With rapid development and changes around the country it is important to also be aware of the changes that the Security Industry Authority has implemented as well for our Security Industry. There has been a recent development in the training of an officer before they can get a Security Industry Approved Door Supervisor or a Security guard licence.
What are these changes?
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has introduced updated qualifications for all the sectors, you will require an Emergency First Aid at Work qualification or equivalent before you can take the training required for a door supervisor or security guard licence. In this context, equivalent means other qualifications that comply with the relevant guidance from the health and safety executive will be accepted such as, first aid at Work (FAW), First Person on Scene (FPOS) OR First Response Emergency care (FREC).
You must have this qualification and take a top-up training before you can apply the licence, this will be applying to renewals as well.
At first, first-aid training was only required by applicants for a close protection licence however they have added this requirement for door supervisors and security guards as well. These changes do not change the obligations you have when responding to an emergency, they simply help to improve your skills.
Why is this important?
The security industry Authority needs to make sure that people who are employed in the private sector security industry will be able to keep the public safe-, follow new working practices, under changes in the law as well as make the best use of technology.
A few other changes that the SIA industry has addressed us is about the more relevant course material. They have moved training that is critical for all sectors in the ‘common unit’ and included new training on terror threat awareness and dealing with emergencies.
Further introduced new sector specific content, i.e., the close protection course includes a bespoke physical intervention unit for close protection operatives, security guarding course has new material covering personal safety, door supervision has added new material bout the use of body worn video recorders, breathalysers and the public space surveillance (CCTV) course includes new material on CCTV operational procedures and the law.
Moreover, they have also decided to increase the number of practical factors in the training to help learners reinforce their knowledge, this will include searching, dealing with conflicts, report/statement writing and even using communications devices.
These changes are important to be noted of as they are additional elements to make your training better and also adds in extra qualifications that are going to be helpful for the community you are protecting.
To check out and confirm these changes once again you should check out, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-the-training-you-need-for-an-sia-licence!
Syndicate Alpha will aim to make sure it’s existing officers apply for these changes in order to be up to date with security industry standards as well as lack no qualifications to ensure efficient protection of the public. If you are an officer who is looking to renew his licence or is hoping to get one, make sure to be aware of these recent changes. It is important to stay up to date as the security industry has announced they will be making more changes in April 2022, stay connected on our website to hear about more news regarding any upcoming changes in the industry!
You can get in touch with Syndicate Alpha, a security company in London, to hire manned security for your protection. We invest in well-trained security guards to ensure our clients are highly satisfied and continue using our services with a peace of mind.