SIA ACS
For private security organisations, certification to the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) provides valuable business opportunities and a useful framework for delivering efficiency savings. One of the first assessing bodies to be appointed by the SIA, LRQA has many years experience in developing products and delivering services for the security sector. This means we are ideally placed to meet our customers’ business needs.
How can being an SIA Approved Contractor benefit my organisation?
Holding Approved Contractor status enables your company to deliver a higher quality service and achieve greater efficiency through more flexible deployment of security staff. While it is against the law to use licensable security personnel who don’t hold an SIA licence, approved companies have dispensation to use a small proportion of people whose licence applications are being processed.
The ACS standard includes all aspects of business operation, taking a holistic view of how well an organisation is managed and how effectively it services its customers. Organisations already approved to the QMS standard, ISO 9001 will find similarities with the ACS standard. To help these companies, requirements within ISO 9001 are cross referenced throughout the ACS standard.
LRQA is one of the first assessing bodies appointed by the SIA to provide verification against the ACS Standard. We have been at the forefront of developing products and standards for the security industry. In particular, development of ship and port security products, IT security standards and the supply chain security standard ISO/PAS 28000. We only use assessors with specialist security experience and knowledge of the industry they are assessing. This means, as a company we have first-hand experience of the type of issues your organisation will be facing.
How can we gain verification to the SIA Approved Contractor Scheme?
Consult the SIA web site www.the-sia.org.uk/acs for details on the ACS application process
We are able to provide verification services to this recently launched standard.
- If you would like to speak to one of our business advisors call 0800 783 2179. They will ask you a few key details about your organisation, to assist your query.
- Alternatively, complete the enquiry form on this website.
- Consult the SIA web site www.the-sia.org.uk/acs for details on the ACS application process
Background to the SIA Approved Contractor Scheme
In 2001, Parliament introduced the Private Security Industry Act. Two years later, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was established to manage the licensing of the private security industry with the key aim of raising standards of professionalism and skills within the sector, to promote and spread best practice.
The 2001 Act requires the SIA to establish a "system of inspection for providers of security services, under which those organisations who satisfactorily meet the agreed standards may be registered as approved, and may advertise themselves as such".
The SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme was developed as a voluntary scheme in consultation with the industry to raise performance standards and to help develop new opportunities. It is a single scheme, with sector-specific approval based on a relevant set of qualifying criteria available from the SIA.
On 20th March, 2006 it became a legal requirement to hold an SIA license in order to work as a security operative for Guarding, Cash & Valuables in Transit, Public Space Surveillance CCTV, Close Protection and Key Holding.
Websites of interest: www.the-sia.org.uk/acs
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