Pat Allen, the chairman of the Fire & Security Association (FSA), reflects on 2015 and what the next 12 months has in store for the industry.
The last year has been a positive one for the security industry. The improved economic climate has meant more businesses are willing to invest in installing or upgrading their security systems, and all signs are pointing to growth in the domestic market in the not too distant future. But this good news will count for nothing if the regulatory landscape doesn’t help our industry, and business licensing is one key issue that has yet to be resolved despite a lengthy period of consideration. Its start date has been postponed twice as a result of a number of issues – many of which haven’t been related to the proposals themselves.
Another issue that has contributed to the delay is the fact that introducing the process needs to be done delicately, as any attempts to impose changes on the industry need to help, rather than hinder, those firms who already comply with best practice. A number of businesses in our industry undergo regular UKAS auditing, to prove their competence, which could be seen as operating with a business license already. As such, introducing another formal requirement for more certification would put an additional – and unnecessary – burden on them.
I would hope this is something which can be resolved next year. Industry is willing to work with government to help deliver a solution, but that solution needs to be fair and acceptable to all parties.
And this willingness to work with Government is something that has been evident this year with the work our industry has undertaken with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner to untangle the complex web of technical standards around CCTV. Given the rise in the number of homes and businesses using this technology and the ever-growing role it plays in court cases and police work, the clear guidance that was developed, coupled with the Security Commissioner’s twelve guiding principles, will be crucial in ensuring that all CCTV systems are installed in line with best practice and can fulfil the role they were designed and commissioned for. The only question mark is whether or not adopting the 12 guiding principles remains voluntary – something the government will decide next year.
The progress made on both of these issues will help the industry in the future, but it will count for nothing if we haven’t got the skills base to deliver the work. Our industry has faced a skills shortage for a number of years now, and this is in part because we lacked a structured apprenticeship that has the support of the industry’s employers.
All this changed in August, when BIS approved the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems Trailblazer apprenticeship standard. As a result, we now have a Government-approved, employer-developed apprenticeship, putting our industry in a position to offer the current, tech-savvy generation of school leavers a means of pursuing a career in this industry. The next stage of this process is to have the assessment plan submitted to BIS for approval – something which won’t be too far off now the consultation on the contents of the assessment plan has concluded. Once BIS have given their approval to the apprenticeship plan, the pilot candidates for the apprenticeship can begin their training, which is the final step before the apprenticeship formally goes live.
It’s rather daunting to think that we’re already looking ahead to next year when this one has barely begun. As last year saw progress made on these three key issues I would hope 2016 will be the year we get all of them over the finish line – then we can also look forward to a happy new year in 2017.
