Like all public bodies at this time of year, we have been busily pulling together our annual report for the year ending 31 March.
Annual reports are laid before Parliament such that MPs and peers can monitor public bodies like ourselves.
There’s no doubt that it was a demanding year for security companies, security personnel and the SIA due to the economic downturn and political changes following the General Election.
Our auditors are still hard at work, but I’m pleased that our results for 2010-2011 show that we have maintained the high standards of service and compliance we have set in recent years, while also taking rigorous action financially to enable us to finish the year with a small surplus.
In addition, we have made good progress in working with ministers and the industry on the phased transition towards a new regulatory regime in line with the Government’s proposals.
Our framework for the future has been accepted by ministers, and we are now preparing for the new legislation that the Government intends to bring forward.
Performance highlights for the last 12 months
Some highlights of our performance over the year are as follows:
93% of licence applications were processed in 30 days or less against our target of 80%, with 70% of applicants receiving their licence in 15 days or less
After five years, membership of the Approved Contractor Scheme has now passed 700 and those in the scheme remain satisfied (with 98% of members renewing membership and a satisfaction rating of 89% over the year)
Our enforcement teams have maintained compliance levels of over 90% (particularly important given the uncertainties as to the future of regulation during the year), and have worked with other enforcement partners in significant operations to target organised crime. Our work in the Operation Gulf partnership to tackle serious crime in Salford was commended by Theresa May, the Home Secretary
The standards achieved by the SIA and our contract partners, Liverpool Direct Limited, were recognised in March when we received the prestigious Government Standard for Customer Service Excellence
Our accounts are still subject to audit, but I expect them to show the impact of the cost reductions we have made and, overall, a small surplus for the year.
How has the money been spent?
I know that those of you who pay for the SIA through licence fees want to know how that money has been spent. Once our accounts have been presented to Parliament in early July, we will then publish information on this.
I appreciate that we can always do better, and what matters most is the experience each individual has when dealing with us.
I’m satisfied with our achievements in customer service, and I hope you are too.
I know that we could not have done this without the significant efforts of our staff and the support of the industry. I’m extremely grateful to those who have ensured that we have delivered: we will do our best to keep up the high standards.
Bill Butler is chief executive of the Security Industry Authority
Impact of regulation in Northern Ireland
The Security Industry Authority is conducting research into the impact that SIA regulation has had upon the private security industry in Northern Ireland.
Results will be compared with the findings of the research undertaken in 2008 before regulation was introduced. This will help the Regulator to see what has changed and to know whether there’s anything it needs to take into account as plans are made for the future of regulation.
The research is being gathered through three online surveys aimed at:
If you would like to take part, the SIA asks that you only respond to the survey that’s relevant to your role. The surveys take around 15 minutes to complete.
Deadline for all submissions is Friday 1 July.
All responses are confidential and you can choose to remain anonymous if you wish (the information you provide will only be used for the purposes of this research)
