Applicants for SIA licences can now fill in their form online with the e-Fill service introduced by the Security Industry Authority.

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.

Physical Intervention Training for all New Door Supervisors from 1st June 2010

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

When was the last time you checked your first aid kit was adequately stocked, or that your dressings were not past their “use by” date?

It is an employers legal obligation to ensure that first kits are available to all their employees and customers at all times.  So don’t delay…. check it now.  If you’re not sure what should be in your first aid kit, below is a list of minimum suggested contents:

• A guidance leaflet
• 20 adhesive dressings (individually wrapped and assorted sizes)
• 2 sterile eye pads
• 6 triangular bandages (individually wrapped and sterile)
• 6 medium sterile wound dressings (individually wrapped and unmedicated)
• 2 large sterile wound dressings (individually wrapped and unmedicated)
• 6 safety pins
• Disposable gloves

Also, if your risk assessment concludes a requirement, employers may include additional materials such as:

• Blunt tipped scissors
• Non-alcoholic wipes
• Micropore tape
• Disposable apron
• Protective equipment
• Clinical waste bag
• Special burns dressings

Remember, no creams, lotions or potions are permitted.  If you have no fresh mains tap water available, you should also consider having sterile eyewash available for the purpose of eye irrigation.  (Do not use sterile water if the seal has previously been broken, if it has already been used on another individual or if it is out-of-date.)

Whilst you’re at it, why not check that all your first aid certificates are still valid.  First Aid Certificates are valid for a maximum of three years so should be checked on a regular basis.  The Health and Safety Executive now also recommend that annual refresher training be undertaken to keep key skills practiced and up-to-date.

beSmart Training run both the one-day Emergency First Aid at Work and the three-day First Aid at Work courses at their London based training centre.   Please call Sue on 020 7237 6007 for prices and dates.

The Morning Advertiser have published an article today saying that Doorstaff are being urged to confiscate ID that is used by under-18s to try to buy alcohol.

The article says that the Security Industry Authority (SIA), which regulates doorstaff, has agreed to take part in a Home Office campaign to crackdown on the problem.

It’s recognition that doorstaff are able to confiscate ID if they have a procedure for dealing with the documents – the question had been open to debate.

It also represents a victory for the PASS (proof of age standards) scheme because the SIA has also agreed to include awareness of the scheme on its doorstaff training courses.  PASS had previously complained that doorstaff often didn’t recognise accredited cards.

The initiative, in association with PASS, advises young people that if they are caught using fake ID, or ID that’s owned by someone else, they could have it confiscated and may be prosecuted.

The SIA is urging door supervisors to confiscate false ID and hand them over to the police, who will then return the documents to the relevant authority.

Baroness Ruth Henig, chairman at the SIA said: “We are advising licensees and door staff to help ensure fake or false IDs are confiscated and handed to the police.

“Trained and professional SIA-licensed door supervisors play an important role in creating a safe environment for the public when visiting pubs and clubs across the UK.

“Door staff can also contribute to reducing under-age drinking.  Our approved door supervisor training ensures door supervisors are made aware of the PASS scheme.”

PASS chairman Robert Humphreys added: “This campaign is timely and most welcome.

“Many underage young people often see getting past door staff or being served as something of a game, but for those responsible for enforcing the law it’s no joke – in fact a mistake can easily cost them their jobs and even get them a criminal record.

“The clarity of the message is vital – attempting to break the law is unacceptable and could get you in serious trouble.”

The fake ID posters can be downloaded from the Home Office website www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk

Suzi says: lets hope this doesn’t open a whole new can of worms.  Just because a door supervisor is licensed doesn’t make him the right person to confiscate people’s identification.  I mean, just because you have a driving licence doesn’t necessarily mean you a good driver and keep to the rules of the road, does it – it just means you haven’t been caught yet.  I hope the Home Office doesn’t get these people into a whole heap of trouble!

A doorman cleared of the unlawful killing of a Norwich father outside a nightclub in the city centre has told how he wants to rebuild his life and continue working in the same role.

Steven Hopkins, 28, of Woodward Road, Norwich, was tried at Norwich Crown Court after pleading not guilty to the charge of manslaughter which related to the death of Phillip Ward after he was pushed over outside the Chicago Rock Café in Prince of Wales Road in May last year.

But yesterday, the jury of six men and six women returned a verdict of not guilty, bringing an end Mr Hopkins’ ordeal.

The verdict was met with gasps of disbelief and tears from Mr Ward’s family, who said they had been “totally let down” by the decision.

Although the fact that Mr Ward had died as a result of Mr Hopkins’ actions was never in question, it was a matter of debate as to whether or not Mr Hopkins was acting in self defence and whether he used reasonable force in ejecting Mr Ward from the club.

The court had head that Mr Hopkins pushed Mr Ward, 46, as he was leaving the Chicago Rock Café in Prince of Wales Road, after a night out with his wife and friends.

Mr Ward fell backwards and hit his head, suffering a fatal head injury from which he never regained consciousness.

The jury heard the incident lasted no more than two or three minutes but the end result was the death of Mr Ward, from Drayton, near Norwich.

Solicitor Simon Nicholls said: “On behalf of Steven Hopkins I would like to express his grateful thanks to the jury for finding him not guilty in what was a very difficult case.

“Someone lost their life as a result of Steven’s actions and that is something he is going to have to live with for the rest of his life.

“Anyone who understands the difficult job door supervisors have must appreciate how terrible the last five months have been for Steven. He was married only two weeks before this happened. It has been a nightmare for him.

“The decision of the jury to find him not guilty has gone a little way to giving him some sort of closure on the matter and both him and his wife Rachael are incredibly relieved.

“It is understandable that Mr Ward’s family feel anger and bitterness towards him. But 12 ordinary people have heard the evidence against him and found him not guilty.”

Mr Hopkins confirmed his intention to continue working as a door supervisor.

But Mr Ward’s wife Mandy said: “How do you tell a four and six year old that their dad’s killer got away with it?  We feel totally let down,” and her eldest brother Bob Connor added: “We are devastated at the outcome of today’s trial.  Phillip’s family and friends have been dealt a life sentence from which they can never be released.

“In respect of Phillip’s memory we would like to have it emphasised that never, at any time, did he show any aggression to another person and we would like to thank both the police and the family liaison officers for all their hard work to bring this case to conclusion.

“Mandy and the rest of Phillip’s family and friends would like their privacy to be respected to continue to grieve and rebuild their shattered lives.”

The trial has thrown the amount of force used by door staff when ejecting revellers into the spotlight.

During the trial, Christopher Morgan, prosecuting, showed a Norwich Crown Court jury CCTV footage of the incident and said: “There is no dispute in this case that Steven Hopkins killed Mr Ward.” He said that Hopkins had “no right” to eject Mr Ward in the manner he did, and said that Mr Hopkins was a registered doorman and would have been trained in the correct way to eject people.

Steve Barber, owner of Norwich Security Specialists Ltd, which provides door supervisors to some of the clubs on Prince of Wales Road, said that door staff had changed their attitude since Mr Hopkins was charged and were now being more careful about the amount of force they used, regardless of the outcome of the trial.

He said: “If he had been found guilty, it would have opened up a massive can of worms and meant that door staff would have been worried about touching anyone, so might as well not be there. Although I am sad for Phillip’s family, it is the best outcome for the profession.”

Peter says…

I must agree with Steve Barber.  Whilst respecting the family must feel bitter and cheated about the outcome of the trial, it is really the best outcome for the profession.  The current door supervisor training does not teach “how to eject or evict customers”, it just teaches that door supervisors should use only “reasonable and necessary force”.  Later this year, however, the door supervisor training will be updated to include a physical intervention unit which will offer non-violent, non-aggressive way to eject from premises.  This unit will also probably be one of the options for future compulsory renewal training for currently licensed door supervisors.

beSmart Training currently offers the BIIAB Maybo Physical Intervention training course for door supervisors and security guards, as well as other Security Industry Authority approved training and personal licence courses.

For further information on all our courses go to our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk or call Sue on 0207237 6007.