SIA announces new refresher training for close protection operatives

The SIA is encouraging licence holders who plan to renew their licence to take the training as soon as possible.

The SIA introduced new licence-linked qualifications for close protection in April 2022. The regulator introduced accredited ‘top-up’ awards for close protection operatives in October 2022 as a requirement for renewing licences.

By October 2025, most close protection licence holders will have completed the ‘top-up’ training and will be qualified to the same standard as those who have the more up-to-date training. This new refresher training ensures all operatives refresh their skills in safety-critical areas.  

Tony Holyland, head of individual standards for the SIA, said: “Close protection operatives are security professionals tasked with protecting individuals from threats. The refresher training for licence holders is designed to ensure that operatives continue to have the skills and knowledge to undertake aspects of their role safely.”  

Holyland continued: “We sought views from subject matter experts in the close protection field to assess and agree content in areas of the licence-linked qualification most likely to be subject to ‘skills fade’. It’s essential that the training is regularly updated to respond to the emerging risks and threats to public safety. Security professionals take pride in keeping up to date and we would like to thank the industry for its support with this initiative.”

Detail in the training  

Alongside the requirement to present the relevant First Aid qualification, the following will be in the refresher training: physical intervention, conducting searches, protecting people in vulnerable situations and terror threat awareness.

This new refresher training will also ensure that operatives using a close protection licence to work as a door supervisor or a security officer can continue to work and will have up-to-date training.

As stated, the new refresher training will be available from 1 October 2025 and will become mandatory for licences renewed from 1 April 2026. This six-month period mirrors the arrangements that were put in place for refresher training for door supervision and security guarding.

The arrangement allows industry, training providers and individual licence holders sufficient time to plan, organise and budget for the new requirements so that they are ready for when the new training becomes mandatory.

Over the next two years, the SIA will conduct a review of the licence-linked qualifications and produce new qualifications in collaboration with stakeholders and industry experts.

*Read more about the refresher training online: Changes to the training you need for an SIA licence