A message from our Chief Executive - 17 March 2020
How the SIA is responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
For licence applicants
The coronavirus pandemic remains a rapidly evolving situation which I know is creating a huge amount of uncertainty for licence applicants.
I can reassure you that we continue to monitor the situation closely and to follow official Government advice. We have substantially increased our remote and flexible working arrangements whilst prioritising our core activities. We remain committed to providing first class customer support. At this time there is no impact on the time it is taking us to process individual licence applications.
If there are any changes we will communicate them clearly and transparently via the website and our social media channels.
For private security businesses
In many areas the requirements for security are reducing, whilst in others they are increasing. The deployable licensed population may not match the supply and demand requirements in the normal way for some considerable time.
At this time there is no impact on the time it is taking us to process individual licence or approved contractor scheme applications. We remain in close contact with our partners and suppliers to understand any constraints on them and the impact this may have on us and, ultimately, on you. We are also working closely with the Home Office and other parts of Government to consider any special provisions or rule changes that may be required should the situation become even more challenging.
We will not speculate about any potential changes in advance, so that there is no room for confusion. However, we will engage with key industry stakeholders in advance of any changes to ensure that our actions are reasonable, proportionate and address the specific risks identified. We are committed to striking the right balance between supporting the industry whilst maintaining public protection.
These are unprecedented times and the situation is rapidly evolving, to which end we do not currently have further information about the status of the private security industry in the event of a more intensive lockdown scenario. As soon as we have clarity we will communicate it – we are actively seeking answers to these questions.
For all of the private security industry
Our operational performance remains strong. To ensure this remains the case I would urge you to avoid all unnecessary contact with us. If you do need to contact us, please do so via your online account. We will prioritise all incoming correspondence and respond as quickly as possible, and currently within our normal timescales.
My personal commitment (and that of the entire SIA) remains to supporting you through this difficult time, whilst ensuring the health, safety and well-being of my own staff.
Ian Todd
SIA Chief Executive