The Security Industry Authority has opened a public consultation on a broad set of changes to the qualifications people need to hold a licence to work in the UK private security industry. The consultation runs from 28 August 2026 to 23 October 2026, with final specifications expected in winter and the new qualifications due to launch later in 2027. The SIA says some people will need to do more training than they do now, and the changes reach a large workforce: the regulator reports that over 450,000 individuals currently hold more than 510,000 SIA licences.
The proposals span training content and assessment. They include updated knowledge and skills requirements, a change to how a learner's English is assessed that would add an independent test, and a new security-specific first aid qualification, which the SIA links to survey findings that 91 per cent of licence-holders consider first aid skills important and 43 per cent report dealing with rising levels of violence. The draft also covers recording incidents and preserving crime scenes, awareness of the new Martyn's Law duties, refreshed counter-terrorism content, wider spiking-awareness training extended to security guarding and CCTV operator courses, and a proposed post-licence standard in advanced physical intervention skills.
For operators and training providers, the read is practical. If adopted, the changes would raise the training bar for both new entrants and renewals, add a first-aid component that many will need to plan and budget for, and change how English-language competence is tested. Training providers should read the draft specifications now and respond before the 23 October deadline, and anyone approaching a licence application or renewal over the next year should factor a shifting qualification framework into their timing.
