Liaison with the SIA
Approved Contractor Scheme
The SIA has set up an industry-wide group (the ACS Strategy & Standards Group) to identify good practice in the private security industry, and to consider whether these should be incorporated into the ACS standard. The objectives of the group are:
- To identify and agree private security industry good practice including performance benchmarks.
- To propose changes to the ACS standard or associated procedures particularly where this may enhance protection of the public through raising standards.
- To consider different stakeholder interests and emerging trends relevant to the ACS standard.
- To consider the impact of proposed changes to the standard on different stakeholder groups including new ACS applicants and new market entrants.
The group will meet quarterly and the outcomes will feed into subsequent annual reviews. The group success factors include ensuring:
- The ACS continues to be accessible to organisations of differing size and complexity.
- Industry leaders and other stakeholders actively promote the ACS as the vehicle for improving standards.
- Significant changes to the ACS are championed by the industry, enabling rapid implementation.
- Greater stakeholder awareness of the ACS.
The Institute's representative on this group is Di Thomas - please contact her with any comments you wish to raise. Minutes of the Group meetings and Terms of Reference are available on the SIA's website.
The Group is currently considering whether there should be differentiating factors in the Approved Contractor Scheme. The scheme was originally intended to set apart a small number of companies - perhaps 100 or so - but wiht over 600 copmanies now registered on the ACS this is evidently not happening. Differentiation is the method by which those top quality companies may still be identified, and also provide a level to which companies can strive to attain. The attached strategy was tabled at the most recent meeting, and comments are being collated.
In a new initiative to encourage end user feedback, the Security Institute (SyI) and ASIS Chapter 208 have collaborated on a short survey about the Approved Contractor Scheme, which is launched today. The survey which has been produced by the two largest membership organisations for security professionals in the UK has been discussed in detail with the SIA, who welcome the joint approach as an attempt to provide the SIA with much sought after opinion on the ACS.
This survey is a pilot in a new scheme, with these two membership organisations working closely with the regulator. However, ASIS and SyI are keen to stress that this particular survey is open to all end users of licensable security services, and they would like to see as many responses being received as possible.
The SIA has gone on record recently concerning the low number of responses it received when reviewing licensing for in-house security officers, and it is hoped that the success of this short survey will open a new effective method of communication.
If you are an end user, ASIS and SyI urge you to complete the survey, which should take just 5 minutes. Please forward this link to as many end users as possible to encourage maximum participation before the closing date of Friday 4th September.
Click on the link below to take the survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=sYhTtfLX7cpnysGWJJ62XA_3d_3d