Home Office and SIA launch consultations on door staff and bailiffs

16 Dec 09

Plans to raise standards by introducing additional training for UK door supervisors and defining core competencies relating to enforcement agents underpin the latest batch of Home Office and SIA consultation exercises.

By Brian Sims

The aim of the new proposals for door supervisors is to protect the public by raising standards of training across the industry. Additional training will include physical intervention, First Aid, special considerations when dealing with young people and awareness of the threat posed by terrorism.

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has already included the additional training elements as part of the new qualifications being introduced from June 2010.

The just-announced, 14-week public consultation proposes making the additional skills a requirement for existing door supervisors in the form of top-up training that must be taken before renewing their licence. This would also apply to those individuals who have an existing qualification, and who wish to apply for a licence for the first time.

Three options under discussion

The consultation document and impact assessment set out three options for training for existing door supervisors. The options are to:

do nothing
introduce top-up training for door supervisors as a requirement for licence renewals
do as above, but with an additional requirement for refresher training (in physical intervention) each time door supervisors renew their licences subsequently

The consultation paper puts forward option three as the preferred option. This will improve public safety in situations of conflict where door supervisors are involved. The draft impact assessment sets out the costs and benefits identified in taking forward this option.

Speaking about the decision, Home Office minister Alan Campbell explained: “Door supervisors deal directly with members of the public, and they’re often working in difficult situations where conflict can arise. It’s vital that they’re properly equipped to carry out their role and meet the challenges they face to better protect the public.”

In conclusion, the minister commented: “These proposals aim to improve public safety and raise standards of training for door supervisors.”

By way of response, Bill Butler – the SIA’s chief executive – told SMT Online: “We welcome these proposals, many of which were suggested by the industry itself. The doors sector understands the challenges faced by door supervisors and the skills they need to carry out their duties professionally, while at the same time protecting members of the public.”

Butler added: “We’re encouraging those working in the door supervision sector, training providers and stakeholders alike to contribute to this important piece of consultation work.”

Top-up tuition from May 2011

If the decision is made to implement the proposals, top-up training will be compulsory for all door supervisors from May 2011 onwards.

The SIA will work with awarding bodies to ensure that the necessary training is available from October 2010.

The Regulator issues licences for door supervision as one of the categories of licensable conduct under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Before door supervisors can obtain a licence, they are required to have an approved training qualification.

The Home Office consultation is on whether to also make top-up training a requirement for existing door supervisors when they renew their licences, to ensure they have been trained to the same standard as new entrants.

Readers of SMT Online should note that the consultation document and impact assessment can be found on both the Home Office and SIA websites (dedicated links are provided on the right hand panel of this page)

Training requirements for enforcement agents

Prior to the introduction of licensing for enforcement agents (or bailiffs), the SIA is developing the core knowledge and skills required by those working in this sector.

As with existing licensable sectors, enforcement agents will be required to undertake training leading to a qualification that they will need to pass before applying for an SIA licence.

The SIA is calling for views on the nine proposed licensed-linked training session specifications needed for licensing this sector. These are:

introduction to the enforcement profession
the law and the enforcement agent’s role
taking control of goods
removal and sale of controlled goods
customer care
avoiding conflict and reducing risk
defusing conflict
resolving conflict
post-incident considerations and learning from conflict

The training is designed to ensure that individuals will be able to perform their duties in order to prevent harm to the public.

Anyone wishing to provide feedback should complete the questionnaire currently available on the SIA’s website (see the link provided on the right hand panel of this page) by Friday 29 January 2010

Background to bailiff regulation

The SIA was asked by the Ministry of Justice to introduce the compulsory licensing of enforcement agents in England and Wales. Licensing is due to be implemented from October 2011, subject to Parliamentary approval and process.

It’s intended that the initial licensing process will apply to the following types of activity: taking control of goods, possession and committal and arrest.

That process will apply to the following people operating in England and Wales:

certificated and private bailiffs
local authority bailiffs
any other individual undertaking the above licensable activities
back office staff involved in licensable activities (for example, negotiating and taking payments)

It will not apply to Crown servants or those operational in Scotland and Northern Ireland.