The British Security Industry Association has produced a guide for security managers and buyers, to help them understand the proposed changes to the licensing and regulatory regime of the UK’s private security industry.
From 2013 onwards, there will be a gradual change in the way private security companies and individual officers operating in the UK are licensed and regulated, as done by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). These changes will change the requirements and responsibilities of both security companies and their customers, under the law.
After the Public Bodies Review in 2010 – often better known as the ‘Bonfire of the Quangos’ – which aimed to increase the transparency and accountability of all public services and ensure that the Government operates in a more efficient and business-like way, it was announced that the SIA was to be abolished.
Now proposed is a phased transition to a business licensing regime. Regulatory control would move from the licensing of individual security operatives to the licensing of private security businesses, and businesses would be responsible for ensuring that required checks on individuals are carried out, although the regulator would continue to undertake individual criminality checks.
Trevor Elliott, pictured, Director of Manpower and Membership Services at the BSIA, says: “Over the next couple of years, the regulatory landscape of the private security industry will change dramatically, and the legal responsibilities of both security companies and their customers will be affected. While it may take a while for these changes to become apparent to the end-user, early preparation is essential to ensure that companies procuring security personnel understand what’s changing, and what they need to do to ensure that they continue to operate within the law.”
To help customers of the industry who may be affected by this change, the BSIA has produced an online guide, which answers end users’ frequently asked questions and provides background on why this change is taking place. The guide also details key dates in the transition process and advises on how businesses can begin to prepare themselves.
Trevor Elliott adds: “The BSIA is encouraging all of its licensable member companies to discuss the potential impact of regulatory change with their customers at an early opportunity, and while many of them are already doing so, this guide will provide a useful reference point for end-users wishing to make sure they are fully prepared.”
