The Last Word

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has some great plans in place centred on growth. A range of activities will span our three main points of focus: security personnel, physical security and electronic security.

There are many opportunities ahead to showcase the fact that we continue to drive forward as the ‘Voice of the Professional Security Industry’. This is readily apparent in our commitment to represent our security personnel members, not just through our own awards, but also in developing training and playing a key role in new legislation.

Recently, we were pleased to announce that the UK’s Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers Community (RISC) appointed Dame Julie Kenny CBE DL, a former chair of the Trade Association, to be its new chair. The RISC is an inclusive alliance of Trade Associations, suppliers and other organisations representing the UK’s security and resilience sector and is the principal channel of communication between the UK security and resilience industry, the Home Office and other Government departments and agencies when it comes to security-related requirements and policy issues.

Dame Julie’s commitment to the BSIA – and, indeed, the wider security sector – has influenced the landscape of our industry. Her strategic expertise and extensive knowledge of the public, private and voluntary sectors alike make her a perfect fit for such an important role. Dame Julie’s appointment affords access to the security minister, which will assist the Trade Association and its members in ensuring concerns continue to be listened to and addressed.

Protect Duty

The Manchester Arena Public Inquiry findings and the announcements focused on the Protect Duty proposals led us to release a statement on the future of the industry and how we need to address security officer services moving forward.

We’ve been canvassing our members on behalf of the RISC, working with the security lead (namely Shaun Kennedy, country president of BSIA member company Securitas UK) on how we can further improve current understanding in relation to the security sector’s positioning to provide cost-effective, ready-to-implement solutions in publicly accessible locations, including solutions that are likely to be available within the next few years. We hope the outcome of these discussions will help inform policy thinking and, potentially, highlight areas where investment could be beneficial in times ahead.

Sector input is vital during the early stages of planning and policy scoping for the Protect Duty, and the industry’s thoughts on this matter are extremely important. This proposed legislation puts the security industry at the forefront of public discussion and will help us build a platform on which to raise the public’s perceptions of professional security officers.

SITO is back

In response to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) implementing new licence measures to include First Aid training, we’ve helped to accommodate this on behalf of our members and the wider industry through the re-introduction of SITO in partnership with Skills for Security.

Employers now have a duty to ensure the quality and professionalism of their staff. This is reflected in the new requirements that demand all SIA licence-carrying security personnel to engage in top-up training. The changes to the training are mandatory. Any failure to upskill could result in officers being unable to apply for a new licence.

The training involves the upskilling of those already working in the sector and now includes terror threat awareness, dealing with emergencies and emergency First Aid at work. The teaching materials for the door supervisor training have been updated to include body-worn video and breathalysers, while the security officer course material has been revised to encompass personal safety.

Large numbers of our Security Officer Services Section companies are now applying the training for their own personnel. We’ve also partnered with several of our member businesses, among them G4S and Corps Security, to provide this training in-house.

Skills and expertise

We recently announced the launch of a security officers’ apprenticeship in Scotland. This is a landmark apprenticeship that provides officers with the most up-to-date training. It has taken time and the concentrated efforts of many to see this over the line, but we’re extremely pleased to witness our first cohorts of learners being enrolled.

Skills for Security also continues to work with the Security Officer Services Employer Group, as well as the SIA, in a bid to develop a Level 2 apprenticeship for security officers in England.  

Going forward, the BSIA and its member businesses will continue to support new legislation and the promotion of public safety with the goal of minimising crime and terrorism.

Mike Reddington is CEO of the British Security Industry Association (www.bsia.co.uk)