The SIA's licence-linked training regime has tightened. Per GOV.UK guidance, anyone renewing a close protection licence from 1 April 2026 must first hold the Level 2 close protection refresher qualification. You cannot take that refresher without already holding a Level 3 first aid qualification — Level 3 First Aid at Work (FAW) or Level 3 First Person on Scene (FPOS) — and that certificate must have at least 12 months' validity left when you start the training.
This is a step up from the door supervisor and security officer streams, where the prerequisite is Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) or equivalent. Close protection sits at Level 3, reflecting the medical expectation on a CP operator.
The wider picture: the SIA opened a major review of its licence-linked qualifications on 5 November 2025, an estimated 18-month process. Draft specifications went to public consultation in early spring 2026, with final qualification specifications due in summer 2026 and the new qualifications becoming mandatory in spring 2027. The review explicitly looks at safety-critical skills — physical intervention, searching — counter-terrorism content, and "whether there is the right amount of content in key specialist areas such as close protection."
**What it means for operators.** Two practical points. First, the gating order bites: no valid Level 3 first aid, no refresher; no refresher, no renewal. If your FAW or FPOS is close to expiry, you may need to requalify on first aid before you can even book the refresher — build that lead time in or risk a lapsed licence and lost work. Second, a bigger change is coming in spring 2027; the qualification you train against this year may not be the one you train against next. Track the SIA's specification publications over the summer rather than assuming the current syllabus holds.
