The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is carrying out a ‘strategic review‘ of the standards it sets, and which form the basis for SIA licence-linked qualifications and training. The review, says the UK regulator, will result in new licence-linked qualifications in 2027. Covered are what’s required to gain a licence (the ‘core knowledge and skills’ of someone wearing a badge on the ‘front line’), how qualifications are assessed and training delivery. The SIA proposes that all those training towards a licence should take a test as ‘an objective assessment of a candidateโs ability to understand and speak English’.
Conflict management
As for the conflict management part of what security guards, door staff and close protection officers have to go through to apply for an SIA badge, the review speaks of ‘more realistic scenarios to better reflect the situations licence holders are likely to encounter at work’. The SIA is asking whether (with pub doors, hospitals and retail in mind) it should set a ‘separate voluntary standard for advanced physical intervention skills, including more restrictive interventions’. As the SIA acknowledges, this would be the first time it’s set a standard for training beyond that which people need to get a licence. It’s proposing ‘techniques that include the use of force to restrict an individualโs movement’, such as ground holds. Given that such skills are ‘higher-risk’, the training required would be longer, the SIA points out.
Retail
As for context, the SIA notes an increase in violence or abuse against retail, besides against security staff in hospitals, since the last such review in 2019. Hence the Authority is asking, should the security guard licence include physical intervention training, as it currently does not; and ought there to be a separate physical intervention standard for ‘more advanced restrictive skills’. The SIA appreciates that guard badges are far outnumbered by door staff badges, given that someone with a door badge can work as a guard, but not the other way around. Contract guarding firms have informed the SIA that they prefer guards in shops to have skills in conflict management, verbal de-escalation, and personal safety awareness; above, that is, actually getting physical with thieves. The SIA notes from a survey that ‘the vast majority of operatives working in retail security will have already had physical intervention training as part of the door supervision qualification’. Adding physical intervention training to the guarding qualifications would make a guarding licence course go from four days to six.
English
A bugbear over the 20 or so years so far of the SIA regime has been that seemingly people with little spoken English can hold an SIA badge, yet appear unable to do such necessary basics as relay instructions. The SIA acknowledges ‘an increase in concerns expressed’ about lack of English language skills held by some with an SIA licence, maybe getting by during training by using AI; hence the SIA’s operation to make unannounced visits to training centres. The level of ‘functional English language skills’ required is (in the jargon) B2, as required of someone to get a student visa to take a degree-level course. The SIA acknowledges ‘assessment of functional language ability can be inconsistent and subjective across training providers, and open to abuse’. Currently, during training the practical assessments (as evidence of a learnerโs ability to use, comprehend, and understand spoken English) are video recorded. The SIA is asking whether it should add a ‘third-party functional English assessment for spoken skills’. The Authority makes a comparison with an online test used by Transport for London ‘to support the taxi licensing regime’.
Common knowledge
As for what’s ‘common security industry knowledge’ among those badged, the SIA proposes ‘new and updated content’ in terms of the law, such as Martynโs Law whereby venues and events have to take steps to counter the threat of terrorism; recording and reporting of incidents (including by body-worn cameras); crime scene preservation; and spiking of drinks. Given that the SIA regime came in over the mid-2000s and much in British life and the private security sector has changed since, the SIA is asking about updating the common knowledge in terms of drug use (given the ‘greater prevalence of drug use’, door staff now focus more on the ‘management of harm from problematic drug use’), social media โauditorsโ (whereby busybodies in the name of posting provocative videos online to garner views, challenge security staff and others in uniform), emerging technologies such as drones, welfare responsibilities, and ‘communication needs’, whether SIA-badged staff are talking to young people, or those from ‘different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and communities’.
Equalities
For example, with a nod to the Equalities Act 2010, the regulator proposes new content on searching as ‘sufficient knowledge to carry out searches on vulnerable people, or those with disabilities or with accessibility needs, those using wheelchairs or other mobility devices’.
CT
On counter-terrorism, the SIA is proposing to streamline the e-learning packages ‘so that security operatives only need to take one specialist security package’.
First aid
The SIA has in 2021 added ‘first aid competence’ to the badge for close protection, door supervisors, and security guards. The SIA is now asking whether to add to the ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ qualification testing at the licence application stage; and, how those badged can show they maintain ‘competence’ over the three-year SIA licence โ proposed is a new licence condition that an operative must always hold a valid first aid certificate. Also part of the consultation is whether a security-specific first aid qualification would better reflect ‘operational environments’.
CP
More generally, the SIA is asking whether ‘licence integration arrangements’ should remain, whereby someone with the close protection licence (requiring a far longer and hence more expensive training course) should be allowed to also perform the ‘licensable activity’ of a door supervisor and a security guard.
Why
The Authority points out that qualifications, including those regulated by the watchdog Ofqual and Qualifications Scotland, must be reviewed by exam awarding bofdies regularly, typically every five years.ย The SIA has already done surveys, research and webinars and made ‘open special interest groups’.
The consultation closes on October 23; for more, visit the SIA website. An online questionnaire is at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/t/SIAQualsReview.
Photo by Mark Rowe; security officer, Canary Wharf, London Docklands (where the SIA has its head office).
