Why are you screening me?

Vetting and pre-employment screening has become an essential part of the hiring process for many organisations for safeguarding their business, staff, and clients as part of their risk-assessment policies. Those wishing to work in the security sector and certain other types of employment must be screened to the BS7858 Standard. The checks we are carrying out are part of the screening process which has been requested by your employer. If you have questions about the necessity of the process, you should raise your concerns with your HR advisor or line manager. They will be able to advise what impact failure to complete the screening will have on the recruitment process.

 

What is required to start my screening?

Before your screening can start, you must complete and submit your application form. In order for us to accept this form, you are required to provide a valid proof of ID (full list of acceptable documents can be found HERE) and a valid proof of address (full list of acceptable documents can be found HERE).

The documents you provide MUST be from our list of acceptable documents. If you provide anything not on these lists, your application will be rejected.

We will also require documentation to cover your 5 year activity history, the most useful being your 5 year employment history from the HMRC.

Once you have fully filled in your application form, you must click "Submit" on the main application page. If you do not click this, your application will not come through to us.

Please continue reading for further information on other documentation we may require such as education evidence or overseas arrival evidence.

 

Who is screening me?

National Vetting Solutions UK are the vetting company utilised by your employer to carry out these screenings and to ensure you are correctly screened to the BS7858 Standard.

 

What if I have questions about the screening process?

We have a comprehensive dedicated website full of various guides and articles related to all aspects of the screening process available HERE. You can browse the categories and articles within, or use the search function to find specific answers to your queries.

If you cannot find the answer to your question using this site, you can email your assigned screener who will contact you at the start of your screening. If you have not yet been assigned a screener, you can raise a support ticket by clicking on "Email Support" in the bottom right corner of the website, or emailing support@nationalvetting.uk.

If you wish to call us, our phone number is 01362 700 899.

Our opening hours are Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm.

We are closed on Bank Holidays and for the period between Christmas and New Years.

 

Why have you sent me a Right to Work Check?

If you were born overseas and do not have a British Passport, you will be sent a link to complete your Digital Right To Work Check. This will arrive in an email from screening@nvsuk.co.uk. This check is separate to the application form you will have already completed, so please do not ignore it.

You will need to use your passport or government issued share code to complete this, so please have these ready before starting. The email will include instructions on how to complete the check, but there is also a guide available HERE.

 

What is a BS7858?

The BS7878 Standard refers to the screening of individuals working in a secure environment. This standard is a risk-assessment based screening standard that covers the security and other industry sectors wherein the vetting and pre-employment screening of persons employed, or to be employed, in an environment where the security and safety of people, property or goods is a requirement of the employing organisation.

 

What documents do I need to complete my screening?

Before your screening can start, you must complete and submit your application form. You will receive an email with a link to your application form, please keep an eye on your junk folder as the emails are sometimes filtered there. A full guide on how to correctly complete the form is available HERE. Please follow the links within this guide for more in-depth guides on how to complete each individual section.

As a minimum to accept your application, you are required to upload a valid proof of ID and a valid proof of address. Failure to provide acceptable documentation will result in your application being rejected. The documents we can accept are listed below. Please ensure you only provide documents from this list, we will not accept anything that is not specifically listed. Please also pay particular attention to when the documents must be dated, as we will not accept any documents outside of the stated timeframes.

DO NOT upload password protected documents, we cannot use these and they can corrupt the rest of your application form, resulting in rejection.

Proof of ID documents: This document must show your full, legal name and date of birth. If you have changed your name and your ID document has not been updated, we will also require a marriage certificate, divorce certificate or change of name deed poll showing a clear change from the name on your ID document to your current name.

  • Valid Passport (UK and International) (Photo page showing full MRZ number)
  • Valid Driving Licence (UK Only) (full or provisional accepted) (if not used for proof of address)
  • Birth Certificate
  • Biometric Residence permit – (Must be both sides of the permit)
  • Adoption Certificate

Proof of Address documents: This document must be addressed directly to yourself, we do not accept circular mail. Joint documents are fine as long as they show your current legal name and are not just addressed to "The Occupier". The document must be dated within the acceptable time frames, the date must be clearly visible and it must show your full, current address. Documents with partial postcodes cannot be accepted.

  • Utility bill dated within the last 3 months – Mobile phone bills and TV licence bills are NOT accepted
  • Bank statement or Credit Card statement dated within the last 3 months - Store Cards and Catalogue Cards are NOT accepted
  • Letter from the Government or Local Council dated within the last 3 months - Electoral related, DVLA and NHS Letters are NOT accepted
  • P60 or P45 dated within the last 12 months
  • Council tax bill dated within the last 12 months
  • Valid Driving Licence (UK Only) (full or provisional accepted) (if not used for proof of ID)
  • Benefit Statement or Wage Slip dated within the last 3 months
  • Mortgage Statement dated within the last 12 months
  • Pension Statement dated within the last 12 months

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whilst a Driving Licence is a valid proof of ID and proof of address, it CANNOT be used for both categories. If you have used your driving licence as your proof of ID, you must use a different document for your proof of address and vice versa.

 

Your 5-year activity history:

As part of your screening, we are required to document your 5 year activity history. If a previous employment does not respond to our reference requests or the company no longer exists, we will require you to provide documentation to cover the employment instead. The easiest way to do this is with your 5 Year Employment History Statement from HMRC. Below are the details of how to order this by phone, or a guide on how to register and download your HMRC statement online via https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account.

To order the statement over the phone, you must call HMRC on 0300 200 3300. This is a FREE phone number. Once through to an advisor, please ask for your 5-Year Employment History. The statement normally takes anything from 7 - 14 working days to arrive, once received please email it to your assigned screener or to screening@nationalvetting.uk.

To prevent delays, you can download your HMRC statement instantly online.

Click HERE for the web guide on how to register online and then download the document.

Click HERE for the VIDEO guide on how to register online and then download the document.

Please ensure you follow this guide precisely, as we require the specific document which shows the start and end date of each employment, not just the taxable income. Please download this as a PDF document, DO NOT take screenshots of parts of the page as we require the full document. We also cannot accept it if the information has been copied and pasted into a word document.

If you are still currently employed, we will also require your most recent payslip as your HMRC document will not show an end date for the employment.

Other examples of documents we can accept to cover periods of employment are as follows:

  • Bank statements showing payments from the company
  • Payslips
  • P60s or P45s
  • Contract of employment
  • Redundancy/dismissal letter

 

What if I haven't been employed in the UK for the full 5 years?

If your 5 year activity history includes periods of self-employment, education, volunteering, claiming benefits, travelling or arriving from overseas, we will require different documentation to cover this.

Self-Employment:

If you were self-employed within the time frame of your screening, the quickest way to verify this is with a reference. Please provide the details of your accountant so we can contact them for a reference.

If you did not use an accountant or they do not respond to our reference requests, we will require you to provide documentation to cover the period of self-employment instead. Documentation we can accept is as follows:

  • Self Assessment tax returns - one for every tax year
  • Self Assessment documents, i.e. Letter from HMRC advising tax return is due, the welcome letter issuing you with your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) or a letter advising you owe National Insurance due to self-employment
  • Invoices clearly showing your name and/or Business name
  • Bank statements showing income – personal or business accounts

Education:

If a previous education provider does not respond to our reference requests or the institute no longer exists, we will require you to provide documentation to cover the education period instead.

A lot of high schools, colleges and universities prefer to only give references to the student directly. If you have been in education within the time frame of your screening, it may be quickest if you contact them directly for a reference.

If it is not possible to obtain a reference, some documents we can accept instead are as follows:

  • Enrolment Letters or Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies Letters (aka CAS letters)
  • Certificates verifying course completion such as A Level certificates or Diplomas
  • Emails or letters from the school to yourself confirming enrolment, continued studies and/or graduation

Please note: We will need documentation to cover the start AND end date of your education period. A letter confirming enrolment is not sufficient to show you are still enrolled or that you completed the course.

Volunteering:

If an organisation you have volunteered for does not respond to our reference requests or the company no longer exists, we will require you to provide documentation to cover the period instead.

As no money is exchanged whilst volunteering, we are limited as to what documentation we can accept. Any letters relating to your period of volunteering will be helpful, but unless they confirm the start and end date of the period, they may not be sufficient. The best option is to contact the organisation yourself and request a reference letter confirming the dates.

If it is not possible to obtain a reference, we would then have to class the period as not working and not claiming benefits. Please scroll down for further information on what will be required in these instances.

Claiming Benefits:

If you were claiming benefits within the time frame of your screening, we will require documentation to cover this period. Documents we can accept are as follows:

Universal Credit

  • Payment summary from your online portal showing ALL Universal Credit payments and your name
  • Bank statements showing payments. Please Note: We will require one bank statement for each month of your claim period, clearly showing your name, benefit payments and the dates of payment

Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

  • Your 5-Year Employment History from HMRC if it shows your JSA or ESA claim dates
  • A benefits letter confirming your full claim period from the Jobcentre
  • Bank statements showing payments. Please Note: We will require one bank statement for each month of your claim period, clearly showing your name, benefit payments and the dates of payment

Travelling:

If you have any periods of travel in your activity history, some documents we may require include:

  • Passport stamps
  • Flight/train/ferry/bus tickets
  • Email confirmation of flight booking/hotel booking
  • Bank statements showing transactions whilst away
  • Travel insurance documents
  • Mobile phone bills showing usage whilst away

Please Note: You MUST provide documentation showing exit from the UK and then returning.

Overseas Arrival:

If you arrived in the UK for the first time within the last 5 years, we must have TWO forms of documentation showing entry to the UK. Documents that we can accept to verify overseas arrival include:

  • Passport stamps showing exit from the country you previously lived in
  • Passport stamps showing entry to UK
  • Travel documents e.g. train or plane tickets
  • Proof of purchase of travel documents
  • Employment documents from any employments you held overseas
  • Education documents from any school/college/university you attended overseas
  • Bank statements or utility bills from overseas
  • If you are from Spain or Portugal you can obtain a work history document similar to the UK HMRC document from the Spanish or Portuguese government. Please contact the HMRC equivalent in these countries for further information.
  • UK National Insurance letter - this must be the original copy first issued upon your arrival
  • Biometric Residence permit first issued upon your arrival
  • Home Office letters
  • Written statement from yourself advising how you were financially supported whilst waiting for your residence permit or National Insurance number
  • Blank HMRC document
  • National Insurance contributions document

 

What if I have periods within the last 5 years that don't fit into any of these categories?

If you have periods exceeding 30 days within the last 5 years where you were not in employment, self-employment, education, volunteering, claiming benefits, travelling or arriving from overseas, or you cannot provide the required documentation to cover any of these periods, we will treat this as "not working, not claiming". You will need to fill in the Employment Gaps section of your application form and we will require documentation to cover the entire period.

The documentation we require will be bank statements and a written statement from yourself advising how you were financially supported.

  • If the bank statements show money going in, we will require a written statement explaining where the money is from e.g. family or friends.
  • If the bank statements show child benefit/tax credit, this will need to be classified as not working and we will need a written statement advising you were living off the tax credit/child benefits.
  • If bank statements are provided and there is a large account balance, then potentially this can be classified as living off savings.

Please Note: Any evidence provided needs to confirm what your written statement claims you were doing.

 

What if I don't want to provide the information or documentation?

Your employer has requested we carry out the screening, it is a requirement of your employment with them. Refusal to cooperate and provide the documentation required may result in your screening being cancelled, which in turn may affect your employment.

Once your screening starts, your assigned screener will contact you and advise you of any documentation initially required. However, it is sometimes necessary to contact you for additional information or documentation throughout the screening process as new situations come to light. We cannot always predict exactly what will be required at the start of your screening.

Cooperation with our screening team will enable us to complete your screening quickly and efficiently, preventing delays in you starting your new employment.

NVS UK WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ABUSE TOWARDS OUR MEMBERS OF STAFF. ABUSIVE ACTIONS WILL BE REPORTED TO YOUR EMPLOYER AND WE MAY REFUSE TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR SCREENING.