Worcester-based Skills for Security are asking working security consultants to join them for a Sector Consultation Group in London.
It’s on 11th February 2009. The aim is to help SfS address issues and then forward for SIA deliberation. For more, email [email protected]
The SIA has a number of options on what criteria it will eventually require practitioners to meet, but it is worth bearing in mind that all of the other occupations that fall within the licensing regulations are required to prove their competency. In other words, they have to demonstrate that they are qualified to do the job.
For the roles licensed to date this was relatively simple, because standard training programmes were already in use and just need some tweaking to meet the SIA’s requirements. That, of course, is not the case with security consultants, many of whom are "qualified" by dint of their experience rather than formal training courses and qualifications. So if the regulator decides that consultants will have to prove their competency, what benchmark will it use?
The Skills for Security sector consultation group for security consultants is addressing this issue. The group, which is made up of practising consultants, believes that it is time for the profession to take the reins itself and agree some fundamentals, which could then form part of the SIA’s deliberations.
Any competency requirement must be based upon the National Occupational Standards (NOS), which describe the skills and knowledge required to carry out the role. The NOS for security consultants are being reviewed next year and Skills for Security says its consultation group will be involved in the process. The Association of Security Consultants believes that the sector should be coming together now to determine what the core skills of any security consultant should include, and then what additional skills are needed for specific specialisms.
Colin Braziel, Chair of the Association, said: "Time is moving on. If we don’t start to address these issues ourselves we could find that we have something imposed upon us which doesn’t meet the needs of the profession. I would urge anyone with an interest in defining what makes a security consultant, and what makes that person competent, to join us in the Skills for Security consultation group."
