Security Industry Authority – Security Industry Authority Blog

Shaping the future of security licence qualifications

Qualifications Review Update, February 2026

A progress update on our strategic review of qualifications from Tony Holyland, Head of Individual Standards at the SIA.

I want to update you on the progress we are making on our strategic review of qualifications. This work is our major review of the qualifications that operatives require before they can apply for, and in some cases renew, a licence.

Why this review matters

Licence-linked qualifications are one of the most important ways we can ensure operatives have the safety-critical skills to protect themselves and the public. Getting this right matters — for front-line operatives who need training that reflects what they do, for employers who need confidence in the operatives they deploy, and for the public who deserve assurance that security professionals have been trained and assessed against basic safety-critical skills.

We are reviewing the qualifications to ensure they:

reflect current risks and challenges
keep pace with changing industry practice and new technologies
contain up-to-date legislation
address how social and cultural changes affect the work of front-line security operatives

This review goes beyond updating content. We are also examining how assessment and quality assurance are delivered and taking a fresh look at how top-up and refresher training arrangements have developed over the years.

What we have done so far

Since launching the review in November 2025, we have been actively engaging with the private security industry. So far we have:

spoken with over 450 people through our webinars
received responses from around 4,500 people through our surveys
convened sector-specific Expert Working Groups to develop detailed proposals for new qualification specifications

The response from the industry has been fantastic, and the insights we are gathering are shaping the direction of this review.

Who is shaping the review

This review is being driven by those who understand security work best — the people who do it every day.

Advisory Group

Our Advisory Group provides strategic guidance and challenge throughout the review. The group brings together senior figures from across the sector, including:

representatives from trade bodies and membership associations
senior figures from major security employers
counter-terrorism and protective security specialists
skills and training experts
representatives from awarding organisations

The Advisory Group meets every four to six weeks, ensuring we receive expert input on policy issues and emerging challenges as the project progresses. Their contribution has been invaluable in helping us ask the right questions and ensuring our proposals reflect operational realities.

Expert Working Groups

Alongside the Advisory Group, our Expert Working Groups are carrying out the detailed work on each qualification specification. These groups are composed primarily of front-line security professionals — door supervisors, security officers, CCTV operators, and close protection officers — supported by subject matter experts in areas such as physical intervention.

By placing occupational expertise at the heart of specification development, we are ensuring the new qualifications reflect what operatives genuinely need to know and do.

What we are hearing

Some interesting proposals are emerging from the working groups. I have grouped the main themes below.

Convergence of skills across roles

We are seeing a drive for a more substantial common skillset across all licensable roles. This reflects a growing recognition that door supervisors, security officers, and CCTV operators increasingly need overlapping knowledge and skills to work effectively together. Experts are telling us there is growing demand for operatives to be familiar with roles across the industry, to foster better teamworking and collaboration in the delivery of an integrated service.

Cultural, social, and technological changes

Some proposals reflect the changing environment in which operatives work:

a shift in focus from drug detection and seizure towards understanding the harms of drug use
new content on dealing with social media auditors — members of the public who film security staff and test their responses
greater emphasis on staff wellbeing
content that better reflects modern thinking on equality, diversity, and inclusion

These changes recognise how significantly the security environment has shifted since the current qualifications were developed.

Other developments

We are also seeing strong proposals on:

enhanced physical intervention skills for operatives working in higher-risk environments
updates to address the challenges posed by the rise in retail crime
modernised professional skills and updated content in close protection

What happens next

All of these proposed changes will be subject to a public consultation, which will be available in the spring. This is your opportunity to have your say on the content and approach for the next generation of qualifications.

Alongside developing new content, we are working closely with our awarding organisation partners to strengthen the security of qualification assessments and examinations.

Thank you to everyone who has engaged with the review so far. Your expertise and insights are making a real difference, and I look forward to continuing this conversation through the consultation.

To stay informed

Sign up for updates by emailing  skills@sia.gov.uk
Visit our Qualifications Review Information Hub
Follow our social media channels for announcements

What is spiking and what can I do about it?

This blog was written by Dr Amy Burrell, Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. She can be contacted on a.burrell@bham.ac.uk or via LinkedIn

What is spiking?

Spiking is the covert administration of substances (e.g., drugs, alcohol) to another person without their knowledge or consent. People often think about spiking in the context of drinks and, whilst drink spiking (i.e., adding a substance to someone’s drink) is a common way to spike someone, it is not the only way it happens. There are also reports of spiking using food (e.g., lollipops, brownies, gummies), cigarettes and/or vapes, as well as chewing gum and even via needles/injection.

What is commonly used to spike people?

Drugs such as Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine have been associated with spiking and incidents involving such substances do occur. However, alcohol is the most common substance used to commit spiking. This is not surprising as it is cheap and easily available, especially when in a night-time economy context.

Why do people spike others?

Spiking is a criminal offence. However, it can also be used to make someone more susceptible to being a victim of another crime. There is little research evidence about motivations but what we do know is that they can vary – for example, from sexual assault to robbery to pranking. We also know that spiking is not always followed by another offence which lends more support to the idea that some perpetrators commit spiking for “fun” or “a laugh”. Whatever the motivation, the impact of spiking can be dangerous and, of course, frightening for the victim.

How can I tell if someone has been spiked?

Symptoms of spiking can vary, depending on the substance used. Sometimes it will look like someone is just very drunk – unsurprising if the substance used to spike is often alcohol. Symptoms can, therefore, look similar to drunkenness – e.g., nausea, dizziness, being unsteady on their feet. Other signs someone might have been spiking include becoming unresponsive, behaving out of character, paranoia, and/or hallucinations.

What should I do immediately/first if I think someone has been spiked?

First and foremost, focus on safety. Seek medical attention if necessary. Also, make the venue aware as well as SIA colleagues working nearby. It is not always easy to establish where spiking has taken place so making everyone aware of an incident is helpful. Listen to the person who is reporting they have been spiked – and their friends – as this will help you identify what will help them calm down/feel reassured/what help they need.

How do I help someone who has been spiked?

Remember that the person might not be aware of what is happening. They might be very frightened and/or distressed. It is important to try and find the person’s friends as, hopefully, this will help you understand what has happened. In particular, it will help you establish where they have been and if their behaviour seems out of character for them. One useful tip is to look at the group and the context – whilst it might be very difficult to determine if someone has been spiked if it is 4am and everyone is drunk, there are other times where it should be much clearer. For example, if it is 10pm and one person seems completely out of it, their friends are nearby, (more) sober, and telling you their friend is behaving oddly then this is a strong indicator of spiking. Either way, if in doubt, work on the basis it could be spiking and take the appropriate action.

How do I report a spiking incident?

Victims can be worried about reporting spiking as they might be frightened or feel like they won’t be believed. I would encourage people to report if they feel able to as this helps us to build up a picture of spiking and the more we know, the more effectively we can respond. Police UK have a website on spiking which includes links to reporting spiking incidents . If the victim would prefer not to contact the police, they can still report what has happened to them – for example, at Stamp Out Spiking and The Egalitarian.

What do I do if I want to find out more?

The Security Industry Authority can signpost you to training that is available to you. For example, the Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training is offered to SIA licence holders via the Safer Business Network. This offers you a good opportunity for supplementary training as an extra to your regular refresher SIA training.

There are also many charitable organisations who can offer help and support around spiking. They often have free resources available and/or options for reporting incidents. For example:

Stamp Out Spiking – who have free resources but also a helpful FAQs page
Spike Aware UK – who also provide a handy timeline of what to do when you are dealing with a spiking incident
The Egalitarian – including the Safe Space Project which has a focus on night-time economy

Our compliance checks at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Festival

by Lisa Shaw, Investigations Officer, SIA Southeast

The BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend Festival took place this year in Luton from 24-26 May. As a popular event with a great line up, the numbers were expected to reach over 100,000 which meant a large security presence. My team at the SIA covers counties in the Southeast including Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Kent, Bedfordshire and Thames Valley. As the event was in my patch, my team and I planned a visit to ensure SIA compliance at the event.

Our team checked 155 licences and spent time engaging with licence holders and security suppliers at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Festival in Luton.

We spent three days making checks at the event. The first two days involved us attending the site before the event opened to inspect licences of the security operatives on duty. At the inspection planning stage, all suppliers provided me with a list of documents they had seen to verify identity of the licence holders. We then attended the first day of the event on Friday 24^th May to inspect any licence holders we missed on the first two days. We also observed security procedures and process to ensure that there was no crossover between licensable roles and actions of safety marshals present at the event.

Sarah Runchman, our Head of Intelligence, joined the inspection to observe how an inspection unfolds, what obstacles we may face when out in the field and what improvements can be made in the process. I also spent time walking around the site with local licensing officers working jointly to check security at the venue.

On the day the event opened we were able to observe the security teams carrying out their duties. This included bag searches at the gates and drug detection dogs being used amongst the crowds. We observed how successfully the dogs detected illegal substances with members of the public removed from the queue as a result.

From left to right: SIA Compliance and Inspections team – Ariarna Moore, Lisa Shaw, Alison Hughes and Elise Winnett

The inspection was successful with high levels of compliance found from security officers. We inspected 155 licences over the three days. We issued 13 warnings for failure to update address and a further 5 verbal warnings to security officers for failing to display their SIA licences.

Conducting much of the inspection prior to the opening of the event allowed us to really engage with security officers and marshals and get a feel for how the industry is for them. Our presence at the event was welcomed, with many security officers expressing gladness to see us there. We met a very talented event marshal who is now training to become an SIA licensed security operative. We also witnessed an unprovoked attack by an aggressive member of the public on a door supervisor. The door supervisor handled the situation with restraint and calmness, preventing any escalation. Watching the incident unfold in front of us highlighted just how difficult a door supervisor’s job can be.

Overall, it was a rewarding experience to be part of the event and to ensure levels of compliance were met by the security present. I am grateful for the positive interactions and the opportunity to witness the dedication of everyone involved in ensuring safety of the public and property at the event.

Minister of State for Safeguarding out on inspection with our compliance team in the City of London

On Tuesday 12 September Sarah Dines, Minister of State for Safeguarding, accompanied our compliance team members and City of London Police on an inspection across six locations in the square mile.

The Minister, Sarah Dines, and our Chair, Heather Baily met and spoke with frontline security operatives, including door supervisors and security guards. The Minister was keen to understand the role and the experiences of licence holders as well as speak with them about public safety.

Our Investigations Officer, Kirsty Tagg shared with the Minister our ongoing work to tackle violence against women and girls in partnership with local boroughs and the police. She also highlighted the vital training that operatives receive on recognising indicators of abuse and their duty of care to protect vulnerable people.

The visits provided an opportunity for the security operatives to speak with the Minister and our Chair, and an opportunity for the Minister to observe our role in enforcing standards within the private security industry.

The visits allowed us to meet security operatives with a wide range of experience of working in the private security industry. A couple of the operatives had been in role for over ten years, with one holding 18 years of service at the same venue. We also met with an operative who had only just recently received their first licence.

One of the head door supervisors detailed that they had recently turned away a security operative, with what they thought may have been a fake licence.

Using ultraviolet light, they had been unable to detect a lack of security features that should have been present on the individual’s licence card.

We discussed the issue of counterfeited licences with the Minister and explained the ways in which we are tackling this issue by encouraging companies to undertake checks.

The inspection was completed with a short debrief at the end of the night.

It was a valuable exercise to introduce the Minister to the work we do out in the field, learn about the experiences of the SIA licence holders, and discuss some of the challenges we can encounter in our work.

Our thanks go to Sarah Dines, her team, the City of London Police and to all who took part for their continued commitment to working with us.

Ensuring the integrity of the SIA licence

Iestyn David is our Head of Licensing and Service Delivery. Here, he writes about our work to make sure that licences end up in responsible hands.

The SIA doesn’t just grant licences – although last year we granted 160,000. We make sure that only the right people hold an SIA licence. That means we refuse licence applications and revoke licences from those who are not fit to carry out the important role of protecting the public. It’s a key responsibility that we have as the regulator of the private security industry.

Our work to safeguard the integrity of the SIA licence begins with the application process. Our checks are thorough; last year we refused 1,362 licence applications for reasons such as criminality, or not having the right to work in the UK.

We won’t hesitate to remove licences from licence-holders who fail to live up to the standards required of them. Last year we suspended 917 licences and revoked 1,049 licences. Maintaining trust in the SIA licence is a top priority that involves teams across the SIA, from our Legal and Criminal Investigations teams to our Decisions officers and Intelligence staff.

We have close ties with police forces throughout the UK. They provide us with valuable intelligence relating to licence-holders or applicants involved in criminality. Our Intelligence team gathers relevant information and passes it to our Integrity team for detailed assessment, which may lead to us deciding to suspend or revoke a licence. This information can also come in from employers or members of the public via the ‘Report a Crime or Concern’ page on our website.

Our Inspections and Enforcement teams conduct enforcement operations across the UK with the police, local authorities and other government agencies. These operations may be conducted because of something we have been told (intelligence-led), or they may be random inspections to check compliance in a particular area.

We regularly prosecute those who commit offences under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. This is the Act of Parliament that established the SIA. It created several new offences, which include contravening licence conditions (you can see a full list of offences under the Act here). Last year we brought 39 prosecutions against individuals and businesses who chose to operate illegally.

We also prosecute for offences that could have a detrimental impact on the private security industry. These include fraud, forgery and counterfeiting in cases where people use forged or cloned licences. At the end of November 2022 our Criminal Investigations team had 119 open investigations, as you can see in our monthly SIA Enforcement Report.

We take our licensing responsibilities very seriously. The safety and security of the public depends on a professional and well-regulated private security industry that everyone can trust.

Christmas for the SIA Compliance & Investigation teams

John Sandlin leads the Security Industry Authority’s Compliance & Inspections teams. Here he talks about the additional work that Christmas brings as the night time economy gears up for the busiest time for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.

When does planning for Christmas start?
Pretty much as soon as we’ve drawn a breath from the summer events season which finishes around the end of September. Then we start thinking about Christmas. We look at what inspection activity we might want to do and consider requests from partners (such as police, local authorities, and the HMRC) to undertake operations to support their own objectives too. We draw on the huge amount of expertise across the team from colleagues who know the environment well and can help identify issues we need to consider.

London, UK – November 3 2022: Christmas lights in Oxford Street, view at night

So what issues do we need to consider?
In the run up to Christmas there’s more footfall in venues. This creates an increased risk of harm to the public which in turn requires a bigger police presence supported by a larger private security resource. It’s the increased private security deployment that requires our involvement to make sure those working in licensable roles are complying with the necessary regulation.

Although there are variations across the UK, the police tend to focus on ensuring venues are licensed and adhere to the terms and conditions of that licence. This might cover maximum occupancy, fire controls, health and safety considerations and security provision. The police and local authorities are increasingly engaging with venues about protecting the vulnerable alongside checking venue licences. Actually, whenever they are out and about, most agencies talk about protecting the vulnerable as part of protecting the public.

Watch our ‘Helping people in vulnerable situations’ video here

How many of your team are involved in Christmas specific activity?
It’s fair to say all teams are doing some form of activity that directly supports or is impacted by Christmas, so most team members will be involved in that.

As we speak there’s a multi agency operation in Belfast around the ‘ask Angela’ campaign. We’ll be undertaking licence checks, whilst supporting the initiative with messages about the campaign.

Manchester, United Kingdom – November 25, 2011 – Big wheel in the City center of Manchester with beautiful lights during christmas preparation

What additional activities do we deploy for Christmas, is it more of the same or different actions?
We may undertake specific activities, especially if we have solid intelligence that provides a clear aim or benefit. However, Christmas is generally doing more of the same, but with a stronger focus on the night time economy. There’s a huge upshift in volumes and that’s the biggest difference. There’s still a need to continue with other work, for example we’re working in Oxford Street in London during the day, although, to be fair, that’s also connected to the increase in footfall in the run up to Christmas.

What do we do on the front line?
It will depend on the site and any objectives for an operation. However, primarily we’re interested in compliance with the Private Security Industry Act. So, we’re mainly checking individuals are correctly licensed and ascertaining the businesses that operatives work for to build our understanding of the makeup of the local economy. This is especially useful when newly formed companies emerge. We’re also interested in in how labour is deployed and what the labour chain looks like; the more links in a labour chain, the higher the risk of noncompliance. We also check individuals’ employment status which helps identify possible exploitation. Where possible we push other messages and support campaigns to promote awareness and conversations across the industry.

How do security operatives and venues react to your teams’ presence?
Mostly, we get a positive response. Generally, licence holders like to see us out checking licences as they don’t want rogue people in the industry. We occasionally meet one or two unlicensed operatives that may be a little reticent for want of a better word but using our skills we overcome those hurdles.

Do other agencies do similar tasks around Christmas?
The Police and local authorities will be undertaking checks based around venue licensing and will want to assure themselves that venues are complying. Sometimes they may support us on our operations, it depends on specific operations, or sometimes the location. For example, I’d be fairly happy undertaking checks in Westminster without police support but wouldn’t want to do so in other areas without them. That goes not just for London, but anywhere else, you get a good feel for what risks maybe posed in undertaking checks without partners.

How much does the night time economy grow over the festive period?
We always hear that businesses are at their busiest and it’s very true, there are more people in more venues over more nights of the week. There are additional Christmas get togethers with friends, socialising after work, organised office parties – it’s difficult to put a figure on, and it will vary from location to location, but it’s noticeably much busier. Let’s not forget this is the first Christmas without any COVID restrictions.

On top of venues being busier, there are additional entertainment venues and events to consider; pop up fairs, Christmas markets, ice rinks, entertainment offerings, temporary licensed premises.

How stable is resource in the night time economy?
If more door supervisors are needed because a company has a shortfall, then most companies will contract in staff from another to match the demand. However, what sometimes happens is the supplying company will in turn go to another to fulfil the request. This is not a problem as such, but it is a concern. With each company’s loan of resource comes a charge. This can lead to a squeeze on profit margins which is where corners can be cut. When that happens to the risk of improper employment and unlicensed personnel can start to emerge.

How effective are the operations we undertake?
Of course, we have limited resource and we can’t visit every venue. However, what we do has a definite ripple effect. When we’re in a large town or city, just by visiting a few premises, word gets around very quickly that we’re out and about undertaking checks and looking at licences. That has a great deterrent effect within the security community. So, we enlarge the size of our footprint. In addition, we work with colleagues in the Communications team to get the message out and again, this spreads across the community well.

What does it take to deploy an operation?
That’s a good question; lots of work.

Before we set foot on the ground, we undertake pre-inspection activity. This could be meetings with partners, considering intelligence we or our partners have received and undertaking a recce in the locality. We then need to work up aims and objectives before putting an operational order together. Information needs to be created within our database (CRM). Risks also need to be considered and risk assessments completed. We also need to secure resource from across the team and make sure everyone is available for the operation. In addition to staff on the ground, we always have an operational control to assist with licence checks on the STeP database, as well as then inputting the checks onto CRM. This can be quite a laborious task, especially if there are a voluminous amount.

Any last words?
The team are very committed. We have had a fair few new staff so as well as preparing and undertaking activities, experienced team members are also helping to train and guide their new colleagues in this crucial area of work. Everyone in the Compliance & Inspections team plays a part in what we do from the MST to the investigators themselves, supported by colleagues from other teams. The inspection activity being centred on the night time economy requires staff to work evenings and weekends to attend operations, which at this time of year means being out in the cold. I want to thank the teams, I appreciate everyone’s effort and support in keeping the public safe.

About the author

John Sandlin served for 30 years with the Metropolitan Police. He worked as an Investigating and Senior Investigating Officer for over 11 years investigating homicides and other serious crimes. He’s worked at the SIA since early 2015.

Platinum Jubilee Weekend investigators out in force in Central London

The four-day Platinum Jubilee Weekend in early June featured significant high-profile, national events in Central London. To ensure that the public were kept safe during the events there was a substantial security and stewarding presence. Security operatives were in attendance well in advance of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend to ensure the safety of the build and the event infrastructure were protected.

Prior to the Platinum Jubilee Weekend our compliance and inspections London team worked with Arcadis, the event organiser, plus the main and other security suppliers clocking up around 164 hours of work. We gave proactive advice around due diligence measures to mitigate against the risk of individuals trying to work in the private security industry using counterfeit licences. Inspection activity, supported by our south-east regional investigators took place on Tuesday 31 May, at the Trooping of the Colour event on Thursday 02 June, and during the Pageant event on Sunday 05 June. Some operatives said that they wanted to work at these prestigious events because they were significant occasions. Our investigators undertook 150 licence checks finding two people with counterfeit licences. No other unlicensed activity was identified.

John Sandlin, our London Regional Manager said:

“It was pleasing that security providers prevented two people working with counterfeit licences identifying them at the sign-in stage prior to any of our inspections. We wish to extend a big thank you to those who gave up part of their Bank Holiday Weekend to work at the Platinum Jubilee keeping the public safe.”

The size of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend did create significant challenges for security providers. Sourcing sufficient numbers of licensed individuals required support from a number of other security providers, with peak demand being the deployment of 2,500 licensed operatives.

Further work is taking place in relation to counterfeit licences and newly identified companies.

………….

We have published updated guidance to ensure that people providing security services at events are compliant with the law.

You can read our recent blog about safety at events here.

New Close Protection Training Requirements

By Rick Mounfield, Chief Executive of the Security Institute

The role of the Close Protection Officer has grown in the past decade. It’s no longer acceptable to be the protection on the shoulder, the Close Protection Officer needs to be the security and safety advisor to the principal. Their knowledge of threats goes beyond the physical and includes vulnerabilities that come via the internet of things and new and emerging security risks are realised that will determine who is the best at their craft. A modern and capable Close Protection Officer needs to remain current in multiple vectors of threat and the mitigations (risk managers) that will secure the principal, their family and business. Can Close Protection Officers afford to be ignorant to these new and emerging threats? I would suggest not.

Contracts are often lost on a whim and the protection officers must be trusted to advise on a range of threats to build trust so that the family can live their lives as freely as possible. Wealth and profile can often lead to living a privileged life in a golden cage.

The new enhancements in the licensed linked skills and qualifications required by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) go a long way to addressing the shortfalls of the past. They did not decide upon these new skills lightly. The consultation with industry’s best operators and the companies who employ them, has been instrumental in improving the quality of Close Protection Officers and should be applauded. Many will think that the upskilling has not gone far enough but it is not for the regulator to set the bar so high that it precludes the masses, it is a baseline that sets a standard that all can meet and then allows the best to go further through individual professional development that allows them to stand out from the crowd and secure clients through fair competition. It is the Close Protection Officers determination and personal endeavours to be the best version of themself that will secure the best clients.

Increasing the requirements to offer better medical capabilities is the most important upgrade in my opinion. However, in today’s society, even low risk locations, there is an ever present need to be aware of the threat of terrorism and counter terrorism awareness through the ACT training is also important.

The industry overwhelmingly decided not to separate the door supervisor role from the Close Protection licensed operators. Many Close Protection Officers will supplement their income by working in a Door Supervisor role. This is applicable but the Door Supervisor role requires different soft and hard skills that are out with ordinary Close Protection doctrine. It is important the Close Protection Officer working in the night-time economy is well prepared to provide the appropriate service and protection to partygoers. A failure to understand physical intervention in this role can have life changing impacts for many if they are not trained properly.

Training and delivery of the necessary skills are moving into a hybrid format and that is also a positive move forward. All areas of the business world have embraced digital methods of training and if the industry is to embrace the fast- moving changes to the operational environment, it must stay at the cutting edge of technology and training delivery methods. Obviously, some aspects must be practised in a physical environment, but many skills and practices can, and should be, delivered in easily accessible methods. Webinars and online courses are better than they have ever been, and platforms have improved to deliver quality training remotely.

Overall, I am encouraged by the new regime, and I hope to support the ongoing development of the sector that I grew up in. It is a vital service and I hope that the majority of Close Protection Officers will embrace the enhancements as we drive the professional standards ever higher.

The Proceeds of Crime Act (2002)

This month, one of our Criminal Investigations Managers, Nathan Salmon explains how the SIA uses the (Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) to recover the profits made from offending within the private security industry.

Our blog aims to discuss developments in the private security industry and to provide further insight and opinion on our work. We look forward to having an on-going discussion with you; share your comments and opinions.

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Over the last 12 years, the SIA has been investigating and prosecuting anyone who repeatedly shows that they do not care about being licensed or working within the law. Our Partnerships and Interventions department does this by encouraging those working in the private security industry to stay within the law (the Private Security Industry Act). You can find out more about our enforcement activity on our website.

The SIA licence is a way to safeguard the industry and general public, and it is our responsibility to make sure that only ‘fit and proper’ people work in the industry. Those who ignore us and disregard the importance of licensing could be barred from operating in private security and prosecuted.

We do not always prosecute but investigate and consider whether there are public safety risks or if we need to protect the integrity of the private security industry or our licensing system.

The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and repeat offenders

In recent years, we noted that some security companies were being investigated repeatedly. We had to do something because we didn’t want businesses treating court fines as a type of tax where the level of profit for working outside the law is worth the potential penalties any judge or court may give.

In 2015, the government amended POCA to include to regulatory bodies like us and we applied to take advantage of these powers. POCA is a law that means any money made from criminal activity can be recovered. It is also used by the likes of local authorities, HMRC and the Police to name a few.

We started using POCA in November 2015 to financially investigate companies and individuals who make a profit from criminal activity in the private security industry. Since then, we have employed financial investigators. They are accredited to use POCA to investigate and confiscate assets.

A recent example of our use of POCA is the case of Billy Jones, a security director who continued to work despite having had his Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence revoked. He was ordered to pay £300,000 at Cardiff Crown Court, in April 2019. This kind of conviction removes the benefit of working outside the law in the private security industry.

How does the SIA use POCA?

Our Criminal Investigations Team, is part of our Partnerships and Interventions department and is responsible for the SIA’s criminal investigations. This includes Accredited Financial Investigators (AFIs) who are able to legally present financial information in court. AFI’s are unique and very important because they have the power to ask financial institutions for information and use this to build a clear picture of someone’s financial status.

There are currently two main ways that our AFI’s can use POCA:

Restraining assets
AFI’s can apply to the court to restrain the assets of people under financial investigation. This makes sure that the money or assets of anyone we are prosecuting cannot be sold or dissipated before a court case ends. For example, for someone who is being investigated, the amount they can withdraw from their bank account can be restricted and their assets frozen.
Confiscating assets
Once convicted, a court can order a person to pay an amount of money based on how much they made through criminal activity. If they fail to pay this money, they could end up in prison and when released they would still need to pay this amount. In some cases, life-changing amounts of money can be confiscated by the courts. How POCA figures are calculated is shaped by case law, meaning specific cases determine how the calculations should be applied. We’re really pleased to have contributed to this and case law specific to the security industry exists.

During POCA proceedings, the people we’re investigating may see their lifestyle change. Due to current case law and depending on the situation, how much we confiscate may be the entire value of a security contract and not just the profit. This is because the turnover from a security contract may be a significant figure, a business or person might have to pay back hundreds of thousands of pounds. Selling assets like houses, cars or investments, to pay back the proceeds of their crime may be required.

If you’re wondering where this money goes, most of it returns to the Treasury. A proportion is allocated to the investigating organisation, which we can use to fund future financial investigations. In practice, we get no more than 34%. The money can also be allocated towards good causes, and we are exploring opportunities that will benefit the private security industry.

What will the SIA do with POCA in the future?

Over the next few months, we want financial investigations to become increasingly a core part of the way we prosecute at the SIA. This is really important because it is how we can guarantee that criminal profits are not reinvested, into “phoenix” companies that are essentially the same companies with a different name that have been set up after a criminal conviction. Our ability to use POCA should act as a warning to businesses seeking to operate outside private security regulations – you risk not only your business, but potentially your personal assets as well.

We are making really good progress and the volume of criminal cases under consideration has never been higher. Our success with POCA strengthens our regulation of the private security and we will continue to work with Regional Asset Recovery Teams and Police partners so that those who want to profit from illegal and poor business practice are removed from the private security industry.

Quality assuring private security training

We began the skills and qualifications review at the beginning of September to review the criteria required for our licence-linked qualifications. We do this every five years so that the skills criteria are kept current.

This month, our Quality and Risk Manager, Tracey Lilley, discusses the skills and qualifications review and about the importance of this opportunity for the industry to share its views to ensure a robust assessment processes within the private security industry.

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I’m a Quality & Risk Manager at the SIA. My role includes liaising with the awarding organisations on the delivery, assessment and quality assurance of the qualifications required for an SIA licence. We have contracts with all the awarding organisations who approve training providers to deliver licence-linked qualifications across the UK. Training providers are quality assured by the awarding organisations, who are themselves quality assured by the qualification regulators and by us.

A big part of my work has been the development of a comprehensive quality improvement plan designed to support both the awarding organisations and their training centres. This plan is designed to continually improve the way in which the qualifications required for an SIA licence are delivered and assessed.

Our relationship with the awarding organisations and training providers has developed a great deal over the last year. We now work more effectively together with improved identification, coordination and management of training malpractice.

A key component of the improvement plan involves the introduction of a new initiative of unannounced visits to training centres delivering qualifications required for an SIA licence. These visits will give us the opportunity to see training being delivered, speak to learners, and observe assessments. Visits will start from the beginning of 2019, so don’t be surprised to see me or my colleagues popping in to observe training and assessments being delivered.

Skills and Qualifications Review
As most of you will be aware, we have begun a wide-ranging review of the licence-linked qualifications needed for the private security industry. We have widened the scope of this work to consider not just the mandatory qualifications we require, but how to support the industry to address the skills and knowledge needed by operatives throughout their careers across the private security industry.

One key element of this review is to make sure that robust assessment processes exist to ensure the integrity of the qualifications achieved. This will further assure us of the integrity of the qualifications and help us to reduce instances of training malpractice.

We have set up expert working groups consisting of representatives from all the awarding organisations and subject matter specialists from the security sectors we regulate.

One group was designed to review the current assessment and quality assurance measures and look at ways of strengthening these to ensure they continue to meet the needs of their relevant sector, protect the public, and are future-proof for the next 5 years.

At our first meeting the following recommendations were discussed and are being considered:

CCTV Practical – some short answer questions to ensure full knowledge of all elements if it is not possible to demonstrate them all fully
Conflict Management – move away from multiple choice questions to practical assessment. This is better suited to the content and can also be a way of assessing a learner’s ability to speak English
Working in the private security industry – some practical assessment around communication skills
Working as a Door Supervisor – some practical assessment around searching and report writing
Working as a Security Guard – some practical assessment around searching and report writing, plus use of radios
English Language requirements – We discussed using a standardised pre-entry English language competency test, and all agreed this would be an option to pursue.

We have held further discussions with our experts to consider the findings from our first consultation on the specifications for learning and qualifications, along with the research we conducted to understand the current and future skills needs of the private security industry in the UK.

All of this invaluable feedback and opinion will feed into the next draft of our specifications for learning and qualifications. The expert working group will again provide valuable insight on this.

We will be consulting for a final time on the new specifications in January 2019. Please keep an eye out for this, as it will be your last opportunity to help shape the qualifications and to ensure they stay relevant for your industry in the years ahead.