In an open letter to suppliers and purchasers of private security services the SIA's Director of Operations highlights improvements that have been made to our licensing systems and reminds employers of the checks they need to make.

We are continually improving the rigour of our licensing process and following a customer review we have implemented a range of new services to improve efficiency and to enhance the licensing experience. We have built tighter controls into our application procedures to ensure higher standards of security and improved information exchange with our operational partners, but because of that, we are refusing and revoking more licences than ever before. So far we have refused 9,700* licences and revoked about 700*.

This is good news because it means that licensing is still helping to drive up standards. But it makes it even more important that suppliers and users of licensed security operatives use our readily available public register of licence holders and register of revoked and suspended licences to check licensed status and the validity of licences.

Recently we announced changes to the identity documents that we accept for a licence application. These more robust requirements came into effect on 1 October 2007. We have been working hard with partners like the police service, the Identity & Passport Service and the Border and Immigration Agency to ensure that we share the right information to improve our decision-making.

We refuse licence applications if the identity, qualifications and fit and proper person criteria are not met. We revoke licences if something happens to change someone’s suitability or if we were given false information at the time of application.

We aim to process most valid licence applications within six weeks although some applications take longer because of the additional work or checks required. In particular, applicants who are non-EEA nationals should be aware that establishing their right to work in the United Kingdom may delay their application.

Employers still need to make sure they carry out responsible checks on their licensable employees, ensuring pre-employment checking systems are robust and follow good practice guidance, for instance, that employees have a legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Apart from the legal obligation to do this, it also makes sound business sense to avoid wasting time and money on training and applications should we refuse or revoke the licence. Remember, licence application fees are not refunded in these circumstances.

The definitive check as to whether someone is licensed is the public register not the licence card itself. Our registers of current licence holders and those who have had their licences suspended or revoked are available 24 hours a day on our website. It is essential that suppliers of licensable security operatives use these registers regularly to protect their customers, their reputations and to help reduce their own liability. It is an offence for a supplier to provide unlicensed security operatives where the activity is licensable and the public registers are an important tool to help avoid this happening. The registers should be used regularly and routinely to check new and existing licensable employees; we know that some suppliers are already doing this. Remember: the possession of a physical licence is reassuring for public display - it is not absolute confirmation that someone is licensed.

We constantly keep the licensing process under review to help ensure that only those entitled to do so achieve or retain licensed status. We will also aim to make our public registers easier to use for those legitimately entitled to access them; look out for improvements later in the year.

Working together we can ensure that licensing continues to protect the public from unsuitable people being in positions of trust and authority.

Andy Drane
Director of Operations
November 2007

* Figures quoted are accurate at time of writing.