FAQs for Security Qualifications outside England and Wales

When does SIA licensing start in Scotland?

Licencing in Scotland starts in 2007. Training leading to the SIA approved qualifications is currently available; the SIA will be accepting licence applications from February 2007, and it will become illegal to work in the designated areas in Scotland without a licence from November 2007.

For further information see the SIA website:
http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/scotland/
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Will security operatives holding one of the SIA endorsed BTEC qualifications developed in support of SIA licensing in England and Wales be able to obtain a licence to work in Scotland?

Certificates for QCA accredited qualifications can be awarded to candidates outside of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and can carry the relevant regulatory authorities’ logo.  Operatives holding one of the SIA endorsed BTEC qualifications developed in support of SIA licensing in England and Wales will be able to apply for a licence, and the licence granted will enable the operative to work in England and Wales and (once licenses apply there) in Scotland.
However the training, and in due course the qualification, is expected to have a national focus wherever it is delivered and differences should result only from the different laws and legal systems north and south of the border.
Once the individual holds a licence, as is always the case, it is the responsibility of the person or organisation employing that operative to ensure that he/she has been provided with an induction in the local laws and operating procedures.
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Does Edexcel intend to offer qualifications in support of SIA licensing in Scotland?

Yes. Edexcel have been endorsed by the SIA to offer licence to practice qualifications in Scotland. Furthermore, we have also received the appropriate accreditation from the Scottish Curriculum Authority (SQA) to offer BTEC security qualifications in Scotland. We will be offering three qualifications in Scotland; BTEC Award in Door Supervision, BTEC Award in Security Operations, BTEC Award in CCTV Operations (Public Space Surveillance). Scottish specific tests for these qualifications should be available from February though the currwent Engalnd/Wales tests can be used.
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Does SIA licensing apply in Northern Ireland?

Following consultation by the Northern Ireland Office the remit of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is to be extended into Northern Ireland, creating a single United Kingdom regulatory scheme for the private security industry.
Please find the link to the SIA website below for the latest announcement on a consultation paper to explore the options for regulating the private security industry in Northern Ireland:

http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/about_sia/news/nr_061117.htm

As yet there are no published dates for the introduction of SIA licensing in Northern Ireland.

Edexcel can currently approve centres in Northern Ireland to offer BTEC security qualifications even though a licence is not yet required to work.

In the meantime we should emphasise that if individuals from Northern Ireland wish to work in a licensed occupation in England or Wales they must be appropriately licensed.

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Does SIA licensing apply in the Republic of Ireland?

The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK so therefore UK law such as the Private Security Industry Act 2001 does not apply. However, there is an equivalent body to the SIA in the Republic of Ireland called the Private Security Authority. They are newer than the SIA and were set up last year as a result of the Private Security Services Act, 2004. See there website for further information  www.psa.gov.ie
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Are overseas Close Protection qualifications recognised in the UK by the SIA?

No full exemptions from the SIA Core Competency Specification will be granted.  All overseas candidates will have to complete the knowledge based assessment.  Some candidates may be exempt from part of the training and the practical assessment, depending on how well the learning objectives map.  The legal information required to pass the knowledge assessment could be provided in a handbook beforehand.  The knowledge based assessment can be taken at assessment centres overseas through awarding bodies approved by QCA to do so.
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