Event security involves keeping everyone who attends the event safe, stopping any illegal activity, and taking immediate action in dangerous situations. Event security plays a vital role in ensuring everyone follows the rules and monitoring events for crimes. The duty of event security also involves keeping an eye on any suspicious activity and identifying and immediately reporting any criminal activity. This blog will discuss which duties in the event security require you to have an SIA door supervisor licence and the process to get an SIA licence.
Starting Career in Event Security?
To start your career working in the UK’s event industry, you need to meet some qualification criteria set by Security Industry Authority. First, you must ensure that any service you apply for is fully compliant with the law. As per SIA guidelines, companies offering event security services are advised to diligently check and ensure every individual has completed the SIA course to perform their assigned role.
According to the Private Security Industry Act 2011, working in the security industry is a criminal offence without a valid SIA licence. This means you must complete the SIA course and get an SIA licence associated with the duty you are interested in performing in the security industry. For example, after successfully completing the SIA door supervisor course, you can apply for an SIA licence. Once you get your badge, you become eligible to perform various duties in event security.
When Is The SIA Licence Required?
Contract for Services
If you are working in event security as a ‘contract for services, which means your employer has an agreement with the organisation you are assigned to provide your services. If you are self-employed and provide close protection or security services or you are employed by a private security company, in that case, under SIA guidelines, you must hold an SIA licence. After successfully completing the SIA door supervisor course, you are eligible to work in the following areas in the event industry:
• Licensed Premises
• Public Events
To work in the security of public events such as festivals, concerts, fairs, sport and community events require you to have an SIA licence.
• Security Screening
To work in security screening or public space surveillance, you must have an SIA door supervisor course or an SIA CCTV operator course. This involves performing duties for security guarding, security searches, using CCTV to identify trespassers, and protecting property against theft and damage.
• Close Protection
To work the close protection services means providing security to any individual against physical assault or injury and taking immediate action in any emergency. To provide close protection services, you must have an SIA course and hold an SIA licence.
• Crowd Control
The SIA door supervisor course prepares you to work in the larger public and community events where there’s a mass of people you need to manage. It involves managing queues, ensuring everyone’s safety, looking for suspicious activities and taking immediate action against any unlawful activity.
In-house Duties
In-house duties are the ones in which the company directly employs you, and it usually does not require an SIA licence. However, if your duty involves door supervision, you’ll need to take the SIA door supervisor course.
Areas where you don’t need an SIA licence to work?
You are not required to have a door supervisor course or SIA licence to work at the following positions:
• Volunteering
Suppose you are working at event management or event security as a volunteer, and you have a written agreement confirming your work as a volunteer. In that case, you can work without an SIA door supervisor course. But if you get any pay or reward against that duty, you’ll need to have a valid SIA licence.
• Duty at Entrance
This is different from door supervisor duty; according to SIA guidelines, you can work on the entrance to check the entrance pass/invitation without an SIA licence. But to refuse any individual’s entry, you’ll need to have an SIA door supervisor licence; otherwise, without a door supervisor course and valid licence, you cannot take such action.
• Stewarding Duties
As per SIA regulations, an SIA licence is not required to perform stewarding duties such as directing people to the venue, seats and toilets.
What are the benefits of working in event security?
- Experiencing high-profile events
- Exciting and different experience from usual security duties
- Chance to work closely with celebrities and famous personalities
- Good opportunity to gain exposure by working with large organisations
- Learning new skills at events by performing a variety of duties
How to get an SIA door supervisor licence?
- First, you’ll need to complete the SIA door supervisor course successfully
- Once you pass the training, you can apply for the SIA Licence on the UK government website by filling out an online application.
- After successful identity and security checks will receive your SIA licence.
- SIA licence is valid for three years, and you’ll need to renew it before your current licence expires to avoid any work disruption.
