SIA launches major review of security licence qualifications
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-05)

The SIA has today (5 November 2025) launched a major strategic review of the qualifications and linked training required to apply for an SIA licence.

The purpose of the review is to update the SIA’s licence-linked qualifications requirement, so it keeps pace with the demands on SIA-licensed operatives and ensures they have the safety-critical skills to keep the public safe.

This review is wide in scope; it will examine the content of qualifications and will consider:
- what new core content is required
- what changes are required to safety-critical skills like physical intervention and searching
- updates to counter-terror content
- how to meet emerging issues, like dealing with social media auditors and using new technologies and equipment
- how to make sure existing content remains as comprehensive as possible, especially on issues like spiking awareness and specialist searching techniques such as searching wheelchairs
- whether there is the right amount of content in key specialist areas such as close protection
- how English language skills are tested and demonstrated
- how first aid skills are demonstrated
This review will work with partners to examine other aspects of the qualifications and training delivery, including:
- technological innovation to make sure exams are much less vulnerable to those who might want to cheat
- new quality requirements of training providers
- a review of the occupational expertise and qualifications of trainers required to deliver licence-linked qualifications
The new standards and requirements will ensure security operatives have the essential, safety-critical skills and knowledge to keep them and the public safe. It is vital the qualifications keep pace with a continually complex, challenging and changing modern protective security landscape. The new standards must also provide the foundations to support those who contract or employ security to fulfil their responsibilities to provide continuous and role-specific on-the-job training.

Michelle Russell, SIA Chief Executive, said:

Every 5 years we conduct a back-to-basics review of the content of the licence qualifications, how they are assessed and carried out. These reviews primarily focus on identifying what new content is required. However, this time we are doing it differently.

As well as reviewing content, I have asked for a fundamental look at how the rules around the assessment and invigilation of examinations and requirements can be tightened. This also includes the delivery of the training courses supporting the qualifications, to ensure public confidence in them.

It is essential that the public, security, employers and the SIA have trust and confidence that those with an SIA licence have been properly tested on the basic skills and knowledge they need to do the job. As the demands on private security operatives keep changing, their skills and knowledge need to keep pace too. This review represents a strategic reset and comes at an important time for the security industry.

All ideas are on the table. The outcome of this review must ensure the new content and standards set are fit-for-purpose, and the assessment arrangements are strengthened to reduce the risk of training malpractice and ensure public confidence in the investment in the skills and competency of those awarded qualifications.

Industry and other expert engagement

The review will be informed by extensive engagement with security industry professionals, front line officers, supervisors, leaders and employers, as well as training providers. Specialist expert working groups with security and skills professionals with real-world experience will review each course, feed back, and make proposals to ensure they remain current and effective.

Tim Archer, SIA Director of Licensing and Standards, whose team is leading the review said:

At the heart of this review is ensuring the security operatives, who have a difficult and important job, are supported by the safety-critical skills and knowledge they learn when undertaking the licence-linked qualification.

We want this to be a review informed by extensive engagement and feedback from security professionals, employers, qualification awarding bodies and the many good trainers who deliver courses. We are putting the expertise of those specialists and security professionals at the heart of developing the new standards and requirements. These are the people who know and understand daily challenges of the job and what skills and knowledge are needed to do the job effectively and safely.

To ensure the broadest possible involvement and feedback into the new requirements we will be carrying out early engagement before the proposed changes are scoped out for a formal public consultation.

Given the extent of the review and significance of the expected changes the SIA estimates it will take 18 months end-to-end to carry out and implement the findings of this review. This includes time to properly conduct informal engagement and formal public consultations and allow sufficient time for the private sector qualifications and training bodies to make the changes.

Key milestones include:
- November 2025 to January 2026: a series of engagement meetings and consultation exercises including surveys and online webinars to seek views on qualifications content, methods of assessment training needs and industry requirements
- early spring 2026: public consultation on draft qualification specifications and other significant changes
- summer 2026: publication of final qualification specifications
- autumn 2026 to spring 2027: training and security sectors design the training courses and prepare for the changes
- spring 2027: the new qualifications and assessment arrangements go live and become mandatory
Industry and other stakeholders wishing to learn more about the review and engage can take part in a series of webinars:
- Friday 21 November 2025, 12:00pm (aimed at the security industry and those taking qualifications)
- Monday 24 November 2025, 3:30pm (aimed at the security industry and those taking qualifications)
- Friday 28 November 2025, 12:00pm (aimed at training providers, trainers and others involved in the delivery of vocational education and training)
Sign up to a webinar (http://eepurl.com/jqy30s) or contact the SIA at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

The review is one of 5 actions in the SIA’s new 5-point plan to intensify efforts to protect the integrity of the SIA licence and combat training malpractice in the licence-linked qualifications. Another key action is Operation Resolute (https://thesiauk.blog/2025/08/14/turning-the-tide-on-training-malpractice-in-the-private-security-industry/), the SIA’s new public-facing enforcement initiative designed to pursue, disrupt and sanction those in the training and qualifications sector who undermine the regulatory regime through fraud and malpractice.

Background

The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2001/12/contents). The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).

Over 450,000 individuals hold SIA licences across different sectors.

To apply for an SIA licence, applicants need to have obtained a recognised qualification to prove they have undergone the training and passed the practical and written tests confirming they have been assessed as competent in those skills in one of the following areas:
- cash and valuables in transit
- close protection
- door supervision
- public space surveillance (CCTV)
- security guarding
- vehicle immobilisation (in Northern Ireland only)
The SIA’s new 5-point plan is:
- 2025 strategic review of licence-linked qualifications
- new joint working and partnerships with Ofqual to ensure the effective supervision of awarding organisations and qualifications
- new, additional SIA requirements on awarding organisations
- new SIA requirements on training delivery in ‘Get Training’
- Operation Resolute – the SIA’s operational and inspection response to fraud and malpractice
The SIA approves the specifications for learning. These specifications form the basis of the SIA licence-linked qualifications. The (currently six) awarding organisations develop the units, learning outcomes and indicative content. The third-party training providers approved by the awarding organisations devise the training and courses to support the examinations and assessments.

The SIA does not regulate the qualifications, private sector trainer providers, or awarding organisations. The SIA has no specific legal powers over them or the delivery of the training. Powers to regulate qualifications through the approval, monitoring and sanctioning of awarding organisations are vested in the qualifications regulators: Ofqual and the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

More information on SIA licence-linked qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/learn-about-sia-licence-linked-training).

Media enquiries

For media enquiries only, please contact:

SIA press office

Email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)