SIA announces new refresher training for close protection operatives
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-27)

From Tuesday 1 April 2026, close protection operatives must undertake refresher training to renew their licence.

The new refresher qualification will be available from 1 October 2025. The qualification updates the safety-critical skills that close protection operatives use to keep the public safe. The SIA is encouraging licence holders who plan to renew their licence to take the training as soon as possible.

The SIA introduced new licence-linked qualifications for close protection in April 2022. The regulator introduced accredited ‘top-up’ awards for close protection operatives in October 2022 as a requirement for renewing licences.

By October 2025 most close protection licence holders will have completed the ‘top-up’ training and will be qualified to the same standard as those who have the more up-to-date training. This new refresher training ensures all operatives refresh their skills in safety-critical areas.

Tony Holyland, Head of Individual Standards for the SIA, said:

Close protection operatives are security professionals tasked with protecting individuals from threats. The refresher training for close protection licence holders is designed to ensure that operatives continue to have the skills and knowledge to undertake aspects of their role safely.

We sought views from subject matter experts in the close protection field to assess and agree content in areas of the licence-linked qualification most likely to be subject to skills fade.

It is essential that the training is regularly updated to respond to the emerging risks and threats to public safety

Security professionals take pride in keeping up to date, and I would like to thank the industry for its support with this initiative.

Alongside the requirement to present the relevant first aid qualification, the following will be in the refresher training:
- physical intervention
- conducting searches
- protecting people in vulnerable situations
- terror threat awareness
This new refresher training will also ensure that operatives that use a close protection licence to work as a door supervisor or security guard can continue to work and will have up-to-date training.

The new refresher training will be available from 1 October 2025 and will become mandatory for licences renewed from 1 April 2026. This 6-month period mirrors the arrangements that were put in place for refresher training for door supervision and security guarding. This allows industry, training providers and individual licence holders sufficient time to plan, organise and budget for the new requirements so that they are ready for when the new training becomes mandatory.

Over the next 2 years we will conduct a review of the licence-linked qualifications and produce new qualifications in collaboration with stakeholders and industry experts.

Read more about refresher training here: Changes to the training you need for an SIA licence (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-the-training-you-need-for-an-sia-licence).

Background

The private security industry plays an important role in the protection of the public. The SIA is about to undertake a strategic review of the licence-linked qualifications.

The key objective of the review is to ensure that the licence-linked qualifications remain relevant and to continue to improve industry professionalism and public safety by reviewing the security industry’s skills and qualification requirements.

The objectives of the project are to:
- ensure that the industry has fit-for-purpose licence-linked qualifications that reflect the up to date skills and knowledge required to minimise risk
- ensure that industry skills are up to date in areas that may be critical to public safety
- drive quality in the delivery of qualifications
Licence integration

Some licences may be used for more than one licensable activity. This is in cases where the legislation that governs SIA activities recognises that the training required for one role is sufficient for that individual to carry out licensable activity in another role.

If you hold a close protection licence, you are also covered for door supervision and security guarding. Critical elements of the door supervision and security guarding training are included within the close protection refresher training to ensure that these operatives have the required and up-to-date skills and knowledge to work across the sectors that licence integration allows them to.