Heather Baily QPM appointed chair at Security Industry Authority

In her new role, Baily will contribute to the overall strategic direction and corporate oversight of the SIA, ensuring – alongside other Authority members – that the SIA’s Executive Team is held to account for discharging its duties effectively and to the highest possible standards.

Baily has spent the majority of her professional career in policing, initially with the Metropolitan Police Service and later with Hertfordshire Constabulary where she served as an assistant chief constable – and, thereafter, as deputy chief constable – with responsibility for major crime, counter-terrorism and safeguarding.

As deputy chief constable, Baily continued to lead on wider collaboration in addition to having responsibility for corporate and legal services and Human Resources. Baily was the East of England lead for serious and organised crime and led Hertfordshire Constabulary’s response to collaboration with the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire police services.

Baily was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for services to policing in 2011. On leaving the policing world, Baily took up the role of deputy chief inspector with the Garda Inspectorate in Ireland with a remit to inspect policing services.

Since then, Baily has held posts as a Board member at the Ntional Crime Agency and the Police Remuneration Review Body and as a non-executive director with the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland. Baily currently serves as a non-executive Board member for the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust where she’s also deputy chair.

Wealth of experience

Michelle Russell, acting CEO of the SIA, has welcomed Baily’s appointment, stating: “On behalf of the Authority’s members and colleagues at the SIA, we welcome Heather Baily as our new chair. She brings with her a wealth of experience in both non-executive and executive roles in public service. We all look forward to working closely with Heather both now and into the future.”

Russell added: “We would also like to thank David Horncastle who has been interim chair of the SIA since the start of the year and, before that, deputy chair. His insight and guidance have been invaluable over the years. We will certainly miss his sound advice and the invaluable support he has provided us.”

Speaking about her appointment by the Home Office: “I’m delighted to be appointed as chair of the SIA. This is an important time for the organisation as the SIA continues with its plans. In the past year, the regulator has had to respond quickly to the impact of the pandemic. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff at the SIA and with our partners as we shape the organisation to ensure that it’s effective, productive and consistently reliable as well as operating to the principles of the Regulators’ code.”

Duties in detail

The SIA chair’s responsibilities include:

*providing effective strategic leadership for the operation of the SIA

*playing a significant role in ensuring that the SIA and its staff members maintain the capability to deliver the SIA’s statutory responsibilities and objectives

*taking into account Government’s safeguarding objectives and priorities

*chairing all meetings of the Board and ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently and effectively

*undertake annual performance appraisals of the non-executive Board members and the CEO in line with agreed procedures and timescales