In his first blog for Infologue, Jason Grant, Managing Director of CR2 Security Group out of Westbury, discusses the dangers for security businesses operating within the UK’s night-time economy.
The UK’s night-time economy, which includes bars, clubs, and live entertainment venues, is a vital part of the nation’s culture and economy, generating billions of pounds annually to the UK economy.
It’s also a sector that requires robust security to ensure the safety of its patrons and staff, but unfortunately, this just isn’t the case. Many security companies operating in the UK’s night-time economy are willingly undermining safety and integrity by routinely and deliberately bypassing what I would call essential safeguarding basics, all in the pursuit of a quick and easy buck. There are a lot of things that need improvement, but in my opinion, the most concerning practices are among the most frequent are failing to properly vet staff, the use of cash-in-hand or otherwise known as dodgy self-employed payments, the avoidance of essential insurance coverage and full-on bypassing of proper onboarding or recruitment processes.
Broken down individually here’s how it currently looks…
Inadequate Vetting of security personnel
One of the most alarming issues that is ever present is the lack of screening and vetting on employees (and I say the word employees loosely). Regulated companies must comply with Security Industry Authority (SIA) guidelines, which require screening of personnel in accordance with British Standards, this usually satisfies insurance requirements as well. In contrast, those who choose to be and stay unaccredited, more often than not skip these crucial steps, even to the point of not checking a valid SIA license or carrying out a RTW check. Without any vetting taking place, not only do many insurance policies become void, but an ever-present danger exists, as there’s no way of knowing who the security personnel are or what their intentions may be. It’s an extremely basic first step in risk mitigation and if used more by companies it could prevent serious issues and enhance the overall safety to the general public.
Tax Evasion
Equally concerning is the widespread use of cash-in-hand payments. This practice allows unregulated companies to evade taxes, ignore legal responsibilities, and exploit workers, all while suppressing the wages for legitimate frontline staff. More often than not, employees in these companies work without formal contracts, leaving them without job security, a guaranteed wage, or access to basic rights such as sick pay or holiday entitlement. Without these basic employment protections in place staff are literally treated as a number to fill a position and nothing more, so it’s no surprise to me that the overall attitude towards work often reflects this, leading to low morale, under performance and an attitude towards safety and security that is sub-par at best.
Void Or No Insurance
The absence of adequate insurance coverage only amplifies the risks further. Regulated security firms are legally required to carry employers’ liability insurance to protect against legal claims stemming from accidents, injuries, or misconduct. Unfortunately, not all but many unaccredited companies bypass adequate insurance requirements, leaving victims with little or no recourse should an incident occur. Venues that contract and use these unaccredited firms face exposure to significant legal and financial risks, including potential legal battles, fines, or even closure. What’s more, many of these companies operate on a self-employed or cash-in-hand basis which is unlawful according to HMRC regulations and leaves many security workers without the liability insurance they need as most do not possess it themselves. This not only puts workers in a vulnerable position but also exposes venues to severe legal and financial consequences if something goes wrong.
Lack of True Employment
Finally, I’m increasingly witnessing companies that completely bypass essential onboarding and training processes. Staff are often hastily recruited via social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, with no formal understanding of the job/site requirements or training provided. This is extremely dangerous, as it means security personnel are being hired without the proper preparation or knowledge of the responsibilities they’re taking on. Worse still, these companies, whose primary role should be to provide safety and protection, have little to no insight into who they’re hiring, their backgrounds, or whether they possess the necessary skills or experience to do the job effectively. This lack of simple due diligence leaves venues and customers exposed to a wide range of significant risks and is all driven by pure laziness and greed and with no intention or focus on keeping people safe.
My thoughts
I stand by my belief that the security sector in the UK’s night-time economy is a ticking time bomb, and without urgent intervention from the relevant authorities, it will continue to fall short in providing its sole purpose of security and safety to the public. While government initiatives such as Ask for Angela, anti-spiking campaigns, and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) are important steps forward, I feel they will not fully achieve their purpose unless the deeper issues within the security industry are addressed.
Keeping people safe is the core responsibility of the security sector. Yet, door staff who are on the front lines of public safety are often treated as expendable, paid illegally and reduced to nothing more than a number to fill shifts and satisfy licensing requirements rather than being recognised as skilled professionals. This growing stigma undermines the critical role they play. Over the years, the lack of respect for the profession, suppressed charge and payrates due to illegal payments, combined with insufficient oversight and regulation, has shattered industry standards, making it more often than not ineffective.
I can’t see any other way for true progress until ALL security companies are held accountable, proper standards must be enforced, and the culture of illegal pay must change. Without these fundamental shifts, the security sector will remain the weakest link in ensuring public safety within the night-time economy and until any help or intervention is provided by the relevant authorities that can address this issue, unfortunately it’ll stay exactly how it is, with greed, wage suppression, fraud and tax evasion at the forefront and driving factor in regards to keeping people safe.