Una writes: in the world of security, there is a high awareness of the SIA and its new Chairman Baroness Dr Ruth Henig. However, there is a lot you might not know about the baroness.
A former Dean of Arts and Humanities at Lancaster University, she taught history for 34 years and went on to become an accomplished author in her own right. A wife and mother of two sons; chairman of the Association of Police Authorities (APA) since its start-up in 1989 where Ruth went on to be re-elected by police authority colleagues and fellow chairmen every year, until she became president of the APA and chairman of Lancashire Police Authority. As if that was not enough, she was a member of the National Criminal Justice Board. For recognition of her work, Ruth received a CBE in 2000 for her contribution to policing and community safety. <br><br>Peter Holland CBE (Vice-Chairman of the APA until Home Secretary John Reid in September 2006 appointed him as the first Chairman of the new National Policing Improvement Agency) said at the time of the granting of a CBE to Ruth: "This honour is richly deserved. The APA is delighted that the huge contribution Ruth has made to policing and community safety both nationally and locally has been recognised in this way." It did not stop there, in 2002, Dr Ruth Henig CBE became Deputy Lieutenant for Lancaster, and in June 2004, she became a life peer as Baroness Henig of Lancaster. Peter Holland went on to say: "Ruth has been an eloquent and passionate advocate on behalf of local communities for many years. Under her leadership, the APA quickly established itself as an influential and respected voice on the national policing stage, whilst at the same time supporting police authorities in their drive towards improvements in policing services locally. She will bring the same energy, dedication, and commitment to her work in the House of Lords." <br><br>Her obvious talent and experience was not going to be confined only to the House of Lords, so in December 2006 John Reid also announced her appointment as the new chairman of the Security Industry Authority (SIA). On taking up her role, she began almost immediately to meet with industry characters from the wider world of security, from large organisations to smaller players. Having met her at that early stage it was plain to see that she wanted to learn and understand the needs of the market place; she was listening to the people she was meeting. As a result, she has fast-tracked her knowledge of the profession, to deliver what the SIA had to offer in line with sector-business needs. <br><br>Arriving at Baroness Henig’s office, she was visibly excited and very pleased to chat about the SIA having received conformation that Home Office ministers had approved the expansion of the SIA board to include Scottish and industry representation. A decision which has received warm endorsement from Scottish Executive Ministers. With this ‘hot off the press’ news, she said: "That was one of the objectives I had in a way when I came here, in thinking that as the SIA was growing in significance and as regulation was becoming an accepted feature of the landscape that really we should be established in Scotland. I came to that view and then it was only when I actually started to read around this issue, that it became evident, it was also one of the objectives of the industry itself. Therefore, in the New Year, we hope to be joined by a Scottish colleague and a member of the board who has had either in-depth research experience within the security industry or who is very knowledgeable about the line of work."<br><br>I remarked that it would be good to have someone from the profession within the SIA. Baroness Henig replied: "Right through the discussion there was always an assumption that someone from the industry would be on board and I think that this is now something that we will be able to put into operation". I asked about her vision for the future. She went on to say: "To be fair I actually think being a good regulator is important. It is the starting point … by being a good regulator I mean performing well in order that we are able to issue licences effectively, efficiently and that we are able to do security checks and also that we are proportionate and have a light touch to work with the industry … I do think that those things matter. Beyond that, I think that there is a whole range of issues connected with working with the industry. One of the big topic’s for me is training and I think that the progress so far is 350,000 qualifications, which I think is important. Many of those qualifications will be held by young people and for them it represents a major achievement and gives them a foundation to build upon. This enables them to look at career progression, for example if a person aspires to become a supervisor or manager then there is an identifiable path or route that they can follow to achieve their goal. The security profession has its own training agenda for instance and we would like to work with all relevant agencies and anything that the SIA can do to continue that process we will do. The industry is changing as we speak." We briefly discussed the changes regarding training progression through initiatives such as Private Public Sector Collaboration. <br><br>Baroness Henig mentioned Project Griffin and the fact that many senior police officers that she knows are strongly in favour of projects involving the private security sector. She also went on to say: "In fact I think that the [British] Transport Police are leading the way in this area, they are already working with fire and security on a whole range of initiatives. There are so many opportunities out there. Actually, one of the things I have really enjoyed in the past couple of months is that I have been going out visiting companies. I decided that after three months in here, listening, talking and absorbing all the things I needed to know and thought that I really wanted to get out and talk to the people who are out there in the market place…that is what it’s really all about. People can tell you 100 things and you can listen intently, but you have to get out there and see it for yourself. So many enterprising, fantastic companies are pushing at the boundaries and are establishing links with different organisations and authorities in their area. In a sense, they are at the frontier of this public-private collaboration and they are actually doing it. In some degree, it is a case of building upon what is already going on and for us it is being able to help with that agenda. So my vision is for the private security industry to realise the potential of a wider agenda both in terms of its own development and the people within it." We went on to chat about the development and growth of the security industry with organisations such as The Security Institute and the City Livery Companies (Company of Security Professionals – representing the charitable arm of the profession). We talked about how the industry is moving forward and thanks to these types of bodies; we are becoming a respected sector of business. Baroness Henig commented: "As I said the security industry is constantly changing and I was delighted for instance to join the Company of Security Professionals and I hope to do whatever is required to help for the future." I wanted to know more about Ruth Henig the person and tried to get her to chat about herself. Having read that she was also a business woman in her own right I enquired when she first started. <br><br>"My first business venture was when Keith Joseph (who was the then Secretary of State for Education) introduced all sorts of cuts and some were proposed within the history department of the university where I worked [Lancaster] and they were pretty severe cuts. So I said rather than have cuts why don’t we generate income? Therefore, I came up with this idea that A level students needed up to date books to read, because most history teachers were out of date as they got their training 10 to 20 years beforehand. Their interpretations were out of date and I was aware of this because I marked A level papers and I knew for example on many 20th century topics that what the kids were learning was out of date. I also knew that most of the historians would not any more hold to those interpretations. I said ‘what we need is a set of books that are really up to date and give A level students the latest thinking on a whole range of issues’. Therefore, we put this scheme forward with a publisher who went with the idea and that became what is now known as the Lancaster History pamphlet series. To date it has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. When I was last in the university our account was looking good and it has generated the money to enable us to make the appointments that we wanted … and not the cuts. So in fact, that was my first business venture. It was worthwhile and I was able to write one or two books in the series, which I enjoyed. It is very easy to sit around and whinge but one of my things in life is ‘what are you going to do about it’." Being a historian has served Baroness Henig well, having taught the subject for so long she is now meeting ex-students as she goes around the country, she went on to explain some of the more unusual places she has encountered her past students. "I had the occasion to go to Downing Street and the first person I met there was an ex-student of mine who was the principal private secretary to the Prime Minister. It was amazing, we starting chatting and he recollected the seminars we used to have and said that he was telling people about my books … and there he was in Downing Street! It was wonderful. I have also met them in other places from my auditor to the Home Office…they seem to be everywhere." She laughed.
