As a leader in the security industry, Magenta Security Services welcomed the announcement that from 6 April 2015, all regulated security businesses will need to hold an SIA business licence.
We have always employed high quality, motivated and most importantly, well trained individuals and this announcement ensures a baseline standard across the industry. We have been saying this regulation has needed to be put in place for a long time now, not just for the benefit of professionals and the industry but ultimately for the safety of our clients and we couldn’t be happier that the regulation has been introduced.
The UK’s private security sector employs around half a million people, contributing approximately £6 billion to the UK economy. In recent years, the industry has expanded into activities that, while previously undertaken by police officers, have no requirement for police powers to carry them out.
With such a large amount of people operating in an industry that has developed to include what are effectively frontline services, it has been necessary to improve regulation in an attempt to maintain the legitimacy, standards and reputation of firms and individuals that provide a quality service.
The official SIA release reads, “The Home Office has been working with the SIA on the introduction of business licensing. Home Office Ministers have publicly stated their commitment to the regulatory reforms and the introduction of business regulation; which will help create a fair business environment for security companies, remove rogue operators, and deliver better value regulation.”
To qualify for an SIA business licence, a security business must demonstrate that it is ‘fit and proper’ to supply security industry services. When processing a business licence application, the SIA will consider: identity; criminality; financial probity; integrity; business competency (including British Standards).
The security industry has always been riddled with ‘cowboy’ firms and rogue operators. These companies take business away from legitimate businesses by undercutting costs yet they provide clients with sub-standard services. Too many times I have witnessed customers realise they have made a costly mistake by working with these companies.
Accreditation of individual guards has gone a long way to improving the reputation and abilities of individuals. If the new regulation works as it should it will give greater credibility to genuine security companies and encourage the industry to constantly deliver high level services that benefit both clients and security guards, and ultimately improve the reputation of the industry as a whole.
