If you work in the private security industry, the SIA (Security Industry Authority) require you to have a licence allowing you to undertake a variety of different jobs. Whether or not you need a licence is determined by the activity undertaken and the role you perform. It’s advisable to check the Private Security Act of 2001 to see if you are liable to hold a licence. If you don’t have a licence but are carrying out security that requires one you could face imprisonment or up to a £5000 fine.
Some examples of jobs that require training for a SIA licence are; manned guarding including door staff, security guards, key holding and immobilisation of vehicles which covers things like clamping and impounding.
There are two different types of SIA licence, the first being a front line licence. A front line licence is required to undertake the licensable activity; it must also be shown at all times when undertaking the activity and is in the form of a small plastic card. You can see this licence in action on door staff at night clubs where they must always be wearing the licence in a plastic sleeve. The next type of licence is a non-front line licence and is required by those who are managing, supervising or employing people who are undertaking the licensable activity. This is in the form of a letter and should be available for inspection at all times.
The SIA licence is not free and does require a £245 fee for a three year licence. It is non-refundable and is used to cover administration costs. If you apply for multiple licences then the cost of each additional one is reduced by 50%. To see a list of sia door supervisor courses in the UK try Security Trained – https://www.securitytrained.co.uk
In order to obtain a SIA licence you need to first of all apply for the correct licence and then seek training. This is usually outsourced to companies which are SIA-licence linked; this is an additional charge on top of the registration fee. Training does require you to pass a series of tests, however most training institutions pride their-selves on having a very high pass rate with the average being around 99%. The pay of security work is high compared with other jobs making it very desirable. Over 15000 people apply for a SIA licence each year, in the ever expanding business of private security.
Training UK 