SIA Public Consultation

Last week, the SIA began a new public consultation that seeks to resolve important questions affecting people with disabilities within the security sector. 

There are two key aspects to the consultation: 

Firstly, how having a disability might affect a person’s ability to be a door supervisor. 

Should the SIA assess a door supervisor’s ability to physically intervene, and if so, how should that ability be assessed? 

Secondly, the consultation asks for views on introducing physical intervention training for Close Protection licence holders if they work as Door Supervisors. 

The SIA require door supervisors to have undergone physical intervention training. This training covers such things as how to escort someone out of premises and disengagement in a violent situation. This requirement was brought in to ensure that door supervisors have the knowledge and skills to protect members of the public, their colleagues and themselves from violence and other dangerous situations. 

Currently, the requirement to complete physical intervention training only applies to Door Supervisor licence holders. The SIA’s licence integration arrangements allows Close Protection licence holders to work as door supervisors without having to complete this training. The SIA will be extending this requirement to Close Protection licence holders if they work as Door Supervisors, as they are concerned that this disparity in training requirements may present a risk to public safety. 

Alan Clamp, SIA Chief Executive, (photo) said: “We are very keen on getting the views of people with disabilities and organisations representing the disabled, as well as those of other people working within the industry. We want to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, and a greater diversity among security operatives, whilst ensuring that door supervisors can protect the public and themselves. The responses to this consultation will help us set the training requirements for door supervisor licences appropriately, and I welcome this opportunity for us to engage with public opinion in such a visible way.” 

Consultation 

The consultation will run between Tuesday 27 September and Tuesday 20 December. The SIA want to hear from the private security industry, in particular the views of people with disabilities and holders of Door Supervisor and Close Protection licences.

If any of our staff would like assistance in responding to the consultation, please speak to head office. Your opinion counts. 

Instructions on how to respond to the consultation are provided in the document, which you can find on the SIA website here: sia.homeoffice.gov.uk

Article source: infologue.com