Heather Baily QPM, the Security Industry Authority Chair has announced the appointment of Michelle Russell as their new Chief Executive. Michelle Russell has been serving as Acting Chief Executive since October 2020. She joined the SIA as Director of Partnership and Interventions in January 2020, leading the criminal enforcement and regulatory inspection functions. She has over 25 years’ experience of working in regulation and regulatory environments in both the public and private sectors. Commenting on the appointment, Heather Baily said: “I am delighted to announce that Michelle...

*Press Release* Following confirmation at the recent meeting of SyCom members, the Board are delighted to announce two new Board Members, David Ward and Houdah Al-Hakim CSMP. They join Chair, Jayne King Jayne King, past chairs Guy Mathias FSyI and Joe Connell, Secretary Dave Cooke, Graham Bassett, Oliver Curran and Mike Hurst. Houdah is the founder and CEO of Quick Click Security, an online platform in its infancy, with a vision to become the “go to” for the private security industry; designed to promote career opportunities as well as increase accessibility and access to training...

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) have launched a special offer exclusively to National Security Inspectorate (NSI) gold and silver installer companies inviting them to take advantage of the Association’s membership and the long-term commercial value of belonging to the recognised ‘voice of the professional security industry’. Companies working in the installation and service of fire and security alarms market are invited to see for themselves the five key reasons they should join the BSIA, with the extra added bonus of two months free membership for anyone accredited w...

On Sunday night (10 October) the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is running a safety resilience exercise at West End venue, The Cuckoo Club. The SIA is running the exercise in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service, Profile Protection Security Services Ltd, West End Security Group, Safer Business Group, the Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps, Inspirations Theatre Company, and The Cuckoo Club itself. The training event at The Cuckoo Club comprises a series of real-time simulations, involving actors and volunteers, of possible emergency scenarios. These are: mass stabbing (gan...

GMB is to ballot more than 1,100 G4S Cash members for strike action over what they believe to be a real terms pay cut.  Workers are reportedly angry after the company offered a pay increase of just 2.5% - well below current inflation rate of 4.8& RPI G4S Cash refused to meet GMB’s demand for a 7.5% pay increase, reinstatement of an overtime rate when they work more than 39 hours a week and night payment rates to be paid between 10pm and 6am. The ballot will begin on October 11 and end on November 1. "The strike could see ATM’s run out of cash and airports without foreign curren...

IFPO UK and Ireland welcomed Professor Mark Button to its Advisory Board this week.  Professor Button is one of the most respected security academics in the UK, with an international reputation. Mark Button is Director of the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Portsmouth. Mark has written extensively on counter fraud, cyber-fraud, security and private policing issues, publishing many articles, chapters and completing eight books. This includes Private Policing, published by Routledge; Security Officers and Policing, published b...

A new nationwide event that aims to help members of the public to dispose of their personal information safely and securely using professional services is taking place at the beginning of October. National Shred Day, organised by the British Security Industry Association in partnership with independent national charity Crimestoppers, is an opportunity to safely dispose of confidential waste for a nominal donation using the services of the BSIA Information Destruction (ID) members. All donations will go towards regional projects carried out by Crimestoppers. The event is taking place o...

Today, Friday 10 September, the Security industry Authority (SIA) is launching Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) Security e-learning for security professionals. The SIA developed the new training in partnership with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure. ACT Security is free, specialised training for front line security operatives. The custom-built training provides up-to-date counter-terrorism knowledge to help operatives prepare for and respond to terrorist incidents whilst on duty. The course will take around 1 hour 1...

Change to the launch date for the new Close Protection qualification The SIA has extended the introduction of the updated Close Protection qualification to 01 April 2022. The new implementation date will allow for full testing of the new skills before they are introduced. They will run a pilot in early 2022 with selected training centres. This will enable those delivering the qualification to provide feedback on the new bespoke physical intervention unit and make any required adjustments to the course before it goes live in April 2022. The changes to be introduced have been informed b...

Nominations are requested for ‘The Security Commonwealth David Clark CPP PCI PSP FISRM FinstLM Award for Exceptional Contribution to the UK Security Industry’, to be known as the David Clark Award’. Purpose Many UK security professionals will know, the late David Clark, former Chair of the Security Commonwealth (SyCom) and ASIS (UK Chapter), made exceptional contributions across the UK security profession before his untimely death in 2019. This award will serve as a legacy, building upon David’s efforts to encourage continuous improvement within the UK security sector. Criteri...