Overall, feedback from the industry showed that while there was some interest in a more integrated approach, the option for a single generic licence card did not receive widespread support.

At present, SIA licence cards are specific to each sector.  Operatives working in more than one sector may need to be issued with multiple licences.

The two options set out in the consultation were:

• to introduce a single generic licence card covering all of the licensable activities that the holder is qualified to undertake; or
• to continue to issue sector-specific and multiple licences.

SIA Director of Strategy and Corporate Services, Hazel Russell said:

“I would like to thank respondents for their contributions to this informal consultation. The responses did not provide clear support for the development of a non-sector specific licence, so at present we will not be making changes to the licences that we issue.

However, we will now reconsider how we have defined the ‘manned guarding’ sectors and we will take account of the consultation responses in identifying opportunities for limiting the requirement for multiple licences and for reducing administrative burdens.  This, combined with our ongoing customer service improvements will help to ensure that any future changes will continue to be stakeholder-led.”

Suzi says: I assume that redefining manned guarding will introduce new sectors within guarding such as “retail” security and “construction site” security, etc.  Will that mean yet another day’s training I ask myself.  We shall see.  But, rest assured, we will let you know if and when it happens.

This new course will be introduced on 1st June 2010 and will replace the current qualification completely.  The new qualification is called the Level 2 Award in Door Supervision and replaces the old Level 2 National Certificate for Door Supervisors.

The new course will remain a four-day course, but will now be in four units:

• Unit One:      Working in the Private Security Industry
• Unit Two:      The Role of the Door Supervisor
• Unit Three:   Conflict Management for the Private Security Industy
• Unit Four:     Physical Intervention

There will now be three multiple-choice exams; one for each of unit one, two and three.  Unit four will be tutor assessed throughout the training.

Importantly, there is no cross over between the old door supervisor qualification and the new door supervisor qualification.  Anyone who has not yet completed the current qualfication, or has to resit examinations, has until the end of August 2010 to do so.  After that date, if they haven’t attained the old qualification they will have to do the whole of the new course.

Similarly, if you already have another qualification, you will NOT be able to just sit the relevant unit.  You will have to do the full course at least once.  Thereafter if you want to apply for another licence you will only need to do the units previously not taken.  For instance you can do the new full door supervisor course and if you wanted to then become a vehicle immobiliser you would only have to take the sector specific unit for vehicle immobilisation.

If you already hold a physical intervention qualification from the BIIAB/Skills for Security it has not yet been confirmed whether this will count as accredited prior learning for unit four of the new course.

beSmart Training will be ready to teach this new qualification as soon as its available.  Please call Sue on 020 7237 6007 if you have any queries, or check out the website at www.besmart-training.co.uk.

Proposals within the bill will make it mandatory for all wheel clamping businesses to be licensed under the terms of a strict code of conduct. The code will include a cap on fines, time limits on towing cars unreasonably quickly after being clamped and set out clear instructions for putting up signs warning drivers that clamping takes place.

Ministers are also looking to introduce an independent appeals process for motorists who feel unfairly penalised by firms and their employees.

Any company which breaches the terms of their licence could lose their right to practise and face up to five years in prison or a substantial fine Statement from the Home Office Minister

Alan Campbell said, ‘The Crime and Security Bill reflects the government’s commitment to prevent abuses by unscrupulous firms and their employees.

‘There is no room within the wheel clamping industry for those who indulge in unacceptable behaviour including unclear signage and excessive fees.

‘A compulsory licensing scheme for operators will leave clamping firms in no doubt as to their responsibility to the public and anyone breaching the strict code of practice risks losing their licence.

‘Firms will have to ensure signage is clear, fines are proportionate and towing practices are regulated. We are also working to introduce an independent appeals process for motorists who feel they have been unfairly treated.’

Statement from the Transport Minister

Sadiq Khan said, ‘These tough new proposals are part of a series of measures the government is putting in place to tackle the scourge of rogue parking firms who harass and intimidate motorists.

‘We have already taken action to restrict access for parking firms wanting driver information and by bringing in these new requirements for clamping firms we are sending a clear message to unscrupulous firms that they need to clean up their act if they want to stay in business.’

Legislation

The new legislation has been drawn up following discussions with motoring groups, industry representatives and a 12-week public consultation during the summer.

Currently, any individual undertaking wheel clamping must hold a frontline licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA), with supervisors or directors holding a non-frontline licence.

The new compulsory licensing scheme will extend responsibility from individuals to businesses. It will be administered and controlled by the Security Industry Authority.

For vehicle immobiliser training please go to our website for available dates.

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.

Nicole Vazquez, a consultant with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, campaigns to raise awareness of the issues around lone workers. New legislation on corporate manslaughter has dramatically raised the potential costs to businesses that fail to adequately protect their staff and customers.

Ms Vazquez, addressing an audience of business delegates at a Reliance Security Services conference in London earlier, cited the example of the Hatfield train crash in which four people died. Network Rail was fined around £3m for the accident, but recent changes to legislation have come with a recommendation that a firm be fined up to 10% of its turnover if found guilty under the corporate manslaughter act – which translates to a potential £600m fine for the rail company had they been charged and found guilty under the new act.

However, Ms Vazquez cautioned that while the new legislation has made organisations revisit their safety provisions for workers, businesses were concerned at the additional costs this may entail. In addition, many lone workers take to their style of work through personal choice and are often loathe to make changes – such as staying in regular contact with their office – to their work patterns despite the demands of any new policies or procedures.

Defining lone working is a difficult task in itself, ranging from the first and last person to enter and leave an office, to the salesperson on the road. Public services involve a high proportion of lone workers, which may involve visiting vulnerable people, or making inspecting or enforcing calls.

However, there are certain issues that are apparent among lone workers, which according to Ms Vazquez include:
• People will act differently towards lone workers as opposed to more than one member of staff
• Equally, lone workers may perform differently than when with colleagues
• The likelihood of both verbal and physical aggression is higher
• As a result, the impact of any incident that occurs may be greater to the individual and the business

Although the diversity of lone working made policies and procedures difficult to establish, Ms Vazquez outlined certain criteria that could be applied to the situation. Chief amongst these was planning – the more practical controls adopted in lone working situations, such as security issues and contact times, the safer the situation becomes. Estate agent Suzy Lamplugh left no contact and time details when she went to meet an unknown client in 1986. Her body was never found.

“The more preparation the lone worker makes prior to their appointment, the greater choice he or she has to affect the outcome,” said Ms Vazquez. She also made a distinction between “tracking” lone workers and “tracing”. The former might have negative implications for some workers and be seen as in some way compromising their autonomy. However, with modern communications technology and robust reporting procedures, keeping a trace on lone workers was an effective policy for the safety of one’s staff.

The issue of staff safety was also raised by Bill Fox, managing director of Maybo, a specialist conflict resolution consultancy. Underlining the importance of education and training of staff in dealing with conflict situations, Mr Fox said that there had been at least three restraint related deaths involving Security Industry Authority (SIA) licensed staff within the past two years. These were obviously extreme situations but on a broader level, preventing violence in the workplace made for a better, safer and more welcoming working environment, enhanced a business’s reputation, helped avoid criminal action and reinforced a company’s position in any civil action.

The best policy for preventing violence was to be proactive in assessing the risks and then putting measures in place to reduce their occurrence. The secondary level was to minimise the opportunity for potentially violent situations to escalate, for example through the use of good communication skills. However, should physical intervention be required, Mr Fox said that staff training in safe methods and knowledge of their responsibilities were essential, safeguarding all parties physically and legally.

The quality of security was also on the agenda in a briefing by Fraser Halliday, Reliance Security’s Director of Specialist Services, on the London 2012 Olympics. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event and the resources required – including security – have to match that,” Mr Halliday said.

The huge scale of the requirements was demonstrated with some fascinating statistics including:

• Accommodation for more than 50,000 athletes, staff and media
• 4,500 chauffeured cars required
• 1,500 buses needed
• Almost 10m spectators expected
• Largest number of private jets ever assembled in the UK
• 160 Olympic related events outside the Stratford site

For the security requirements:

• 10% of the UK’s police force deployed
• Estimated 5,500 security officers and stewards
• Around 100 search lanes
• The largest CCTV contract ever awarded

The addition of so many approved security personnel has meant that the Olympics and educational establishments are planning a fast-track scheme in order to meet the target.