e-Fill has been designed to make it easier and quicker for applicants to complete their application form.  It also has built in verification to reduce the likelihood of the form being completed incorrectly and returned to the applicant.

Applicants fill in the form online, then print, sign and post it manually along with the required supporting documents.

Users register on the SIA website and log in to use the service. If they have previously submitted an application, the online form pre-populates information such as the applicant’s name, date of birth, town of birth, email address, postcode and national insurance number. The system also allows security providers to complete the form on behalf of their staff.

SIA Director of Service Delivery Stephen McCormick said:

“We are delighted to offer this new service which makes it easier and quicker for applicants to complete their application form. Applicants can track the progress of their application and have online guidance at each stage of the process. The contact centre also has a dedicated option for those who need assistance using the new system.
The launch follows months of testing and trialling to ensure the facility is working correctly and effectively. The development of e-Fill is part of our commitment to introduce e-services and provide a modern service to our customers.”

Suzi says: This great news.  It will make it much easier to complete applications and will hopefully ensure less applications are returned for being incomplete.  As a company sponsor, we at beSmart Training welcome this new intiative.  It will make my job much easier and hopefully quicker too.  What it won’t do is ensure people provide the correct identification which is still a major problem with these applications.   beSmart offers regular SIA licensing courses for door supervision and vehicle immobilisation.  We also have just gained approval to offer the CCTV courses too and will be starting to run those towards the end of September.  For more information on any of our courses go to our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk, or call Suzi on 020 7237 6007.

A training company in the south-west is now offering vehicle immobiliser courses where you turn up for one day, take a test (but don’t worry – they’ll even give you the answers to the questions), and then you’re qualified.  What a joke, and the awarding body don’t seem to give a s**t.

No wonder this industry is populated by rogues and scoundrels.  It really gets my goat.  Not only do we have rogue clampers, but rogue training companies too.  I hope they’re bl**dy proud of themselves, but I’m not going to name and shame…… they know who they are.

We, and by we I mean beSmart Training, offer the training for vehicle immobilisation so that individuals can apply for an SIA licence to practice.  We run legitimate, four-day courses, where you can actually be taught by someone who knows the industry and learn something that will be useful.  Hopefully, it gives you the knowledge and skills to make you a decent, professional, individual if you take up the wheel-clamping profession.

Vehicle Immobilisers will always be viewed as “the scum of the earth” by everyone who has ever been clamped – it’s understandable.  But clampers thank those lovely people with all their hearts, because without them the profession wouldn’t exist.  Imagine if we lived in a world where everyone just parked wherever they liked without penalty – GRID LOCK.

If anyone out there actually wants some excellent, decent, proper training, do please give us a call.  We operate from our training centre in London and run regular vehicle immobiliser courses.  Our next available course date is Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th August 2010.  You can get more details from our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk or call Sue on 0207 237 6007.

New training, available from 1st June, means that candidates now wishing to train as door supervisors will be required to pass a one-day physical intervention skills training session, as well as pass three examinations, in order to gain the qualification required for a Security Industry Authority licence to practice.

The new training is modular and brings the door supervisor training in line with Security Guard, CCTV and vehicle immobiliser training which was updated in March this year.

The door supervisor course now consists of four units:

Unit 1:        Working in the Private Security Industry
Unit 2:        Working as a Door Supervisor
Unit 3:        Conflict Management for the Private Security Industry
Unit 4:        Physical Intervention Skills for the Private Security Industry

Units one and three are common units across Security Guarding, CCTV, Door Supervision and Vehicle Immobilisation.  This means that individuals only have to take the assessment for these units once.  It will make it easier if an individual wishes to get multiple SIA licences.  For instance, if you pass all four units for door supervision, and at a future date wish to get an SIA (Security Industry Authority) vehicle immobiliser licence, you would only have to take the unit specific training for vehicle immobilisation which would be a one-day course.

As much of the legislation and operational procedures are the same across the security sectors, the SIA hope this new modular system will make the training process for SIA licences more accessible and simpler for individuals wishing to enter the industry.

Door supervision is currently the only sector which is required to undertake physical intervention skills training, and currently only new entrants are required to comply.  However, the Government are considering whether to introduce these physical intervention skills as a compulsory upgrade for existing licensed door supervisors.  However, if they are introduced it will not be before June 2011.

The physical intervention skills focus on non-violent, non-aggressive techniques which are intended to defuse conflict and violence rather than escalate situations.

It deals with:

*    Disengagement – this element focuses on basic defensive skills

• Assault avoidance and evasion
• Releases from grips and grabs
• Rescue skills

*    Holding – this element focuses on restrictive intervention

• Escorting skills
• Holding skills

All techniques are designed to be flexible, easy to learn and safe for door supervisors, customers and staff alike.

beSmart Training was instrumental in the assisting the BBC with their recent reporting of this new training.  Please see following links.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/front_page/newsid_10180000/newsid_10186100/10186122.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10201082.stm

This is the last course we will be running that has only two exams – as from 1st June the new course comes in and there will be three exams, AND a trainer assessed unit.

If you are looking for a first class training course for door supervision, you’ve come to the right place.  beSmart has a fantastic pass rate and you’ll get those fantastic pass rates within only 2 days of taking your exams.  That means that you’ll be able to apply for your licence within two days.

Call Sue on 020 7237 6007 to book, or visit our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk for more information.

It has not yet been decided if physical intervention will be compulsory refresher training for licensed door supervisors, but following the consultation earlier this year, there is an announcement expected in the next few months.

Why not enrol now and be ahead of the game.  Also become trained to the same level as door supervisors WILL be trained to from June 2010 onwards.

beSmart’s physical intervention course is accepted as accredited prior learning for the new door supervisor qualification and only costs £100.00 plus VAT for the one-day course, including all handbooks and certification.

If you’re interested, please call Sue on 020 7237 6007, or book online at www.besmart-training.co.uk/physical-intervention-training/.

Government estimates put the annual cost of the proposed extra training between £10.1m and £25.9m.

The top-up training would be compulsory when Security Industry Authority (SIA) licences are renewed every three years. On-going refresher training in physical skills would also be needed.

This is the Home Office’s preferred option outlined in a new consultation, released today.

A statement from the department said the aim is “to protect the public by raising standards of training across the industry”.

Additional training will include physical intervention, first aid, special considerations when dealing with young people and awareness of the threat of terrorism.

Bill Butler, SIA chief executive, said: “We welcome these proposals, many of which were suggested by the Industry.

“They understand the challenges faced by door supervisors and the skills needed to carry out their duties professionally, whilst protecting the public.

“We are encouraging those working in the door supervision sector, training providers and stakeholders to contribute to this important piece of work.”

If the decision is made to implement the proposals, top-up training will be compulsory for all door supervisors from May 2011.

The SIA said it would work with awarding bodies to ensure training is available from October 2010.

The 14-week public consultation can be viewed here: www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

beSmart already offers a range of continued professional development courses for door supervisor such as physical intervention and first aid.  If you want to be ahead of the game give us a call on 020 7237 6007 or visit our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk.

New licence-linked qualifications are to be introduced next year, bringing the training up to date and introducing a modular structure.

This follows an industry-led review of the SIA specifications that drive training content. The new specifications reflect current industry best practice so that individuals working in the security sectors undergo good basic training for their role.

A new structure with core plus specialist modules means less overlap and duplication in content across the sectors. This will make it easier to get qualified to obtain more than one licence, as just the relevant and required training needs to be taken for each additional qualification.

The new qualifications are now being developed by the awarding bodies and will be offered by training providers across the UK from:

June 2010 for door supervisors; and
January 2010 for operatives in all other sectors (September 2010 in Scotland).

After these dates, all applicants applying for an SIA licence for the first time must hold either the new qualification; or a current qualification that is less than three years old.

Hazel Russell, SIA director of Strategy and Corporate Services, said: “Licensing for security operatives has done much to reduce criminality and raise standards in the private security industry.

“As the role and responsibilities of security staff evolve, it is important that their training reflects these changes and equips them for the challenges they face.

We now have industry-led content, meaning it is relevant and has been developed in conjunction with those working in the licensable sectors. This will benefit the operatives, businesses and the public.”

The content for all of the SIA specifications has changed and been updated. For most sectors there are not major changes to the content areas included. The exception is door supervision, where significant changes have been made at the request of industry to reflect up to date working practices.

There are currently no further training requirements for any existing licence holders who wish to renew their licence. However, because of the changes to the door supervision area, there may at a future date, be a need for a short ‘top-up’ training session for this sector. This proposal will need to be subject to public consultation and will not be a requirement, if at all, until after May 2011. Any requirement will be announced a year before this date to give the industry plenty of time to do the training.

As soon as any further news is available we’ll let you know.

BeSmart currently offers regular SIA approved courses at its London training centre.  For more information go to our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have introduced the biggest change to The Health and Safety (First Aid) at Regulations laws since they were introduced in 1982.

The update could save UK businesses millions of pounds.

The biggest change is to the mandatory four day course, now reduced to three days, and the introduction the  Emergency First Aid at Work course, a new one day course option designed for small businesses .

The new guidelines were produced on the back of consultation with employers across the UK, who understood the need for first-aid training but found it difficult to release employees for the four days needed.

You can read more about the new First Aid legislation and employers legal duties on the HSE website.

Peter says…

This is an excellent change that will save businesses (especially small businesses) time and money without compromising on health and safety.

More importantly, this new guidance could even lead to safer workplaces, as it recommends that trained first aiders undertake a three hour refresher training session every year. 

The new three day FAW (First Aid at Work) training course will have less impact on businesses, but will still deliver the same key skills taught under the old system.

An excellent idea for ensuring those skills are retained.
beSmart Training offer both the three-day First Aid at Work course and the one-day Emergency First Aid at Work course. 

Click here for the latest course dates or call on 020 7237 6007 and speak to Sue.

Get your results within two days of taking the exams and then apply straight away for your licence……. with the application form that we provide for all candidates.

Get training from a genuine door supervisor with over 35 years in the trade.  He actually knows what he’s talking about, he’s been there and he’s definitely done that.

Please go to our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk to book online, or call Sue on 020 7237 6007.

Places are limited…… we don’t just cram as many in as we can ….. but we do hold courses in London regularly.

We are based in Rotherhithe, just at the south entrance to the Rotherhithe Tunnel.  We are outside the London congestion charge zone and have parking available which can be booked (limited).  Nearest tube station is Canada Water on the Jubilee Line.

Please book early to avoid disappointment.  Call Sue on 020 7237 6007 or check-out our website.

Have fun, be safe and we hope to see you for one of our training courses in the new year!!