SIA Business Licensing

The Security Industry is changing and we here at Quartz Consultancy can ensure that you are ready to meet this change head-on.

As of 6 April 2015 if your business provides licensable individuals under a contract to supply a security industry service you will be required to obtain a business licence from the SIA.

It will be a criminal offence for a regulated business to provide licensable individuals under a contract to supply a security industry service unless you have an SIA Business Licence

You will need a business licence if you provide security industry services in the following sectors:

• Security guarding
• Door Supervision
• Key Holding
• Close Protection
• Cash and Valuables In Transit,
• Public Space Surveillance (CCTV)
• Immobilisation of vehicles, in Northern Ireland only (including the restriction and removal of vehicles)

Implementation Dates

• On the 27th February 2014, at a meeting of the SIA’s Strategic Consultative Group, Home Office officials updated representatives of the private security industry on the timetable for introducing business licensing.

The group was told:

• The Home Office remains committed to introducing business licensing.
• The necessary arrangements to allow the SIA to start accepting business licence applications in April 2014 are not yet in place, and therefore the ‘open for business’ date is postponed.
• The Home Office will announce a revised business licensing timetable as soon as possible.
• The industry will be given at least three months’ notice of the ‘open for business’ date.
• The revised dates will allow at least six months between the ‘open for business’ date and the legal requirement date – when it will become a legal requirement for businesses to hold a licence.
• The legal requirement date remains 6 April 2015.

Business Competency

As part of your application you will need to demonstrate that your company is competent to undertake the designated security service it intends to supply and this can be achieved in one of the following ways: –

• Holding approval under the SIA voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, including approval for the relevant designated security services
• Certification to a relevant UKAS accredited sector-specific scheme that covers the relevant British Standards  – product certification
• UKAS accredited certification to ISO9001, incorporating the relevant British Standard/s

Already there has been a huge increase in the number of companies applying for SIA ACS status with companies preparing for these new changes.

Don’t get left behind – make it count and contact Quartz Consultancy now – on 01226 720051 or via e-mail at info@quartzconsultancy.co.uk