Working the Doors

Over the last few months we have made wide-ranging improvements to our systems and the level of service we provide. Progress has been made in the following areas:

Contacting us: We’ve increased the number of contact centre staff twice, created a dedicated e-mail response team and reviewed our online information systems to help reduce the number of calls. These measures have led to a real improvement in the service we are able to offer. The majority of calls are reaching the contact centre first time and call waiting times are averaging around 5 minutes.
Licence processing: A number of queues at various parts of the licensing process have been cleared. A reflection of our improved performance is the high level of licences being issued: in June we issued over 15,000 licences and we issued a further 10,000 in July.
Processing times: We have new performance targets for the 2008/09 financial year. We aim to process 80% of all licence applications within 40 working days, and 80% of applications from UK and EEA nationals (the majority of applicants) within 33 working days. The time starts from the day an application is entered onto our system and ends on the day we make our decision. The clock is stopped if the application fails validation and is reset when the application is sent back to us. At the time of writing we are processing 73% of all licence applications within 40 working days.

As mentioned in our previous updates, a number of online facilities have been developed to make it easier for everyone to use our licensing service. Our Application Status Checker provides applicants with an easy way of checking the progress of their licence application without the need to phone our contact centre. Our Register of Licence Holders makes it simpler and swifter for employers, our enforcement partners and the public to check the validity of an SIA licence, while the Company Licence Checker allows registered company users to regularly verify the validity of all their employees’ licences with one check. More recently we have launched a Direct Debit payment facility for companies who wish to pay for bulk applications in this way.

We will continue to introduce further on-line services as they emerge from testing and where we are sure they improve efficiency and effectiveness for all involved.

On Thursday 7th August, teams of Security Industry Authority (SIA) investigators carried out large scale random checks on security sites in and around Manchester to test for compliance with the Private Security Industry Act 2001. This was the second time SIA investigators mounted such a huge operation - the first was in Birmingham in May 2008.

Operation Falcon targeted 97 premises in Manchester including Old Trafford, shopping centres, amusement arcades, business premises, hotels, galleries, conference and event centres, a Magistrates' Court, and a college.

97 premises or sites were visited
149 security operatives checked
26 security companies inspected
142 operatives were SIA licensed
Compliance level at 95%

7 Section 3 offences (working without a licence)
6 Section 9 offences (failing to display a licence)

"Although our operations are usually intelligence-led, random inspection checks - particularly on this scale - reinforce our understanding of how compliant the private security industry is.

In May of this year, we carried out the first of our large-scale operations in Birmingham and found a similar level of compliance. I hope that further operations will continue to show that over 90% of the private security industry abides by the law. But perhaps the true value of these exercises is the quality and quantity of the intelligence gathered which helps us maintain our high standards."

Police and investigators from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) visited licensed premises in Bristol City Centre to check door staff were SIA licensed. This is part of an ongoing initiative by the SIA, police and licensing officers to ensure those working the doors hold a valid SIA licence.

The Operation Lime took place on the evening of Saturday 2nd August and found that 98% of the door staff checked held a valid licence.

12 premises were visited
45 door supervisors were inspected
44 held valid SIA licences*
1 door supervisor was reported for possible prosecution for working without an SIA licence

"We're pleased to see that nearly all door supervisors in this Bristol operation were abiding by the law and were SIA licensed. We are grateful to the police for their support on what proved to be a very busy night."

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has introduced a new direct debit facility which offers security companies an easy way to pay for licence fees submitted under the bulk application service.

Simpler and quicker way to pay than a cheque or credit card
No need for refunds on rejected licence applications as only the correct payment is taken
Quick notice via email of the payment taken with no delay in processing the applications
Easy reconciliation to bank accounts using the updated online batch applications tracker

The SIA will contact company users offering them the chance to register for the service.

To register as a company user, and to benefit from this, and other company facilities, please call 0844 892 0925 or go to www.the-sia.org.uk/bulkapplications .

This facility is only available to companies registered with the SIA as a company user.

The full licence fee must be paid for the applications accepted. Payment cannot be made in instalments.

As part of the Security Industry Authority's Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, the fourth Door Supervision Network meeting will be held on Wednesday 22 October 2008, in Worcester. This meeting follows the successes of the first three events held in September 2007, January 2008 and June 2008.

The meeting, hosted by Skills for Security, is being organised and facilitated by representatives from the door supervision sector. The meeting is an opportunity for delegates working within door supervision to engage with the Security Industry Authority and others in their industry. Representatives will discuss and explore issues about the industry and regulation.

Anyone wishing to attend the meeting, which is free of charge, should visit www.the-sia.org.uk/ds-network to register their interest. Registration will close on 8 September 2008.

Registering interest to attend does not guarantee a place at the meeting. Places will be confirmed by 19 September 2008

By registering interest to attend, delegates agree to the SIA passing their contact details to the meeting organisers.

Info4Security and Security Installer have announced the finalists for the Security Excellence Awards ACS Champion of the Year category.

The award, sponsored by the Security Industry Authority, will recognise those approved contractors that have taken exceptional steps to further the spirit of the Approved Contractor Scheme.

The winner will be announced at the Security Excellence Awards at London's Hilton Hotel, Park Lane on 9 October 2008.

Vernon Coaker, Under Secretary of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety and senior members at Security Industry Authority (SIA) praised the actions of ten Cash and Valuables in Transit operatives with Special Awards for Outstanding Service, sponsored by the SIA.

At the British Security Industry Association's Annual Luncheon held last week at London's Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, the operatives whose identities are protected due to the sensitive nature of their work, were rewarded for their outstanding actions many of which involved violent altercations with would-be robbers.

"The SIA is proud to be associated with this award and is grateful for the opportunity to recognise publicly the commitment of these 10 guards. In doing so we acknowledge there are many ordinary people across the industry who in the course of their jobs show extraordinary loyalty and bravery.

Regulation has been an essential tool in reassuring customers, enforcement partners and the public that the industry is professional and capable of delivering a service fit for the 21st century. These awards show the tremendous quality of individuals in the private security industry, and its commitment to the job of helping to maintain community safety."

Officers from the Gloucester City Safer Community Team carried out a successful operation aimed at identifying illegal door staff working on the doors of pubs and clubs.

The operation, which is the first of its kind in the county, was conducted in partnership with the Security Industry Authority (SIA) on the evening of Friday July 11.

Officers worked through the night conducting checks on door staff at all the city's pubs and clubs.

Two illegal door staff were discovered as a result of the operation and they will now face prosecution.

Police Licensing Officer PC Guy Hall said: "The Police have a good working relationship with local door staff and their licensees who do not support the employment of illegal persons.

"SIA licensed door staff help raise the professionalism and skills within the private security industry which helps to promote and spread best practice.

"Door staff are vital to keeping alcohol related crime and disorder under control in the city.

"Any door staff found to be working illegally will face prosecution and any person found employing illegal door staff will also face enforcement action.

"We will conduct further operations and together with our partners we will endeavour to remove all illegal door staff."

SIA Head of Investigation, Christy Hopkins said: "These checks showed that the vast majority of door staff in Gloucester's city centre pubs and clubs were working legally with SIA licences. However, two doormen were working illegally and it is imperative that door staff and those deploying them do not flout the law.

"This operation sends a very clear message that, like us, our partners at Gloucestershire Police will not tolerate unlicensed door staff working in positions of trust and more operations like this will follow."

Licensed door staff can be easily identified as they are all required to display their SIA licence / badge. The Police and Local Victuallers Association (LVA) support the use of high visibility armbands, which help to identify the door person and allow the clear displaying of their SIA badge. Members of the LVA can obtain these armbands by contacting their chairperson.

Investigators from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and officers from Derbyshire Police checked door staff compliance in Derby's city centre pubs and clubs last weekend. The operation was part of an ongoing Derbyshire Police initiative targeting alcohol-related disorder in the night-time economy.

34 premises were visited
92 door supervisors were inspected
88 held valid SIA licences*
4 door supervisors were reported for possible prosecution for working without an SIA licence

"This operation showed that 96% of door staff in Derby were working legally with SIA licences. However, a small number were working illegally and it is imperative that door staff working in positions of trust and those deploying them do not flout the law; this will not be tolerated by our police partners or us. The public deserve to be protected by trained, qualified and SIA licensed door staff."

It has demonstrated that the vast majority of door staff operating in the city are licensed and have undergone the necessary checks to fulfil their positions and that premises and security companies fully understand the need for their staff to be licensed.

We will now go away and look at those four people found not to be operating with a licence and take appropriate action."

Baroness Henig, Chairman of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was one of the keynote speakers at the New Zealand Security Conference and Exhibition 2008 held in Auckland, NZ held last month.

"The New Zealand government is about to introduce new legislation covering the private security industry, which will create a special government enforcement agency and introduce mandatory training for those working in the designated security activities.

Their intention is to make the new regulations self-financing so there is considerable interest in how our licensing process had worked in the UK, what problems we experienced and the what impact regulation had made.

Delegates were particularly interested to hear about mandatory training qualifications and how partnerships between the police and private security providers had changed.

I had the opportunity to discuss many issues of mutual concern with security providers, senior police officers and government officials and found the exchange of views and experience extremely useful."

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is pleased to announce that there are now over 500 SIA approved contractors.

Remploy CCTV, which employs people with disabilities and health conditions and operates public space surveillance systems throughout the UK, was the 500th company to gain accreditation.

To mark this occasion, Mike Wilson, SIA Chief Executive and Andrew Shepherd, Assistant Director ACS presented Remploy CCTV's General Manager Steve Jones, Marketing Manager Chris Ford and Operations Manager David Hollingworth with their ACS plaque and certificates at their offices.

"With 500 companies now joined, the SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme is the standard of choice for most of the private security industry. The scheme continues to grow as companies realise that being ACS is good for business.

I am particularly glad to welcome Remploy CCTV into the scheme in view of the company's special role. CCTV offers disabled people a real opportunity to develop and use skills to protect the public, and I am delighted Remploy CCTV has chosen the ACS to help it achieve this."

"Remploy CCTV continually strives to be the best in the business, and gaining ACS accreditation is another important milestone in our development. Our clients will be further assured now that we have been recognised by the SIA as a recognised service provider, all of which will help us achieve our ambitious plans for business development and growth."

The Register of Approved Contractors lists all of the organisations that have met the requirements for the Approved Contractor Scheme.