The Security Institute and guests enjoyed a dinner at the House of Lords, to mark the Register of Chartered Security Professionals (CSyP). This year’s event, at the House of Commons on Tuesday, March 20, saw over 140 CSyPs and guests in attendance. Pictured are Emma Shaw CSyP Security Institute chairman, Lady Carlile and Lord Alex Carlile CBE, QC.
The register was set up by the institute on behalf of The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP) in 2011. Since, WCoSP Past-Masters Peter French MBE and Don Randall MBE have worked with the institute on its ongoing development. They attended the dinner, alongside the current Master of the Worshipful Company Group Captain Brian Hughes FSyI and Barrie Stewart FSyI, Middle Warden.
The institute organised the event on behalf of the Register and it was well represented by Chairman Emma Shaw CSyP, Vice-Presidents Mike Bluestone CSyP and Bill Wyllie CSyP, Advisory Board member Baroness Ruth Henig DL, deputy chairman Garry Evanson CSyP and the Registrar charged with admitting the successful Register applicants, David Gill CSyP.
The event is an opportunity to introduce the quality the register represents as a ‘gold standard’ to other organisations to do with the security profession. Applicants have to go through an assessment and prove they have reached a minimum competence level in each of five defined areas – knowledge, practice skills, leadership, communications and professional commitment. Once admitted they are permitted to use the CSyP post nominal.
Before dining, certificates of admittance were presented to nine new Chartered Security Professionals. They were: Stephen Ackroyd (Aviation Security Consultant), Grahame Bullock (Nexen Petroleum UK), Robb Cumming (Technip), Prof. Denis Fischbacher-Smith (Glasgow University), Peter Kaye (Pilgrims Group), Simon Pears (Sodexo), Simon Roberts (DHL), Peter Whettingsteel (MFD International) and Simon Whitehouse (SGW Safety & Security).
Lord Carlile CBE QC gave an update on the latest by the Register, acknowledging the appointment of ASIS UK as licensees of the register and announcing that the register has doubled its application rate since last year; he also shared some of his personal knowledge and history of the Commons. Charles Farr OBE, Director of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, was the guest speaker and shared his thoughts about UK security and counter-terrorism.
Emma Shaw, Chairman of The Security Institute and herself a Registered Chartered Security Professional said afterwards: ‘I am incredibly proud of what the Register has achieved in just three years and delighted that it continues to attract interest from across the world. It is a significant factor in our ongoing efforts to raise standards and enhance the perception of the security profession – something that benefits us all. The Chartered Security Professionals House of Commons event is a great opportunity for the Register to celebrate its success and raise its profile even further within the wider business and governmental communities. The Register continues to play a vital role in the Security Institute’s mission to make security a profession that is considered on a par with disciplines such as law, education, medicine, accountancy and engineering.’
Event sponsors were Dallmeier and Pilgrims Group.
