The security industry is in a time of massive growth. Increased demand for security professionals means new ways to protect people and property. That means keeping up with any SIA Licence changes that might affect your work — both now, and in the future.
Our previous blog articles explain the changes being introduced to the SIA licence. If you’re only now finding out, there’s no shame in that either — we’re here to make sure you’ve got the knowledge you need to keep moving forward.
2021 SIA Licence changes and First Aid requirements
The new changes mean different things for different SIA licence holders. The main change is about ensuring that if you have a security licence, you should have first aid training to fully protect the community.
Imagine being in a situation where a member of the public is having a life-threatening health crisis. Do you want to do nothing but stand back, waiting for the ambulance to arrive? What if they don’t arrive in time?
Get the first aid skills you need
The new SIA Licence changes mean that — with some high-powered training delivered over a day or two — you’ll be in a position to save a life. EFAW training will help you deal with emergencies, including:
- Trips, slips and falls
- Breathing difficulties
- Heart attacks
- Injuries from a fight
- Overdose from drugs or alcohol
- Burns and scalds
These are a welcome addition to UK security training. In fact, lots of security professionals wish their training had lasted longer and included these details.
Door Supervisor Top-Up training or Security Guard Top-Up training can get anyone up to speed, staying competitive with the best security staff in the UK.
But there’s more to learn in other areas as well. Alongside the first aid skills, the course contains more up-to-date guidance and training on:
- Communication skills
- Incident management
- Citizens’ arrest
- Protecting vulnerable people
- Emergency procedures
- Record keeping
- COVID-19 best practices
It’s great news. The more skills security professionals have, the better. It all works to improve how our industry is seen and recognised — plus it’s better for you and your career.
Let’s get talking about what it means for you as an individual. The changes are based on the date October 1st.
Prepping for SIA Licence Changes Before 1st October 2021
If you’re renewing your SIA Licence before 1st October 2021, there are no changes needed for you.
The application process is the same as before. However, think about registering for an Emergency First Aid At Work Course anyway. It’ll help you stay as trained as other professionals and give your CV an edge.
If you’re new to working in security, but registered for training before 31st March 2021, there are no changes for you. You can simply apply for your licence before 1st October 2021.
Like we advised above, you’ll benefit from taking the EFAW course, but it’s optional.
Anyone applying for a new licence who already has an EFAW qualification valid for at least 12 months just needs to take the door supervisor or security guard course, and then apply for an SIA Licence.
Those of you who are new to security work and are applying for an SIA Licence for the first time need to book a security course that includes the EFAW qualification. The courses offered by Get Licensed all have the EFAW module included at no extra cost.
The Door Supervisor course now lasts 6 days, and you will learn lots of useful knowledge. The EFAW qualification helps you sustain life while waiting for an ambulance, and it’s delivered in an easy to understand, practical manner.
That means you’re assessed in person by a qualified training instructor. No sitting down for first-aid exams — just important, life-saving knowledge.
SIA Licence Changes After 1st October 2021
Are you a security professional who got licensed after 1st October 2021, including EFAW qualification?
Nicely done! It’s great that you have that first-aid qualification. However, you still need to take the Door Supervisor Top-Up or Security Guard Top-Up training course, which deals with the other aspects of modern security work.
Security professionals who want to renew their licence after 1st October, but who don’t have EFAW qualifications, need to take both the top-up training and the EFAW qualification course. Book a security training course that includes both.
Are you new to the industry, and registered for training before 31st March 2021? In this case, you need to register for EFAW first aid training and top-up training.
Are you new to the industry and registered for training after 31st March 2021? If you have an EFAW qualification that is valid for over 12 months, that’s great. But you’ll still need to take the top-up training.
Remember, if you don’t have first aid training, you need to get both EFAW first aid training and your door supervisor or security guard qualification.
Get licensed, get working, get paid
The more skills you get, the more you can do with your career. That’s true in security work, but likewise so many other kinds of job.
Once you have an EFAW qualification, it’s yours and valid for 3 years. The good thing is, your first aid qualification will also cover lots of other industries.
For example, if you work on a construction site or in a warehouse during the day, and as a door supervisor at night, you’re qualified in EFAW for both.
Looks pretty decent on your CV, right? Don’t forget to tell your boss that you have the EFAW qualification. It might even result in a pay rise.
When you’ve got your licence and are qualified to work as a security professional, you have every right to feel confident.
For your long term career though, keeping up with SIA Licence changes makes sense. These new changes keep you and the public safer in your day to day work.
And remember, we’re here to make sure you have whatever support you need — including extra training material in the GuardPass app.
Looking for jobs?
To find the latest security jobs, check out our Jobs Board, which has 1,000+ jobs from the UK’s best security companies.
If you’re on the hunt for a security job on the go, download the Get Licensed app for all the latest jobs and more. The Get Licensed App is available for download on the Apple App Store or on the Google Play Store.
Leave a Reply