If the competency standard for a private investigator’s licence is set too high, the profession could find itself faced with a large bill for training new recruits to replace those who have been excluded, or a large shortfall in qualified practitioners. So warns a leading investigator.
Richard J Newman is the chairman of the National Occupational Standards Development Working Group. With Alan Martin of the Security Industry Training Organisation, and representatives of the QCA and SQA, and the Security Industry Authority, that body will seek to develop National Occupational Standards for investigators. Also in the working group: Ian Hopkins of the Institute of Professional Investigators, Alan Marr of Ex-Police In Commerce, Polly Sprenger of risk consultants and corporate investigators Control Risks Group and Ian Withers of the World Association of Private Investigators.
Richard Newman, President of the Association of British Investigators, is a member of the Company of Security Professionals and runs the Hampshire-based Thomsett Agency. He reports that the Association of British Investigators could seek to be an ‘awarding body’ for the professional investigation sector. There is also a possibility that a professional register of investigators would be established. The association would seek to establish or contribute to this register. If admitted to the professional register the requirement to take a full examination may be rescinded. Those of you who were involved may recall the proposal to set up an Investigators’ Guild as a means to associate the Association of British Investigators with the Institute of Professional Investigators. If this Guild, or other significant body, were to be established it could then encompass any investigators’ association or institution in the UK and may form the basis of the "professional register" that the SIA has indicated could be a possible route to ‘qualification’ for a licence.”
On November 16, the SIA, SITO and the Investigators’ Sector Group of the Joint Security Industry Council will hold a one-day conference to announce the criteria for licensing private investigations. For details of the event at the Ramada Hotel, Watford visit www.investigatorsconference.co.uk
