With licensing set to be introduced across the Province within the next 12 months’, the assembled speakers concentrated on the changes that regulation is likely to realise.
Speaking at the La Mon Hotel venue close to Belfast, Andy Drane – deputy chief executive of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) who spoke in place of recently departed chief executive Mike Wilson – gave a clear and forthright appraisal of the operational difficulties that the Regulator has faced, and the actions taken to date in a bid to put things right. Drane’s message was a positive one for Northern Ireland in that the Regulator has learned from its previous challenges and really is stepping up a gear.
The regulation experience in England
Experienced training director Jane McKenna of TQ Workplace Management examined how the already-regulated parts of the UK coped with the change. McKenna pulled no punches when explaining the amount of resource – both administrative and financial – that her previous employer, Chubb Security Personnel, had to devote to the preparation for licensing of its English workforce.
Jane’s message was something of a warning to employers in Northern Ireland, of whatever size, that the preparation for licensing needs to be planned and managed if disruption to the business is to be minimised.
Training: why it’s so important
With the Northern Ireland Conference being held on 11 November, the delegates observed a two minute silence at 11.00 am before hearing from Siofra O’Reilly, training and development manager of the Federation for the Licensed Retail Trade. Siofra provided an overview of the positive impact that training has had on the security of licensed premises, and those that visit or work within them.
O’Reilly explained that the role of the door supervisor is changing, and it’s only by equipping the teams with the right skills and knowledge that they can reduce the frequency of violence and deliver the higher standards of customer service now expected of them by the client base.
One of the major factors in determining whether or not a security operative is granted a licence is the attainment of a relevant qualification. Professor Jill Brunt – chief executive of the Awarding Body NOCN – urged delegates to look beyond this simple basic necessity and to recognise the wealth of benefits that flow from a workforce that’s encouraged to continue to learn and develop. In addition, Brunt focused on the importance that recognition – in the form of attainment of qualifications – plays in motivating staff towards Continuing Professional Development.
How security is changing in the Province
In an entertaining presentation Norman Gibson – senior consultant at Gibson Associates and security advisor to Belfast’s schools – posed the question: “What’s wrong with the gear I’m in?” (Gibson was talking about the security situation in Northern Ireland, not the clothes he stood up in!) and discussed the way in which security, crime and policing has changed – and continues to change – since the start of the peace process.
Paul Goggins MP (the Minister of State for Northern Ireland) entitled his presentation ‘Time To Change Gear’, congratulating the audience for their commitment to raising standards – as evidenced by their attendance at the Skills Conference.
Goggins reiterated the need for bringing Northern Ireland into the regulatory framework that exists in the rest of the UK, at the same time outlining the benefits that would flow from a unified cross-country approach to the licensing of individuals. The minister accepted that there would be difficulties and that some individuals wouldn’t meet the new criteria. However, he stressed once more that the SIA’s purpose is to improve public safety and raise confidence in the industry’s ability to deliver quality services, and outlined the fact that this goal is being achieved.
What the changes mean for business
Brendan Flynn – proud managing director of Federal Security Services, which won the Contribution to Skills Development in Northern Ireland Award at the event – welcomed the introduction of licensing into the Province. Flynn urged delegates to seize the opportunities that would be presented by the introduction of minimum standards and the Approved Contractor Scheme, and encouraged them to look upon the new requirements for training as a statutory minimum which employers should be seeking to exceed.
Opportunities for security professionals
Summing up the messages delivered by the speakers, Skills for Security chief executive David Greer commented: “This new era offers opportunities for those security professionals who have the courage to adapt to the new order and make it work for them. The new licensing regulations are – or should be – just the beginning of an exciting journey. A journey that will help this industry to raise its game, raise its profile, raise its status and take its rightful place as an important, respected and valued member of the business community.”
Greer went on to urge employers to face up to their individual responsibility for improving standards of professionalism, commenting: “They are your employees. They are your decisions. It’s your future. You need to make the commitment. Skills for Security is here to encourage you, to guide you and to work alongside you in trying to smooth the pathway towards the future that we all want to see.”
