Licensing and Regulation: A Personal Perspective Peter Webster, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Licensing and Regulation: A Personal Perspective Peter Webster, Chief Executive, Corps Security

14 March 2017

Industry Regulation

• I fully support regulation for the security industry
• I don’t believe the industry has ever wanted total deregulation
• I am in favour of the current system of individual licensing
• An SIA licence gives an individual a passport to employment
• However, the current system simply isn’t publicised enough

• We must change the stereotypical image of a security officer
• Negative perceptions create a downward spiral of low self-worth
• Public understanding of licensing and regulation can only lead to

wider respect for our industry

• We are increasingly an important element in the National Security

Infrastructure

Industry Regulation

Business Licensing

• I am passionately against Business Licensing as proposed
• It can only create a greater burden on business, with increased risks
• It will mean additional cost to an already financially-challenged industry
• It’s a step towards increasing the

administrative responsibility on businesses - as seen with the ‘Licence Management’ scheme

Business Licensing

• Business licensing won’t stop the behaviour it seeks to prevent
• Can business licensing vetting really improve on “non-frontline”

individual SIA licences already mandatory in ACS companies?

• The criminal fraternity is clever enough to get around vetting!
• Business licencing will increase the burden on law abiding business
• not on those who seek to operate outside the law
• Unworkable when it comes to foreign owned companies

Approved Contractor Scheme

• There is already a form of business licensing in existence: the ACS
• Why not drop proposed business licensing, and introduce mandatory ACS?
• ACS is very robust and requires vetting to BS7858, for example
• I’m not saying the ACS cannot be improved, and we can make it stronger
• …but awareness of ACS will support the SIA, and the industry as a whole

Approved Contractor Scheme

• How might the ACS be improved?
• Firstly, ACS must stay under the control of the regulator
• Where ACS companies are listed, they could have scores of 1 or 174
• The ACS should encourage companies to strive to improve their score
• Why not ‘band’ ACS companies bronze, silver, gold, platinum?
• We need to ensure that the market and public knows that ACS exists

Finally

• We have to take control of the image of the security industry!
• This is tied to awareness of the SIA, individual licensing, and the ACS
• Our industry must buy into the need to better control our image
• We have to demonstrate the industry’s value to the UK security

infrastructure

• We have to help the wider public recognise the industry’s importance

I welcome your feedback on my views on my blog at www.corpsthinking.com