FOI release

Details of required training for door supervisors

Published 9 May 2022

1. Request

I am writing to you to request a break-down of the training provided to door supervisors and the areas covered. Specifically, I am looking at whether there is any mandatory training surrounding spiking (who to contact, what to do, what their professional responsibility is (if any) etc.) within the preliminary training required to begin working.

2. Response

I confirm that the SIA holds the information that you have requested.

In order to qualify for an SIA licence, one of the criteria is that applicants will need to get a recognised qualification by taking a training course and passing the assessments. The requirement to get a recognised qualification is set out at page 10 of Get Licensed in the section relating to training and qualifications. First time applicants will need to achieve the relevant units for the regulated activity in which they want to work and which they need to get a licence for.

The SIA does not and has never been expected to deliver training to the private security industry itself. The SIA is required to set or approve standards of training and this is done by creating and publishing Specifications for Learning and Qualifications. These specifications are used by awarding organisations such as the British Institute of Innkeeping, Highfield Awarding Body and NOCN and other government regulated awarding organisations recognised to offer assessment and quality assurance for nationally recognised qualifications. These awarding organisations must be approved by the SIA and the relevant qualifications regulator (in England the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator, OfQual). The training is delivered by training providers who are in turn approved and audited by one or more awarding organisations.

To apply for a door supervision licence, an applicant must attend and take four training units: the Common Security Industry Unit, Door Supervisor Specialist Module, Conflict Management Module and Physical Intervention Skills Module. In order to apply for a door supervisor licence an application must attend and take four training modules and pass four examinations. The duration of the training should be 45 hours. Training must be delivered over a minimum period of four days where distance learning has been used.

2.1 Door supervision training units

Common Security Industry Knowledge

• Session 1: Awareness of the Law in the Private Security Industry
• Session 2: Health and Safety for the Private Security Operative
• Session 3: Fire Safety Awareness
• Session 4: Emergency Procedures
• Session 5: The Private Security Industry
• Session 6: Communication Skills and Customer Care

Door Supervisor Specialist Module

• Session 1: Behavioural Standards
• Session 2: Civil and Criminal Law
• Session 3: Searching
• Session 4: Arrest
• Session 5: Drugs Awareness
• Session 6: Recording Incidents and Crime Preservation
• Session 7: Licensing Law
• Session 8: Emergency Procedures
• Session 9: Dealing with Vulnerable Individuals
• Session 10: Dealing with Queues and Crowd

Conflict Management Module

• Session 1: Avoiding Conflict and Reducing Personal Risk
• Session 2: Defusing Conflict
• Session 3: Resolving and Learning from Conflict
• Session 4: Application of Communication Skills and Conflict Management for Security Guarding and Close Protection

Physical Intervention Skills Module

• Session 1: Introduction to Physical Skills
• Session 2: Disengagement Techniques
• Session 3: Escorting Techniques

2.2 Changes we made in 2021

From April 2021 new licence-linked qualification went live. One of the new requirements is that all learners wanting to complete licence-linked qualifications from April 2021 are required to hold a minimum L3 Emergency First Aid at Work qualification that has at least 12 months left on it. Another significant change is that door supervisors at licence renewal are required to refresh their physical intervention training and other safety critical content to ensure that their training remains up to date and to reduce skills fade.

From 1 April 2021, new applicants who are applying for a Door Supervisor or Security Guarding licence will need to provide evidence that they are competent in First Aid or Emergency First Aid, before undertaking the training required to apply for a licence. This must meet the requirements of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Training centres must confirm that each learner is sufficiently qualified in First Aid or Emergency First Aid.

From 1 October 2021, applicants must have one of the new qualifications or take top-up training before applying for a door supervisor and security guard licence. This includes licence renewals as the SIA recognises that over time there is a skills fade and given the significance of safety critical training, renewers will be required to refresh their physical intervention training to ensure that knowledge and skills remain up to date. Door Supervisors will need to re-take the Physical Intervention unit to ensure that they have recent training in this area. First aid is also a requirement for learners who are completing top up training from 01 April 2021.

2.3 Training specifically related to spiking

The new licence linked qualification requirements include the following relevant knowledge topics:

• recognising the moral and/or legal obligation to ensure the safety of others
• identifying factors that make someone vulnerable and indicators of abuse
• how to deal as security with allegations of sexual assault
• identifying the actions security should take to help vulnerable individuals
• awareness of the use of drugs in facilitating sexual assaults, with particular reference to GHB or drugs commonly known as ‘date rape’ drugs
• behaviours that may be exhibited by sexual predators such as close monitoring of people who may be in vulnerable situations, perpetrators buying them drinks or gifts, and suspicious behaviour around certain times and venues. The inappropriate use of technology e.g., up skirting with phones is also covered
• when responding to situations and incidents, when it is appropriate to step in to call a friend for assistance, to call for a licensed taxi, or to seek help from other professionals or services better placed to help
• how to deal with allegations of sexual assault, namely by following the venue/organisation’s policies and procedures, notifying the police and the importance of recording, and documenting all available information

[Reference: FOI 0334]