The Security Industry Authority (SIA) annual report and account released on July 11 spoke of the last year’s ‘particular challenges’ and what it’s hoping to do now.
In a joint statement opening the 72-page report, the regulator’s chairman and chief exec, Baroness Ruth Henig and Bill Butler respectively, said: “Significant spending reductions were delivered across the organisation, including reductions in staffing and support costs and the agreement of new contract arrangements with our key suppliers.” <br><br>They went on: “The willingness of many in the industry, suppliers, buyers and those who use and rely on private security, to work with us to create a new approach to regulation has been a key element in allowing us to develop the Change Blueprint. We are grateful to all those involved and are looking forward to continuing this partnership as we address the Government’s aim to bring forward a new regime by the end of 2013.” <br><br>Despite what the report called ‘a backdrop of change and uncertainty’ the report stressed it was a year of achievement for the SIA. On the approved contractor scheme, which was five years old in March 2011, the report said there are more than 700 ACS firms and assessment scores have now increased each year for the past five years. As in past reports, the SIA stressed partnerships – ‘strong working relationships with partner agencies to address non-compliance with the Private Security Industry Act 2001’. <br><br>As for the public sector austerity, the report spoke of more than £4m of savings in the year. ‘In addition the successful implementation of the new managed service contract for licence processing [with BT], half way through the year, has produced an additional saving of £1.7m. These initiatives have ensured that the SIA has remained fully self-financing …’<br><br>The SIA is to bring out a ‘change blueprint’ which will ‘provide the future direction of regulation in the private security industry. Its development is driven by a set of guiding principles.’ The document did not go into more detail about those principles, though it did speak of ‘a new, lighter touch approach to regulation based on a registration scheme for businesses and individuals’, ‘a significant transfer of responsibility to the industry’, and a reduction in the direct costs of regulation. <br><br>Regardless of recession and austerity, as the report points out, in 2010-11 the SIA was in the lowest point of its three-year cycle as badged security people renew a licence. While income from the ACS stayed about the same at just over £2m, income from licences fell by several millions, to £26.5m. While the costs of running the licence scheme fell, the cost of accommodating staff rose slightly by £66,000 to £1.566m. The document pointed out that the licence application fee has been maintained at £245 since it rose in 2007. The financial reporting part of the document states that the SIA’s court costs relating to the Sabrewatch trial were recovered amounting to £1m. <br><br>To download the report visit the SIA website –
