The Future of the UK Security Industry Authority

From Quango to Authority and now Counter Terrorism Compliance

Seizing the Opportunity for Meaningful Reform

Introduction

As the UK Security Industry Authority prepares to take on new counter terrorism authority responsibilities, has the time come for an internal transformation that ensures true operational competence?

These forthcoming laws will place a duty on private sector organisations to safeguard public spaces, making it critical that the SIA evolves into a credible, industry aligned authority.

However, recent priorities within the SIA leadership have reenforced concerns about focus, competency and effectiveness.

A recent article in a national newspaper debating the term Bouncer, written by a senior position within the SIA, while well intentioned, it amplifies the question about the echo chamber club leadership team.  Is this the most urgent matter in an industry poised to tackle complex security threats?

Now is the time to shift the conversation towards the essentials. Leadership expertise, competency driven standards, and a pragmatic approach to counter terrorism compliance by experienced private sector professionals. Maintaining the fish out of water leadership is not fit for purpose.

Ask yourself the question, after 18 years of the Club leadership team – Whats the Value of Security Today?

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A Look Back at the SIA’s Performance

Established in 2003 and fully operational by 2007, the SIA was founded to professionalise the UK’s private security sector by eradicating unlicensed operations, elevating training standards, and instilling a culture of accountability.

The vision was clear, a well regulated, skilled workforce capable of ensuring public safety.

Yet, in practice, bureaucracy takes precedence over operational competency. Box-ticking bureaucracy is not a gold standard to aspire to, it’s the minimum requirement, operational competency should be the goal.

While regulatory oversight is essential, the SIA must ensure that compliance translates into genuine capability on the ground, and we are not talking about paperwork.

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Leadership without Ground Knowledge is Leadership without Impact

Closing the Leadership Gap

For nearly two decades, the SIA has been led primarily by career bureaucrats, former police strategic thinkers, and public sector officials. While these backgrounds bring strategic and regulatory process insight, they lack any direct experience in private security operations.

The absence of security professionals at the executive level has created an unintentional blind spot. A regulatory framework designed without first hand knowledge of the industry and delivering poor competency.

No private sector organisation would entrust policy making to individuals without industry-specific expertise, the security industry authority should not be any different, but past performance proves otherwise?

Moving forward, the SIA has a pivotal opportunity to integrate experienced security management professionals into their leadership roles, ensuring that its decision-making is both informed, practical and builds competency.

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Competency Over Bureaucracy

True professionalisation of the security industry requires a shift in focus:

Competency based training. Bureaucracy should not be the marker of excellence. Instead, operational competency should be at the forefront of training and certification.

Experienced leadership. The SIA executive team should include individuals with extensive hands-on security experience, ensuring that policies align with real-world challenges.

Industry driven standards. Security professionals must have a voice in shaping the regulatory framework, ensuring that it reflects operational realities rather than administrative convenience.

Currently, the industry is dominated by two types of organisations:

1. Small, operator-led security companies. Often started by professionals with real-world experience, these companies struggle to compete against larger firms despite their operational expertise.

2. Manpower agencies masquerading as security providers. These firms secure contracts by volume rather than expertise and security management knowhow, sometimes shifting workers between security, cleaning, and logistics roles.

The SIA’s current licensing approach allows both models to exist unchecked, with the SIA badge serving as the requirement rather than a true measure of competency.

By shifting the priorities and adopting a competency first approach, the SIA can elevate industry standards, ensuring that professionals are adequately prepared for real-world security challenges.

As you read this article, more people are being churned out on bureaucracy driven courses over a few days, then launched into the industry as the gold standard – they must be the gold standard, as the SIA have put 18 years into creating the current approach?

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Stepping Up to Private Sector Counter Terrorism Responsibilities – The Required Shift

With the impending introduction of Martyn’s Law, the SIA will oversee new counter terrorism legislation, requiring organisations to implement protective security measures.

This shift represents a fundamental expansion of the SIA’s role, one that demands a solid foundation in private sector protective security counter terrorism operations.

To ensure success in this critical area, the SIA Executive Team must include the following:

Recruit counter terrorism and protective security professionals. Effective oversight requires leaders who have actively managed security threats in real-world scenarios in the private sector, career bureaucrats and former police strategic thinkers have zero experience in that realm.

Bridge the gap between policy and practice. Regulation must be shaped by operational realities. Engaging private sector security professionals will help align compliance measures with practical application and mitigate the current knowledge and experience gap.

Establish a culture of excellence. Protective security cannot be reduced to paperwork, it must be embedded in training, ongoing development, and hands-on capability assessments = Security Culture.

The current SIA ACS system does not meet any of the aforementioned requirements – past and current performance bar.

Past performance is the best judge of future performance – keep doing the same thing and expecting different results is amplifying incompetence. If the ACS is the best they can come up with after 18 years, what chance is there for credibility on Private Sector Counter Terrorism Compliance?

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A Roadmap for Positive Change

To meet the demands of the future, the SIA must take decisive action:

Incorporate industry professionals into the executive leadership roles to ensure policy reflects operational realities. Transition from a bureaucratic compliance-first to a competency-first approach, making operational excellence the standard rather than the exception.

Ensure counter terrorism compliance is led by individuals with direct protective security counter terrorism experience, reinforcing credibility and effectiveness.

Example – A view of the future, coming to an organisation near you:

A Newley appointed SIA Compliance officer turns up at a large organisation, they are immediately confronted with a the question, so what gives you the experience and knowledge to do the job?

Answers:

Scenario 1 = Over 10 years private sector experience from ground positions to senior management, designed, implemented, maintained operational security systems against terrorist threats, and also hold a number of security risk management qualifications. No come backs, they clearly hold the relevant requirements for such a high-level position.

Scenario 2. I used to be in the Military or Police, I’ve completed a relevant course but never worked at management level in the private sector or designed, delivered and maintained protective security counter terrorism systems. I’ve been out of the army or police for 3, 4 or 5 years.  That response will destroy the credibility of the compliance officer and the SIA executive team.

The position of Authority/Compliance is not a junior box ticking position, these personnel must be experienced and be able to go head-to-head with senior private sector security professionals, from what could be global organisations.

Credibility is paramount for success, or the private sector will lose confidence in the process and the reasons for the duty. Turning up with a check box and no credibility, is completely avoidable if change is implemented now. Will the Club listen?

Note: Private Sector and Government Agency Counter Terrorism Systems are significantly different, its like chalk and cheese.

Bureaucracy has a role to play, but it must not define the industry. Public safety and security demand more than regulatory checklists; they require experienced security professionals making informed decisions at every level of the SIA.

Summary

The SIA has the potential to lead a transformative era in UK security. By embracing operational excellence and integrating experienced professionals into its leadership, it can ensure that security regulations serve their true purpose, protecting lives, businesses, and public spaces with real-world effectiveness and developing a security culture.

The time for change is now.