When you hire a security company, you trust its officers with your keys, your premises and sometimes your staff and visitors. Two checks tell you a lot about the company behind those officers: how it screens the people it employs, which in the UK is usually measured against BS 7858, and whether it is an SIA approved contractor. This guide explains both in plain terms, shows you how to check them, and lists the questions and red flags that matter when you compare providers.
It is written for buyers: facilities and property managers, business owners and procurement teams. For the checks on individual officers, see our guide to what SIA licensing means when you hire security.
What BS 7858 Is
BS 7858 is the British Standard for security screening. It is a code of practice for the security screening of individuals employed in a security environment: in other words, how an employer should confirm who a person is and look into their background before trusting them with security work.
Screening is separate from the SIA licence. The SIA carries out its own checks before it grants a licence, but a company that screens to BS 7858 is also doing its own checks as the employer, and keeping a record of them. That matters most in roles that involve keys, alarm codes, cash, stock or contact with vulnerable people.
BS 7858 is a standard that a company works to, so the way to check it is to ask the provider to explain its screening process and show you evidence, as set out below.
What the SIA Approved Contractor Scheme Is
The SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) is a voluntary quality assurance scheme for private security companies. Companies choose to join it, so a company without approval is not breaking the law by trading. The SIA approves companies, not individuals, so approval tells you about the business as a whole rather than about any one officer.
According to the SIA's guidance, Learn about our Approved Contractor Scheme, approval lasts three years, and approved companies must keep meeting the standard during that time. It is a criminal offence for a company to claim to be an approved contractor when it is not. That is why the register is worth checking, rather than relying on a logo on a website or in a tender document.
Company Approval and Officer Licences Are Different Checks
An approved contractor still has to supply licensed officers. Contract staff doing licensable work, such as security guarding or door supervision supplied to you by a security company, need an SIA licence. In-house staff employed directly by your business do not usually need one. Licences last three years, except vehicle immobiliser licences, which last one year.
So a full check has three parts: the company's approval on the SIA register, its screening of staff to BS 7858, and each officer's licence on GOV.UK's Check security staff have a licence to work service.
How to Check a Security Company
- Ask whether the company is an SIA approved contractor. Get the answer in writing, with the exact company name the approval is held under.
- Search the SIA Register of Approved Contractors. Check that the company you are contracting with appears, and that the name matches the one on your quote and contract. Trading names and group companies can differ from the business that actually employs the officers.
- Ask how staff are screened. Ask whether screening follows BS 7858, what it covers, who carries it out and how records are kept. Ask to see a screening file with personal details removed, or a written description of the process.
- Check the officers, not just the company. Ask for the names and licence numbers of the officers assigned to your site, and search them on GOV.UK by the 16-digit licence number, or by surname plus details such as date of birth.
- Check again when things change. Approvals and licences both run for set periods, and staff change. Recheck at contract renewal and whenever new officers start on your site.
Questions to Ask a Security Firm
- Are you an SIA approved contractor, and under which company name is the approval held?
- Do you screen every officer to BS 7858 before they start, and can you show us evidence of the process?
- Who employs the officers on our site? Will any work be subcontracted, and if so, to whom?
- Can you give us the names and SIA licence numbers of the officers before they start?
- Which licence type does each role need, and do the assigned officers hold it?
- How will officers be briefed on our site, and will we get written assignment instructions?
- What insurance do you hold, and can we see the certificates?
- How do you report incidents and keep us informed?
Our checklist for hiring security services covers contracts, pricing and service levels in more detail.
Red Flags
- The company says it is an approved contractor but does not appear on the SIA register, or appears under a different name.
- Vague answers about screening, such as "all our staff are vetted", with no detail of what that means or how it is recorded.
- Reluctance to share officers' names or licence numbers before they start.
- Officers who start work before their screening is complete, without you being told.
- Subcontracting that only comes to light after the contract is signed.
- A price well below other quotes, which can mean corners are being cut on pay, screening or licensing. Our security guard cost guide shows typical UK rates.
Choosing a Guarding Provider
If you are buying manned guarding, these checks matter most, because a static officer works on your premises day after day. Ask every provider you shortlist, including us, for the evidence described in this guide, and compare the answers side by side. To talk through your site and get a quote, contact our team.