From the 1 April 2009 Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) approval via the Passport Certificate route will be available to firms from SSAIB. Firms seeking ACS approval will have a choice of three routes: 1) The current standard ACS route. Using this option, firms complete the Self-Assessment Workbook (SAW) before making an application to the SIA for approval. SIA approve or reject the application having reviewed the report of a verification inspection body (such as SSAIB), who evaluate the applicant company against its claims in the SAW.
2) This option includes the above, but allows in addition a company to be evaluated for compliance with relevant British Standard for the sector(s) worked in. This is currently available for BS 7499 Static Site Guarding and Mobile Patrol Service, BS 7985 CCTV Management and Operation, BS 7948 Keyholding and BS 7960 Door Supervision. It is hoped that the additional British Standards can be included shortly e.g. BS 8406, Event Stewarding, BS 8517-1 General Purpose Security Dogs and BS 8517-2 Detection Dogs, BS 8507-1 and -2 Close Protection.
3) This option includes both of the above plus ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems Certification. The advantage of this approach is that SSAIB can conduct all element of the inspection process, resulting in fewer inspections and cost savings. Once you have achieved the SSAIB Passport Certificate Scheme standard, SSAIB will send you a certificate of confirmation which is forwarded to the SIA who will verify Approved Contractor Scheme status. It is important to note that it is still the SIA’s final decision whether a firm has met its ‘Fit for Purpose’ checks prior to being granted Approved Contractor Scheme status. The primary difference between the SSAIB Passport Certificate Scheme and the usual ACS route is that firms can have their assessment conducted before they have received eligibility from the SIA.