Security Industry Authority
It is thought that at some point insurers will require companies to only use approved security contractors. Currently, licensing is only required by contract security companies management & their employees. This practice can have the knock-on effect of keeping officers pay rates suppressed, precisely the opposite wage effect that industry experts were forecasting before 2006. Further problems have been met with the SIA granting licences to over 7,000 workers who were not legally entitled to work in the U.K.Some security operatives may need more than one licence; in such cases the second licence will be discounted by 50%. When looking at Job Centre Plus wage data for the period 2005-2008 it is apparent that roles are commonly advertised at minimum wager or slightly higher and that even with staff working in excess of 48 hours per week, wages still lag behind national averages This cost is prohibitive for many newcomers to the security industry, especially as pay rates often struggle to exceed minimum wage outside of London. The high cost of licensing has resulted in security companies having to pay for new recruits to be trained up-front, which in turn has severely impacted upon small and medium sized businesses ability to survive in the marketplace.
The application cost of the credit-card sized licence is over three times that of a passport and almost five times more than a first provisional driving licence. Consequently, it is tempting for small businesses to tender for contracts at the lowest pay rates possible in an effort to try and secure profit by volume to ensure survival.
The categories of licensing include Door Supervision, Manned Guarding, Public Space Surveillance using CCTV, Close Protection, Key Holding, Cash in Transit and Wheel Clamping. This further cast aspersions as to the credibility of the licensing process and the benefits of the system. Issues with obtaining a licence without correct training include forfeit of licence to practice for the security officer, removal of approved centre status for the training provider and criminal investigtions for all, including the employer. The home secretary is considering issuing licences for other private survellence activities like phone tapping and bugging.
The British government is considering whether to extend this to in-house security officers. Once a Main Licence has been granted, this also entitles the bearer to the privileges of its applicable Integrated Licence the current price of a licence is £245. It is unclear whether the SIA would be the ones issuing these new licences. .
Companies that operate in more than one sector will not be disadvantaged. More information is available in How to Become an SIA Approved Contractor brochure. There has been little or no average real terms increase in the wages paid to security officers since the requirement to licence staff was introduced in 2006. This revealed that mobile phone use and open talking in exams was common practice during the training course and examination that the reporter took.
The effects of the SIA s mandate are becoming evident, with cowboy contractors being prosecuted. The way forward for security companies appears to be joining the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS). Training is offered through companies such as the British Institute of Innkeeping Awarding Body, NOCN and Edexcel. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 requires the SIA to establish a system of inspection for providers of security services, under which those organisations who satisfactorily meet the agreed standards may be registered as approved, and may advertise themselves as such . The objective of the SIA s Approved Contractor Scheme is to raise performance standards and to assist the private security industry in developing new opportunities.
The scheme is voluntary and was developed in consultation with representatives from across the industry; it only covers those parts of the industry that are regulated by the SIA and the Private Security Industry Act. There is a single scheme, with sector-specific approval based on a relevant set of qualifying criteria. The Security Industry Authority is a non-departmental public body set up in 2003 in response to the United Kingdom Private Security Industry Act 2001.
Its mandate is to reform and regulate the UK private security industry and to restore consumer confidence. Far reaching measures have been imposed on supplier contractors, for example all industry employees must hold a valid SIA issued licence.
and subsequently having to devote vast resources into correcting this mistake. In January 2008, Panorama carried out an undercover investigation in to the training that candidates were undertaking to obtain their SIA licences.
