considers information from sources such as the police, HM Revenue and Customs, local authorities, social media and news reports. A criminal record does not automatically rule someone out: the SIA weighs relevance to security work, how recent the offences were and the sentences given. It will refuse anyone on the sex offenders register or who it thinks may still pose a threat to the public, and it can consider spent convictions.
Your own screening on top of the licence
The SIA licenses individuals, not companies. Its Approved Contractor Scheme is voluntary, and approved contractors are required to work to BS 7858, Screening of individuals working in a secure environment, or an appropriate industry sector equivalent. An approved contractor that outsources screening is still responsible for making sure it conforms, should get a full screening file from the provider, and must do extra checks on references sent by text or other electronic message.
Whether or not you are approved, you still need your own right to work check before employment starts, and an SIA licence is not a substitute; our right to work checks page explains the methods. Any further check, such as a credit check, needs a role-specific reason under the Information Commission's (ICO) draft guidance on pre-employment vetting. HRjoy does not run checks; we can help you set the screening for each role and introduce you to our screening partners.
Facilities roles on sensitive sites
On government sites, BPSS applies to contractors and suppliers, and clearance above BPSS is set by the department responsible for the post. UKSV says advertising for staff who already hold clearance is contrary to government policy, unnecessary and potentially discriminatory. In England and Wales, anyone not employed by a police force who needs unsupervised access to police premises, systems or information must be police vetted, and another regime's clearance cannot replace it. Court contractors with unsupervised access to court buildings, and anyone working on prison premises, are eligible for a standard DBS check.
Schools, care homes and regulated activity
Cleaners, receptionists and maintenance staff in schools and other specified establishments are in regulated activity with children if they work there on more than 3 days in a 30-day period or once overnight between 2am and 6am, have the opportunity for contact with children, work there for the purpose of the establishment, and the work is not temporary or occasional. DBS gives the example of a school cleaner working 5 days a week, who is asked for an enhanced check with the children's barred list. A contractor maintaining equipment across several schools can be in the same position.
In a care home, cleaning, administration and maintenance staff with contact with residents on more than 3 days in 30, overnight, or weekly on an ongoing basis can have an enhanced check without barred lists. Since 1 September 2026, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, people who teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children often enough or overnight can be in regulated activity even if someone else supervises them. DBS says that when you request a DBS check to assess someone for regulated activity, you become a regulated activity provider, with a legal duty to refer someone to DBS if you believe they have caused harm or pose a future risk of harm. Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI run checks in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Role-based check matrix
A starting point. Client contracts can add requirements.
| Role or activity | Check | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Every new hire | Right to work check before employment starts | Home Office guidance on checking a job applicant's right to work |
| Security operatives supplied under contract, and directors, managers and supervisors of their firms | Correct SIA licence (front line or non-front line), checked on the SIA register | Private Security Industry Act 2001, sections 3 and 5; SIA licensing guidance |
| In-house door supervisor at licensed premises; vehicle immobiliser (Northern Ireland) | SIA licence | SIA guidance on in-house exceptions |
| Staff of SIA approved contractors | Screening that conforms to BS 7858 | Condition of ACS approval (SIA guidance) |
| Facilities staff on government sites or contracts | BPSS, where they have access to government assets | BPSS Version 7.0; UKSV clearance levels guidance |
| Contractors with unsupervised access to police premises (England and Wales) | Police vetting by the force | Police Vetting Code of Practice |
| Court contractors with unsupervised access; prison premises staff | Standard DBS | DBS standard check eligibility guidance |
| Cleaners, caretakers and maintenance staff meeting all 4 criteria in schools | Enhanced DBS with children's barred list | DBS eligibility guidance for regulated activity with children |
| Cleaning, admin and maintenance staff in care homes with the opportunity for contact with residents, on more than 3 days in 30, overnight or weekly (England and Wales) | Enhanced DBS without barred lists | DBS adult social care eligibility guidance |
What to tell the candidate
- Tell candidates which checks you will run, why, who will see the results and how long you will keep them.
- Ask for the SIA licence number and tell candidates you will check it on the register.
- Give candidates the chance to explain any discrepancy before you decide.
- Never make a candidate obtain their own criminal record through a subject access request.
Sources
- Private Security Industry Act 2001, section 3 · legislation.gov.uk
- Private Security Industry Act 2001, section 5 · legislation.gov.uk
- Private Security Industry Act 2001, section 26 · legislation.gov.uk
- Find out if you need an SIA licence · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- Check security staff have a licence to work · GOV.UK
- Apply for an SIA licence · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- Check if you can get an SIA licence with a criminal record · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- Learn about the SIA licence conditions you must follow · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- SIA approved contractors and outsourced pre-employment screening · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- Buy the British standards that apply to private security · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- Do security companies have to vet their staff in line with BS7858 · GOV.UK (Security Industry Authority)
- Licensing of contractors who carry out security services and in-house CCTV operators · GOV.UK (Home Office)
- Checking a job applicant's right to work · GOV.UK
- UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard, Version 7.0, June 2024 · GOV.UK (Cabinet Office)
- UKSV: Referee, Supervisor, Hiring Managers and Contractors · GOV.UK (United Kingdom Security Vetting)
- Vetting Code of Practice · GOV.UK (Home Office)
- Eligibility for Standard DBS Checks · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- Eligibility for Enhanced with Barred List DBS checks with children · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- DBS checks for adult social care roles · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- Change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026 · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- Pre-employment vetting of candidates · ICO
- Eligibility for roles working with children · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
General information for employers in the UK, not legal advice. HRjoy advises on screening policy and fair process. We do not run checks ourselves; where you need checks run, we can introduce you to our screening partners. Check the official sources for your situation.
Checks by role
Required or expected
- Security operatives supplied under a contract for services, and managers, supervisors and directors of firms that supply them: the right SIA licence, checked on the register.
- In-house door supervisors at licensed premises, and vehicle immobilisers in Northern Ireland: an SIA licence.
- Every new hire: a right to work check.
- Staff of SIA approved contractors: screening to BS 7858.
- Ancillary staff working regularly in schools: an enhanced DBS check with the children's barred list, where all 4 DBS criteria are met.
- Facilities staff working on government sites or contracts with access to government assets: BPSS.
Depends on the role
- Contractors with unsupervised access to police premises in England and Wales: police vetting.
- Care home ancillary staff with the opportunity for contact with residents, often enough or overnight (England and Wales): an enhanced DBS check without barred lists.
Rarely justified
- Treating an SIA licence as proof of right to work or employment history.
- Standard or enhanced DBS checks for facilities staff with no eligible duties: they are not eligible, and knowingly requesting one is unlawful.
- Requiring applicants for government site jobs to hold existing clearance.
Questions
Something else? Ask us.
Does an in-house security guard need an SIA licence?
Not usually. GOV.UK says people employed directly by the company that uses their services do not usually need a licence. The exceptions are door supervision at licensed premises and, in Northern Ireland, vehicle immobilising. A guard employed by a security company and placed with a client needs a licence.
Does the SIA's criminal record check replace ours?
The SIA checks criminal records to decide whether someone is suitable to hold a licence, not whether they suit your role or client. Approved contractors must also screen to BS 7858. Outside that, any further check needs a reason tied to the role, under the ICO's proportionality test.
Is BS 7858 a legal requirement?
Not in itself. The SIA says its Approved Contractor Scheme is voluntary and that approved contractors are required to work to BS 7858 or an appropriate industry sector equivalent.
Does SIA licensing apply in Northern Ireland?
Yes. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and section 3 came fully into force in Northern Ireland on 1 May 2009. Vehicle immobilisation is a licensable activity in Northern Ireland only.
Related checks
- Right to work checks: who to check and how from October 2026 Who needs a right to work check from 1 October 2026, including workers and sub-contractors, how each of the three methods works and follow-ups.
- Criminal record checks for employers Which criminal record check a role can lawfully have in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and how to run it fairly.
- Employment references: what employers can ask and when When to ask for references, what to ask, the sector rules for care, schools, early years and FCA firms, and how to treat candidates fairly.
- Identity and address verification for employers What an employee identity check proves, how it differs from right to work, certified digital ID services, false documents and when to verify an address.
- BPSS checks: the Baseline Personnel Security Standard explained Who needs BPSS, the four checks in version 7.0, the three-year employment history and gaps rule, and why BPSS is not SC or DV security clearance.
- International background checks for candidates who lived abroad Overseas criminal record certificates, references and qualifications for UK employers: when they are required, best practice, data transfers and fairness.
Sector guides
- Pre-employment checks for the public sector and government suppliers BPSS, who decides on security clearance, checks for government suppliers, Civil Service nationality rules, police vetting and DBS levels for public roles.
- Pre-employment checks in schools and colleges KCSIE 2026 checks for schools and colleges in England, the single central record, supply staff and volunteers, and the rules in Wales, Scotland and NI.
- Pre-employment checks in health and social care in England What CQC regulation 19 and Schedule 3 require, which DBS check each care role can have, professional registers and agency staff checks in England.
- Pre-employment checks in hospitality and retail Right to work at volume, casual and gig staff from October 2026, personal licences for alcohol sales, cash-handling roles and references at scale.
Also covered in our guides for Construction and engineering, Logistics and transport and Technology.
Related answers
- How do employers carry out right to work checks? Before someone starts work, employers should carry out one of three prescribed checks: a manual check of original documents, a Home Office online check using a share code, or a check through a registered right to work digital verification service provider. Done correctly, it gives a statutory excuse against a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
- How should employers handle an employee subject access request? Employers should recognise the request, which can be made verbally or in writing, confirm the person's identity if needed, make a reasonable and proportionate search and respond without undue delay and within one month. Complex requests can be extended by up to two months. A fee usually cannot be charged, and information about other people may need redacting.
- What does TUPE mean for employers? When a business or service transfers to a new employer, TUPE usually moves the assigned employees across automatically on their existing terms, with continuous service and the old employer's liabilities. Both employers must inform and consult representatives, the old employer must pass on employee information at least 4 weeks before transfer, and dismissals because of the transfer are automatically unfair.