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On March 20, the Security Industry Authority brought together some of the senior figures from the 30 largest private security businesses to discuss labour exploitation. This followed a similar gathering in December 2024, at which the 20 largest businesses were represented.
The SIA says this forms part of Operation EMPOWER, which is the regulatorโs response to labour exploitation. EMPOWER, the SIA reports, involves a multi-disciplinary team that includes intelligence specialists and criminal investigators working with HM Revenue and Customs. The SIA says that the event was intended to build on work started in December with a wider range of voices from the industry.
Michelle Russell, SIA Chief Executive, welcomed the delegates and said: “This meeting comes at an important time for the private security industry and the SIA, where strategic engagement and partnership between the regulator and the industry can deliver positive change. Together we can make a significant difference, strengthening the regulatory regime, rooting out criminality and improving public trust and confidence in the delivery of private security services.”
Paul Fullwood, SIA Director of Inspections and Enforcement, said: “We have a shared responsibility to do the right thing. Collaboration and a change in culture is the key to this. The harm to individuals from labour exploitation is unacceptable; for every corrupt and criminal action carried out to maximise profit, there is likely to be a victim who is being deprived of their rights. We are very keen to engage, and very glad to have influential voices from the private security industry here with us. The solution to many of these problems can be found in this room – however, we will be engaging further across the UK private security industry.”
The SIA asked delegates to consider two questions in particular:
What are the top ten things that are broken or that prevent the UK private security industry from tackling labour exploitation effectively?
What are the top ten actions that the private security industry or the SIA can do to address labour exploitation across the UK private security industry?
Topics under discussion included: the criminal gains to be made from non-compliant behaviour; issues raised by sub-contracting; educating buyers about the part they play in preventing labour exploitation; the SIAโs new business approval scheme (which is scheduled to replace the existing Approved Contractor Scheme); improvements in data-sharing between the SIA and the private security industry.
The summit closed with a commitment from all present to work to start developing workstreams based on the discussions and put industry names to actions to take forward. The SIA is planning further engagement to capture the expertise and knowledge from others across the UK private security industry.
About the SIA
As set up under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, the Security Industry Authority regulates the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary. The SIAโs main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities, mainly door security work and contract guarding; and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS). Visit www.gov.uk/SIA.
