Prior to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 and the establishment of the Security Industry Authority (SIA), officer training was largely dependent on the priority placed upon it by the guarding companies and their clients.
One of the distinguishing features of the larger, reputable security companies was their willingness to invest in the training of their officers. That willingness co-existed with the expectations of their more security-conscious customers that this was a necessity and, indeed, would form part of the contract.
Such provision and expectation was often the exception rather than the rule – one of the key reasons why regulation was required.
In the time before the SIA, not all companies provided comprehensive training for their officers. Neither did all customers expect it. That being the case, there was clear differentiation between security providers.
To a degree, customers could choose the guarding companies they were prepared to work with based upon the level of training provided. The difficulty came in trying to determine whether the training claimed lived up to what had actually been delivered.
Building on success
One of the key aims – and qualified successes – of private sector regulation has been the establishment of a training standard. Regardless of the company employing them, security officers will have successfully undergone the SIA-stipulated training. Clients, then, may be reasonably sure of the calibre of the security officer sent to them, at least as far as training is concerned.
While this stands as a very positive step forward, it has raised some interesting questions for the larger, credible providers and their customers. First, now that all security officers have received the same level of training, how does a security provider distinguish itself from the competition? The clear blue water that used to exist in terms of levels of training has largely disappeared.
For the customer, there’s a different but related issue. Whereas before training might be tailored for their particular environment, it’s now largely an off-the-shelf provision. By its very nature, the security officer’s qualification is as generalist in scope as it is specific in both content and assessment.
BAE defence sites
BAE Systems and Reliance Security Services recognise that the exceptional nature and importance of defence sites requires equally exceptional security officers – officers whose increased importance and responsibility is fully supported by an enhanced level of both training and qualifications.
Defence sites are among the most challenging and important assignments for officers. Training is vital to the overall security strategy. Taking this as a starting point, BAE Systems, Reliance Security Services and Perpetuity Training have worked together – and with Edexcel – to launch a training qualification for Reliance officers deployed at BAE Systems defence sites. The course is designed to build on the SIA qualification and demonstrates the ‘Reliance Difference’ (ie the company’s commitment to going beyond base level provision in terms of training its officers to meet the heightened demands of defence site security as well as BAE’s specific needs).
Speaking about this development, Peter Jones – chief operating officer at Reliance Security Services – comments: “BAE’s commitment to the highest levels of security at its defence sites has resulted in a course which takes security officer training and qualifications on to the next level.”
Course development path
The course was researched, developed and delivered by Perpetuity Training and leads to a BTEC Intermediate Award in ‘Specialist Site Security: Defence Sites’. It takes Reliance officers working at BAE sites through four days of training designed to raise awareness and abilities in view of the unique threats faced and the enhanced security required.
The overriding aim is to train security officers such that they can undertake duties at defence sites to the very highest standard, and provide them with the knowledge and skills sets which take account of responsibilities placed upon them.
The course was developed over nine months, the pilot running in June this year. Perpetuity worked closely with Reliance, BAE and Edexcel in researching and developing the course, and tailoring each element to the security officers’ needs. This involved several visits, interviews and planning meetings at sites across the UK.
The first course saw ten learners successfully undertake the training package, which is now being taken up by security officers throughout the UK. The training is delivered at BAE sites to focus the training and exercises on actual working defence site environments.
Attendance on each course is capped at a maximum of 15 learners to ensure a good trainer-to-learner ratio and full participation.
The learning experience
One of the key objectives of the training was not only to instruct and qualify defence site security officers but to impart a sense of achievement, and for the course to be enjoyable and motivating.
With this in mind, the content was designed to be demanding but participative, with realistic exercises and opportunities for the learners to input their own experiences and examples of Best Practice.
The success of this approach comes across strongly in the feedback sheets and the comments made by the officers themselves. One officer explains: “The course opened my eyes to the vastness of what my job entails, and has helped me realise that I’m an important cog within BAE Systems.”
Another says: “The course offered me more of an insight and understanding of the industry. I’m now more confident in myself as a person and in my ability to carry out my job. I have more drive to improve my career.”
What are the next steps?
With the course up-and-running and rolling-out on a regular basis, BAE, Reliance and Perpetuity are already preparing innovative follow-up and support training such that the instruction officers have received is revised and updated over time. It then becomes an integral part of the security officer’s role, and an opportunity for ongoing development.
Training and qualifications that support specialist roles point the way forward for progressive security companies, their customers and the officers themselves. As one operative rightly states: “All security officers should be trained this way.”
