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The SIA's Premier League in Manchester

23 May 09

On the evening prior to the Security Industry Authority’s 2009 Stakeholder Conference this week, the Regulator held a special drinks reception in Manchester Town Hall for invited luminaries. Brian Sims was one of them.

By Brian Sims

What to expect from this year’s Security Industry Authority (SIA) Stakeholder Conference entitled ‘The SIA Journey: have we gone far enough?’

Travelling down to Manchester on Wednesday from my home in South Lanarkshire, I knew all about the agenda. Baroness Henig would be speaking, so too SIA Board member Robin Dahlberg, Professor Peter D’Arcy, Dr Adam White from the University of Sheffield and Graeme McCabe of the Home Office’s Better Regulation Team.

That’s only half the story, though. Who’s going to be appointed as the Regulator’s next chief executive? How many guarding company chief executives and managing directors would be in the audience, and what is the consensus opinion in relation to the Home Office’s recent decision not to licence in-house security staff?

Thankfully, the journey to the home town of this year’s Barclays Premier League Champions was relatively painless. The Trans-Pennine train I boarded in sunny Glasgow at ten minutes past two was beautifully clean, had power points at all of the tables (which meant I could script two articles to pass the time) and the service from both the conductor and the young lass dragging the refreshment trolley up and down the carriages was absolutely first class.

Talking of The Beautiful Game...

On arrival at Piccadilly Station (an hour late, unfortunately, due to us having been stuck behind a broken down freight train at Preston), it was evident I’d need to go straight to Manchester Town Hall and the Sculpture Gallery without first checking into the hotel. Oh well. The best laid plans of mice and men…

Jumping into a taxi, the driver immediately drew me into a conversation about football. No problem there, though, because The Beautiful Game is one of my major passions in life. My ‘chauffeur’, it turned out, was a Manchester United fan. They don’t usually sit well with me.

“You must be pretty happy just now, then?” I ventured through gritted teeth. “Yep. Have been for the last 20 years, to be honest. We’ve won a few things.” Enough to keep Mr Sheen in business, that’s for sure.

You have to admire the sheer arrogance of United’s fans, don’t you? Let’s see if they're crowing after Barcelona have finished with their boys next Wednesday.

I was still deep in conversation with the guy (who was rattling on about having seen Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst play for my team, West Ham United, at Old Trafford back in the early 70s) when The Security Institute’s general manager Di Thomas tapped on the window with impeccable timing and beckoned me towards the Town Hall.

We hastily ventured through a grandiose set of double doors (“Don’t slam them, Di… They’re Grade II-listed!”) and arrived at the Sculpture Gallery to be greeted by the SIA’s communications executive Amy Balchin and the lovely Siana Bretherton, development officer and one of the key Conference organising team members.

Some discussions about permissions on photography ensued before the SIA’s assistant director of marketing Robert Buxton appeared and suggested in the politest possible way that perhaps it was high time to mingle.

Familiar faces by the dozen

As we strode through the crowds towards several glasses of flavoursome white wine (and not a few mouth-watering canapés), I clocked plenty of familiar faces. Wilson James’ leader Stuart Lowden, Advance Security md Richard Bailey, Peter Davies (assistant chief constable at Lincolnshire Police), Project Griffin and City Security supporter Don Randall, the BSIA’s chief executive John Bates and his opposite number at Skills for Security, David Greer, among them.

No sooner had I put glass to lips than there was a tap on my left shoulder. It was none other than the SIA chairman Baroness Henig herself. “I thought your SMT Online Editor’s View concerning the Home Office’s decision not to regulate in-house was tempered,” opined the Baroness. “I know how strongly you feel on this issue, but the industry simply didn’t present us with enough evidence.”

Indeed it didn’t. Plenty of guarding companies and in-house managers have been moaning about this anomaly almost from the word ‘Go’, but when push came to shove too many of them chose yet again to sit on their hands and button their lips. As a result, nothing’s going to change. At least not for the next three years, anyway.

To be honest, that makes me seriously mad. You know where I’m coming from on this issue. The Home Office has taken the Tick Box Assessment line in making its decision, but there are niceties to be observed at the fringes (in relation to discrepancies in pay and working hours) that have been – and continue to be – ignored.

Anyway, enough from my soap box. I then became embroiled (by way of a brief chat with ACS assistant director Andrew Shephard) in a conversation with Nick Smith, the SIA’s assistant director for policy and legal issues and a member of Hazel Banks’ team. Nick affirmed what Andrew had told me – that the differentiation study in relation to the ACS has been closed, but no conclusions on the way forward have been reached – before we chatted over the whole in-house issue.

Time for everyone to have their say

At 7.15 pm sharp, the Baroness took to a small dais framed by an SIA promotional pop-up stand. “Tonight’s reception is something we’ve organised at your request. We want to hear both tonight and tomorrow exactly what you have to say on all matters SIA. The most important sessions will be those where you can take part and debate the issues that matter to yourselves and the industry.”

The Baroness concluded by urging those Stakeholders present to carry on working closely with the Regulator and with each other in bettering the security sector’s lot.

Acting chief executive Andy Drane was also called upon to say a few words. Just prior to Baroness Henig calling him to the stage, Andy had ventured to me that he’ll be retiring from the SIA in a few months’ time once the handover to the new full-time chief executive has been completed.

There’s no doubt that Andy leaving will be a huge loss to the Regulator. I think he’s done a tremendous job, holding the fort during times of potential instability and not just accepting the compliance and enforcement brief but attacking it with genuine gusto. I recall with great clarity interviewing Andy for SMT some years ago now, and remember thinking that here was a guy who meant business. He did, and this sector is all the better for his subsequent efforts.

Would you like to join us for dinner, young man?

Once the presentations were concluded and a few more glasses of white had been consumed, I was standing there thinking that I must head back to the hotel and start preparing for the morning. Linda Sharpe had other ideas, though.

“Ruth would like to know if you can join us for dinner at a local restaurant called Beluga’s, Brian. You’ll be next to her on the top table.”

What a pleasant surprise, and a very kind invitation from the Baroness that I was delighted to accept.

It was indeed a top table. On arrival, I found myself on a table of ten. To my left, the Baroness. To my right, John Cairncross (head of the SIA Sponsor Team at the Home Office). Heading around the table (clockwise), my other dining companions were Don Randall, Peter Davies, Di Thomas, David Greer, Robin Dahlberg, John Bates and Linda Sharpe. In other words, the Cream of the Crop.

Suffice it to say that much merriment and chatter occurred over the next three hours or so. I had a go at proof-reading the menu (you’ll be delighted to hear that I didn’t spot any of the usual mistakes involving ‘may-on-ays’ and ‘cream brew-lay’) which was nothing if not eclectic. I settled on the Chinese chicken noodle soup to start, followed by pan-roasted duck breast with pancetta and savoy cabbage. Very nice indeed, folks!

If I could turn back time…

I had lengthy discussions with Ruth and Robin (who was sitting directly opposite) about the in-house licensing decision and the ACS, but not before I was shocked to discover young Thomas opting for the prawn cocktail as a main course.

“That’s the 1970s writ large, is that” I ventured. “I know,” said Di, “but it’s my favourite, so there!” I wasn’t going to argue as I had enough trouble of my own in attempting to make sure that the soup distanced itself from my new tie purchased that morning.

Which leads me swiftly back to Di. I’d like to take the opportunity to publicly thank The Security Institute’s lovely, always bubbly and extremely hard-working general manager for supplying me with a third, pure silk Institute tie (plus a new lapel pin) just prior to IFSEC.

The first one I’d worn so many times it needed a clean. I put it through the wash. Bad idea. I destroyed it. The second one? That succumbed to a madras ‘curry soaking’ and, like the Labour Party, is no longer a viable business proposition.

By no stretch of the imagination am I a messy eater. Far from it, but I’ve had some poor luck of late with spillages due to my elbow being brushed mid-cutlery manoeuvre to mouth or whatever. Now you’ll understand why I asked the Baroness for official permission to de-tie prior to the soup. Permission which was gracefully granted! Thanks, Ruth!

One law for them, one for everyone else

Linda bemoaned the slowness of the service, while I chose to strike up an impromptu debate on MPs’ expenses.

“From my point of view, I think any one of them that has broken the law should be taken out of office and prosecuted. If these misdemeanours had been committed in the private sector, it would be the sack and a possible Court case. Why is it that our politicians are any different? How are they being allowed to walk away with pay-offs and fat pensions? If anything, probity in public life has to be upheld to a far greater degree than in any other walk of life.”

Looking around the table, I didn’t notice too many people disagreeing with what I’d said.

Towards the end of the evening, the Baroness, Linda and I locked diaries to arrange another meeting before Robin Dahlberg put his head above the parapet and raised the thorny question of what time the SIA bigwigs would be convening for breakfast. Bear in mind that it was due to be a 9.45 sharp start for the conference next morning…

‘Security moguls fail to agree on Breakfast Summit’ would be a fair headline to sum up what happened next, as those practitioners involved took turns to see how far they could ‘push the envelope’ and gain some additional kip!

Next door to us, the SIA table for employees and assorted industry guests – hosted by Mr Drane – had gradually been emptied of patronage after cries of: “I need some sleep” and “There’s a lot to do tomorrow” were heard.

What’s the matter? Don’t you like Chips with your PIN?

We took the cue and ventured into the night, but only after we’d each done the decent thing and paid £32 per head to cover the bill.

I don’t believe the waitress was too impressed with having to put through ten separate credit card transactions. Can’t think why… For the manager’s part, he said he couldn’t give us an individual bill each. That being the case, I’ll have to use my MasterCard receipt when it comes round to expenses time. Just wanted to explain what happened so that you know in advance, Mr Collins!

Unlike the politicians, I’m 100% honest when it comes to claiming monies I’ve necessarily spent on company business.

Still intent on working upon arrival back at the hotel, I logged in only to discover that the damn WiFi connection was utterly useless. I had to make do with the TV and some repeats of old, epic Formula 1 races on one of the Freeview channels.

Hill, Alesi, the great Senna and the incomparable Michael Schumacher all sped around the streets of Monaco on their journey towards potential victory.

As to whether or not the SIA has gone far enough on its travels as yet, maybe tomorrow would provide some concrete answers.