Buying Private Security Services - SIA Support
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) are regulators of the UK’s private security industry. They are responsible for licensing people who do certain jobs in the private security industry and for approving private security companies who wish to be part of their Approved Contractor Scheme.
If your business or organisation uses private security then the SIA is the place to go to get the right guidance and advice to help you buy in reputable and trustworthy security services and make sure security staff you hire have a licence to work.
Buying Private Security
When you hire a private security company you are putting a huge amount of trust in the organisation and the staff that work for them. You are putting the reputation and financial future of your business in their hands.
Choosing the right private security company is an important decision and shouldn’t be rushed into. Investing time in the procurement process by undertaking some basic checks can reap rewards when it comes to buying security.
The SIA have put together a handy guide to help orgnisation avoid pitfalls and know the right questions to ask and things to
consider: Do you buy security? The regulator’s guide to buying private security
SIA Approved Contractor Scheme
The Approved Contractor Scheme provides a recognised hallmark of quality within the private security industry.
Under the scheme the approve private security companies, which is different to SIA licensing, where they license people.
The SIA assess the approved contractors against 78 different areas of their business. These cover staff training, financial management and the company’s health and safety policies.
When you choose an approved contractor you can be sure that the business you are working with has passed a thorough quality assurance check.
The SIA hold and publish a Register of Approved Contractors online.
Learn more about the Approved Contractor Scheme and how it can help you choose the right security provider for your organisation.
