The Security Industry Authority in association with Northumbria Police announced the national roll-out of training for door supervisors on the issue of vulnerable people. The new content will be incorporated into the current mandatory SIA developed training modules for door supervisors from 1 November 2013. The training will cover: Identifying vulnerable people. Understanding the risks to vulnerable people being ejected from, or refused entry to, a venue, and what actions can be taken to protect them. Identifying the behaviour of sexual predators. Identifying and knowing how...

"The jury is still out on whether the popularity of bundling in some places is a sign of new and better ways of working or a cyclical change brought about because in current times cost is often a priority over risk. There were strong supporters of some of the benefits of single service and some of bundling although not always on a strong evidence base. What this study has shown is that many organisations have an incomplete understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of providing security in different ways’. Professor Martin Gill, the leader of research undertaken by Perpetuity Res...

The SIA will be hosting a series of short briefings throughout the UK in October and November to explain the latest plans on the future of regulation for the private security industry. Attending one of these events will provide representatives from security businesses with an outline of how business licensing will work under the new system: who has to be licensed, what you need to and when you need to do it. Stoke on Trent - 10 October 2013 Belfast - 15 October 2013 Edinburgh - 17 October 2013 Leeds - 22 October 2013 Cardiff - 24 October 2013 Peterborough - 29 October 201...

Following the publication of the Francis Report earlier this year, patient safety and welfare within the care sector is crucial now more than ever. As such, the Access Control Section of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has released a free guide to aid care homes in understanding the benefits of access control security systems. A recent survey of BSIA Access Control members aimed to discover trends in care home security over the last year. Over 60% of respondents felt that the use of private security measures in the care sector had increased over the last twelve month...

The results of the Home Office consultation on the future regulatory regime for the private security industry were published today with the majority of respondents in favour of the introduction of Business Licensing, In House Security personnel requiring licenses as well as transferring the Approved Contractors Scheme (ACS) to an industry led Hallmark Scheme. Sadly, the Government has remained silent on the date on which primary legislation would be put before Parliament to enable the enforcement of business licensing, writes Infologue.com Publisher, Bobby Logue. The survey took place betwe...

Last Sunday (1st September) marked the one year anniversary of the anti-squatting law that made residential squatting a criminal offence. The milestone also saw squatters’ internet sites[1] encouraging action in order to mark the anniversary. As such, the Vacant Property Protection Group of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is reiterating to owners and landlords of vacant commercial properties the importance of securing and protecting their premises. Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment Act 2012 criminalised squatting in homes and all other residential buil...

G4S, the largest security services provider in the world, spanning 125 countries announced its half yearly results today. The new G4S Chief Executive, former British Gas executive, Ashley Almanza (Almanza) announced an increase in turnover of £3.65 billion with margins tightening by .4 percent (5.5% from 5.9% in 2012) Almanza also announced plans to raise £600 million through the sale of shares and assets to underpin the balance sheet of G4S. This would allow the management to focus on running the business and rebuilding its image. Over the past eighteen months G4S has been beset with pr...

An unlicensed door supervisor has been sentenced for working without a Security Industry Authority licence. Matthew Corbett, of Gospel Oak Road, Coventry, was sentenced at Coventry Magistrates Court to a Community Service Order and to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work. Corbett was also ordered to pay costs of nearly £6,000. Corbett, 29, was the subject of an SIA investigation after intelligence was received suggesting that he was working unlicensed, as a door supervisor, for Coventry based A1 Protection Services. Further enquiries established that Corbett was working at various lice...

Policing Minister Damian Green has praised Hampshire Police’s “effective and ambitious” use of digital technology. He visited Winchester this week to learn about the force’s digital initiatives, including mobile working, digital case files and body-worn video. Hampshire is one of 22 forces signed up to the Digital Pathfinders programme, which encourages forces to modernise by using technology. Saving time The minister was shown how officers complete electronic witness statements using mobile data terminals and use body-worn cameras to record footage of incidents and interview wit...

Attracting more women to careers in the security sector is the focus of a new joint research project being launched this week by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) and Skills for Security. The project is aimed at evaluating the perceptions of security as a career choice among two key groups: female students yet to embark upon their career, and women already working in the security sector, with a view to challenging misconceptions of security as a male-oriented career choice. Inspired by the 100 in 100 apprenticeship campaign – which aims to place 100 apprentices within the s...