The Private Security Industry Act 2001 gives the Secretary of State powers to exempt from the licensing requirements those people who, though engaged in security duties, are subject to suitable alternative arrangements.

"Suitable alternative arrangements" is further defined by the Act as arrangements that are "equivalent, for all practical purposes so far as the protection of the public is concerned, to those applying to persons applying for and granted licences."

People applying for an SIA licence must be over eighteen years of age and must pass an identity check and a criminal record check. They must have the right to remain and work in the UK and may be required to provide a mental health declaration. If they will be working in a front line activity they must also prove that they are trained to the appropriate (SIA approved) standard.

Bodies applying for exemption from SIA licensing are not required to have an identical system in place; however, their system must be equivalent in regards to "the protection of the public". This equivalence will be determined by a comparison with the SIA's licensing requirements.

We have developed an 'exemption framework' (download size: 51kb) which we and the Home Office will use when considering requests to be exempt from SIA licensing. Other frameworks address the granting of  exclusions from and additions to SIA licensing.