the impact of regulation on the security guard sector · pdf file · 2011-07-19the...
Post on 10-Mar-2018
215 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
The Impact of Regulation on the Security Guard Sector
The Impact of Regulation
Page 1
Contents Management Summary ..................................................................... 2
Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 4
1 Introduction .................................................................................. 5
2 Background and Methodology .................................................. 7
3 Summary of Results – Suppliers Survey .................................. 9
4 Supplier Sample .......................................................................... 11
5 Detailed Findings – Suppliers Survey ..................................... 14 5.1 Payment of Licensing ............................................................................................. 14 5.2 Costs Associated with Licensing ........................................................................ 15 5.3 Impact of Licensing on Recruitment and Retention ....................................... 18 5.4 Skill Levels of Staff .................................................................................................. 23 5.5 Additional Training Required for Staff ............................................................... 24 5.6 Licensing’s Impact on Negotiations with Customers .................................... 25 5.7 Licensing’s impact on the Perception of Security Guards ............................ 27 5.8 Cost Savings Due to Licensing ............................................................................ 29 5.9 Whether Staff have been Subjected to Violence ............................................ 31 5.10 Change in Business Activity since January 2008 .............................................. 32 5.11 Change in Number of Employees since January 2008 ................................... 34 5.12 Impact Regulation has had on Attracting New Business ............................... 36
6 Summary of Results – Operatives Survey ............................ 38
7 Operatives Sample .................................................................... 39
8 Detailed findings – Operatives Survey .................................. 44 8.1 Payment of Licensing ............................................................................................. 44 8.2 Impact of Regulation .............................................................................................. 46 8.3 Impact licensing has had on Security Guards ................................................... 48 8.4 Impact of Licensing on Employment .................................................................. 51 8.5 Licensing’s Impact on Public Perception ........................................................... 52 8.6 Whether Staff have been Subjected to Violence ............................................ 54
The Impact of Regulation
Page 2
Management Summary This report details the findings of research into the impact of SIA licensing on the
Security Guard sector, conducted in March 2010 by FDS International. In total,
601 interviews were conducted with licensed individuals – 200 among Suppliers of
Security Guard services, and 401 among front line Security Guard Operatives.
The objective of the research was to measure the longer term impact SIA licensing
has had upon the Security Guard industry since its introduction in March 2006, and
to create an up-to-date picture of the state of the industry as a result of licensing,
and the associated training required. Results build on the findings of a similar study
carried out in 2007, shortly after the introduction of licensing.
SIA Licensing has had a mostly positive effect among Security Guards Suppliers’
perception of their staff, with many feeling that it has increased trust, particularly
due to the criminal record checks. A third of Suppliers also believed that their
Guards’ relationships with Police and/or other authorities have improved as a
result of licensing.
Similarly, the view among Operatives is also generally positive, with at least half of
Guards believing licensing has improved the range of skills they have, their overall
ability to do their job, and their future career options.
Opinion of the impact licensing has on the skill levels of staff is mixed however, as
half of Suppliers disagreed that licensing affects the skill levels of their staff, and the
majority required at least some of their Security Guards to undertake further
training beyond what is required to become SIA licensed (often for first aid or
physical intervention training).
There were areas that may need further consideration; a significant minority of
Guards felt that licensing has little positive effect on their pay and conditions, the
availability of work, and the treatment received from employers. There was a
feeling among many Operatives that whilst licensing improves levels trust and
The Impact of Regulation
Page 3
professionalism in their industry (and reduces criminality), it does not increase the
levels of respect they receive.
On balance, just under two-thirds of Suppliers felt that licensing had a positive
impact on staff recruitment, and around half felt it has had a positive effect on staff
retention, typically due to higher quality personnel applying for positions, or the
fact that individuals are already being trained to do the work. There were some
concerns with a shortage of licensed candidates available to Suppliers.
Whilst many Suppliers agree that end customers can see the benefits of having
licensed personnel, few can pass on any additional costs associated with licensing.
Equally, few Suppliers feel that there has been a cost reduction due to reduced
supervisory time, or that fewer staff are needed for the same jobs compared to
before licensing. Opinion of whether Suppliers have experienced a reduced staff
turnover as a result of licensing is also mixed.
A little over two in five Operatives claimed to have paid all of the costs of applying
for or renewing their Security Guard licence (and a quarter paid for their training),
although on balance, most felt the cost was worth it.
Over half of Suppliers believed that their organisation's turnover, or the amount of
business conducted, had increased since January 2008, whilst a little under two in
five reported an increase in the number of Guards they employ. Many Suppliers
felt that licensing has the ability to attract new money or investment from third
parties into a variety of industries where they currently operate.
Overall, just under half of Security Guard Operatives have been subjected to some
form of violence in the past, with two-thirds of Suppliers claiming that their staff
have been subjected to verbal or physical attack. Guards are more likely to have
been subjected to verbal assaults rather than physical attack, however many have
been subjected to both.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 4
Recommendations
• Consider reviewing the current training requirements for SIA licensing, particularly relating to the provision of first aid and/or physical intervention training, and whether this can be improved to avoid Suppliers requiring their staff to go on additional training in these areas
• Violence in the Security Guarding industry is high. SIA may want to identify training gaps to ensure Operatives can avoid these situations as much as possible
• It is difficult to gauge whether licensing has a large impact on the public’s perception of the industry. The SIA may wish to verify this with a public survey; this may lead to general concerns that could be addressed through a public information campaign
• The SIA may want to look further into the differences in the treatment of Security Guards of Black or Minority Ethnic background, or those who do not have English as their first language, particularly towards the cost of licensing and the training associated
The Impact of Regulation
Page 5
1 Introduction The SIA has two main duties. One is the compulsory licensing of individuals
undertaking designated activities within the private security industry; the other is
to manage the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), which measures
private security suppliers against independently assessed criteria.
Licensing is the responsibility of the individual; however suppliers also have a
responsibility to ensure that they only use staff in an area that they are licensed
for. Penalties for non compliance range from warning notices up to imprisonment.
Licensing is now required for all the following roles:
• All manned guarding, including: o Cash and Valuables in Transit o Close Protection o Door Supervision o Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) o Security Guarding
• Key Holding • Vehicle Immobilisation1
o Immobilisation , including:
o Restriction o Removal of vehicles
SIA licensing for Security Guards came into effect on the 20th March 2006 for
England and Wales, and on the 1st November 2007 for Scotland.
In 2007 research was conducted among Security Guard Suppliers and Operatives
licensed in England and Wales, to assess the impact of the introduction of licensing
upon the security guard industry. This study was able to benchmark levels of
recruitment and retention of guards, as well as the perceived change in attitudes
towards the industry following the introduction of licensing.
In 2010 the SIA commissioned further research to measure the longer term impact
of licensing upon the Security Guarding sector, and build an up-to-date picture of
the effect that licensing has had. 1 Excluding Scotland
The Impact of Regulation
Page 6
In this new wave of research, the SIA sought an effective review of the security
industry, specifically identifying the:
• long term effects of regulation, and how this has changed since the early evaluation in 2006/7
• impact of licensing on the recruitment and retention of security staff, and the drivers for staff turnover
• perceived impact of licensing in the skills and abilities of door supervisors and security guards from both the supplier and licensed individual perspective
• extent to which the door supervision and security guarding sectors feel that public attitudes towards them have changed since licensing
• nature of working relationships with the Police and local authorities and whether they have changed since regulation
• financial impact of licensing on suppliers and their customer relationships.
In parallel with the Security Guard research, a separate study of Door Supervisors
was undertaken; both studies covered the views of Suppliers and Operatives.
Detailed findings from the Door Supervisor research can be found in a separate
report, which this report draws comparisons with.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 7
2 Background and Methodology The SIA commissioned FDS International to carry out Computer Aided Telephone
Interviews (CATI) of Security Guard Suppliers and front line Operatives.
Interviews were conducted from FDS’s London and Newcastle telecentres
between the 8th and the 26th March 2010.
The same number of interviews were conducted in 2010 as in 2007, namely:
• 200 Security Guard Suppliers • 401 Security Guard Operatives
In order to obtain comparable results with the 2007 survey, the questionnaires
needed to remain the same. During review of the questionnaire however, it
became apparent that many of the questions were no longer appropriate and
needed to be updated.
For example, the 2007 survey asked respondents to give their opinion based on
the comparison since the introduction of licensing. As licensing was introduced a
number of years ago, and a significant proportion of the audience will have no
experience prior to the introduction of licensing, the 2010 survey needed to ask
questions that related to opinion as a result of licensing. Where differences over
time were required, the 2010 survey asks respondents to compare against the
situation in January 2008, rather than since the introduction of licensing as used in
the 2007 survey.
Due to the differences in the Supplier and Operative audience, two separate
surveys were conducted. The Operatives survey contained a region quota to
spread responses geographically, and slight weights were applied to make results in
line with Office for National Statistics population statistics geographically.
An initial pilot survey was conducted in order to test the questionnaires and assess
the ease of access to individual respondents before mainstage interviewing began.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 8
When Operatives claimed to employ staff at the beginning of the survey, they
were moved to the Suppliers survey. Similarly, if a Supplier did not employ any
staff, they were asked the Operative survey.
All respondents were written to before the fieldwork period alerting them to the
study, stressing the anonymity of their responses and giving them an opportunity
to opt out of participating.
Response rates were better than expected for both surveys and few respondents
refused to take part. Overall, 16% of the sample completed an interview in both
the Supplier and Operative surveys. Interview lengths were on average 15 minutes
for Operatives and 22 minutes for Suppliers.
Where applicable, results are compared with the 2007 survey as well as the 2010
Door Supervisor research.
At some points in the report, results are described as significantly different. These
are tested by standard statistical formulae at the 95% confidence level. Where
significant, we can be 95% confident that the differences are real and did not occur
by chance or sampling error.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 9
3 Summary of Results – Suppliers Survey Licensing clearly has a positive effect among Suppliers’ perception of Security
Guards, with many feeling that it has increased trust in their staff, particularly due
to the criminal record checks undertaken as part of granting a licence, with over
eight out of ten (82%) believing so. A third of Suppliers (33%) believed that their
Guards’ relationships with Police and or other authorities has improved as a result
of licensing.
Opinion of the impact licensing has on the skill levels of staff is mixed with half of
Suppliers feeling that licensing does not affect the skill levels of their staff. Also,
eight out of ten Suppliers (81%) require at least some of their Security Guards to
undertake further training beyond what is required to become SIA licensed (in half
of cases it is for first aid, whilst one in five require some additional form of physical
intervention training).
On balance, just under two-thirds of Suppliers (64%) felt that licensing has had a
positive impact on staff recruitment, and around half felt it has had a positive effect
on staff retention. Just over one in five (22%) believed that licensing resulted in
higher quality personnel applying for positions, whilst 15% saw the benefits of
individuals already being trained to do the work. Just under three in five Suppliers
(58%) could identify some form of negative impact licensing has had on staff
recruitment; the most common being a shortage of licensed candidates available to
them (with 23% believing so).
Whilst many Suppliers agree that end customers can see the benefits of having
licensed personnel, not many can pass on any additional costs associated with
licensing. Few Suppliers feel that there have been cost reductions due to reduced
supervisory time, or that less staff are needed for the same jobs. Opinion of
whether they have reduced staff turnover as a result of licensing is also mixed.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 10
Two-thirds of Suppliers (67%) claim that their staff have been subjected to some
form of violence whilst working, with 62% of organisations having staff that have
experienced verbal abuse in the past, and 53% experiencing physical abuse.
Over half of Suppliers (55%) believe that their organisation's turnover, or the
amount of business conducted, has increased since January 2008, whilst a little
under two in five (38%) report an increase in the number of Guards they employ.
However, almost a quarter (24%) have seen the number of guards they employ fall.
Almost three in five respondents have seen an increase in business activity since
January 2008, with a quarter (25%) having seen the number of clients increase
from within their current portfolio, and 31% seeing an increase from customers
with different requirements.
Many Suppliers feel that licensing has the ability to attract new money or
investment from third parties into a variety of industries where they currently
operate. In particular, over two in five Suppliers operating at live events, within the
public sector, or at schools and universities believe licensing has the ability to
attract new money or investment.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 11
4 Supplier Sample Over half of the Suppliers spoken to in the survey (57%) claim to have been
working in the industry of supplying Security Guards for more than 10 years, with
almost eight out of ten (78%) having done so for more than five years. By contrast,
only a third of Door Supervisor Suppliers have been working in their industry for
more than 10 years, and half have been doing so for less than five years.
Suppliers in larger organisations are significantly more likely to have been working
in the industry for a long time, with 72% of those in organisations with a turnover
of £1m or more having been in the industry for 10 or more years, compared to
only 35% of those with a turnover of less than £250,000. The majority of Suppliers
interviewed (94%) have been in the industry since before the introduction of
licensing in March 2006.
Chart 4.1: Length of time supplying Security Guards (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Security Guard Suppliers operate in a wide variety of areas, with individual
organisations invariably operating in more than one area. The most common
sectors respondents operate in are in office environments (with 83% doing so), the
public sector (69%), and in business parks (67%). Larger organisations are
significantly more likely to be operating in each area listed, with the exception of
construction sites.
57%
21%
5%
6%
7%
5%
10+ years
5-10 years
4-5 years
3-4 years
1-2 years
<1 year
23%
The Impact of Regulation
Page 12
Chart 4.2: Industry sectors that Security Guard businesses operate (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Suppliers’ annual turnover covers a wide range. A little less than one in ten
respondents (8%) had a turnover of less than £100,000 per annum, whilst 16%
claimed to have a turnover of greater than £50m. As may be expected, there is a
very clear trend between an organisation’s number of employees and their annual
turnover.
By comparison with the survey conducted in 2007, there has been an increase in
organisations interviewed with larger spends; in this report a third of those
interviewed (33%) claimed to have a turnover of £1m or less, compared to 51% of
those in 2007. Similarly, the proportion of organisations with a turnover of more
than £50m increases from just 1% to 16%, potentially affecting overall measures
when compared to 2007.
Door Supervisor organisations also typically have a lower annual turnover, with
47% of those interviewed in 2010 having a turnover of less than £1m.
12%
33%
48%
49%
51%
67%
69%
83%
Holiday / theme parks
Events
Construction
Retail
Schools and universities
Business parks
Public sector
Office entrance or reception
The Impact of Regulation
Page 13
Chart 4.3: Company turnover (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Over three in ten organisations interviewed this year (31%) claim to employ more
than 250 Security Guards, while similar proportions (32%) employ 25 or fewer
guards. We observe a typically higher number of employees per organisation
compared to the 2007 survey, where 29% had five or less employees, whilst a
third of Door Supervisor Suppliers employ five or less staff.
Chart 4.4: Number of employees (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
The original research conducted in 2007 set additional sample quotas for Suppliers
based on which database the contact was taken from (either the SIA marketing
database or the Approved Contractor Scheme database). This distinction has not
been made in 2010.
8% 10% 10%5% 9% 8%
15%3%
16%
5%9% 8% 7%
3%
13%9% 7% 8%
2%
31%
32%
33%
The Impact of Regulation
Page 14
5 Detailed Findings – Suppliers Survey
5.1 Payment of Licensing Three in five Suppliers (63%) require their staff to be licensed before hiring them,
although this is more prevalent among smaller organisations. Three-quarters (76%)
of organisations with less than 250 employees (and 83% of those with 25 or fewer
employees) require their staff to be licensed before employing them, compared to
only 33% of those with more than 250 employees.
Similar trends are also observed by company turnover; 68% of organisations with a
turnover less than £250,000 require all staff to be licensed, compared to only 22%
of those with a turnover greater than £50m. Suppliers with experience of the
industry before the introduction of licensing are significantly less likely to need
their staff to be licensed prior to employment, with only 57% claiming so
(compared to 88% of others). The Door Supervisor industry is typically more
stringent with this requirement; with four out of five Door Supervisor Suppliers
(80%) requiring their staff to be licensed prior to recruiting them.
Approaching half of Security Guards Suppliers (45%) claim to pay all the licensing
costs for their staff, and 54% pay all the costs towards licence renewals. This
compares to only 26% of Door Supervisor Suppliers paying all the costs of applying
for a licence, and 32% paying all the cost of renewals.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 15
Chart 5.1: Payment made by Suppliers for their staff’s licenses (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Whether the cost of licensing is met by employers is heavily dependent on the size
and turnover of the organisations. Suppliers employing more than 250 employees
are significantly more likely to pay all the costs of staff licences (with 59% claiming
to do so) compared to those employing 25 or fewer staff (with 34% paying all the
costs).
Organisations with a large annual turnover are also significantly more likely to pay
all the costs of licensing; three-quarters of Suppliers with an annual turnover of
more than £50m (75%) claim to pay all the costs, compared to only 29% of those
with a turnover of less than £250,000. When renewing licences, 78% of
organisations with a turnover of more than £50m meet all the costs of renewals,
compared to 44% of those with a turnover less than £5m.
5.2 Costs Associated with Licensing The vast majority of Suppliers (93%) have incurred some additional cost due to
licensing, for a variety of different reasons.
Eight out of ten Suppliers (81%) have incurred some additional costs relating to
increased management, administration and communication time. This is much
34%
10%
54%
42%
12%
45%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
None of the costs
Some of the costs
All of the costs
Applying for licence
Renewing licence
The Impact of Regulation
Page 16
more prevalent among organisations with large numbers of staff, with almost nine
out of ten Suppliers (87%) employing over 100 staff incurring additional cost in this
way, compared to 69% of Suppliers with 25 or fewer staff.
Over three-quarters of Suppliers (78%) claim to have incurred additional staff
training costs due to licensing. Again, significantly more so among those with large
numbers of employees (83% of those with over 100 employees, compared to 66%
of those with 25 or less). Suppliers with experience since before licensing was
introduced were also significantly more likely to have incurred staff training costs
with 80% claiming so, compared to 64% with no experience before licensing was
introduced.
Although three-quarters of all suppliers interviewed (74%) have incurred some
additional cost relating to the licence application fee, it is also more common
among larger organisations. Two-thirds of businesses with a turnover of less than
£250,000 incurred additional costs due to the application fee, compared to 86% of
those with a turnover of £5m-£50m, and 91% of those with a turnover greater
than £50m. Likewise, 64% of businesses with fewer than 25 employees incurred
additional costs for this reason, compared to 82% of those with more than 250
employees.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 17
Chart 5.2: Costs incurred due to licensing (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Among those incurring increased wages as a result of licensing, only 56% have
been able to pass these costs on to the end client (and only 13% have been able to
pass the full cost on). Organisations employing large numbers of Guards are
significantly more likely to be able to pass these additional costs on, with 78% of
those employing over 250 staff being able to pass at least some of the cost on to
the end client, compared to only 45% of those employing 25 or fewer staff.
The additional costs incurred due to licensing appear to have reduced to some
extent when compared to the results of the 2007 survey; now, significantly fewer
Suppliers have incurred additional costs in four areas:
• Management, administration and communication time (down from 88% of Suppliers to 81%)
• Staff training costs (down from 93% to 78%) • Licence application fee for staff (down from 87% to 74%) • Increased wages (down from 69% to 54%).
There are also significant differences observed when comparing the additional
costs incurred due to licensing between the Security Guarding (SG) and Door
7%
11%
54%
55%
57%
74%
78%
81%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
No costs
Other costs
Increased wages
Short-term replacement of staff during training
Recruitment of licensed staff
Licence Application Fee for staff
Staff training costs
Management, administration and communication time
The Impact of Regulation
Page 18
Supervisor (DS) sectors, with three costs significantly more widespread among
Security Guard Suppliers:
• Staff training costs (occurring among 78% of SG Suppliers, but only 68% of DS Suppliers)
• Licence application fee for staff (74% of SG Suppliers, 61% of DS Suppliers) • Short term replacement of staff during training (55% of SG Suppliers, 46%
of DS Suppliers).
5.3 Impact of Licensing on Recruitment and Retention On balance, just under two-thirds of Suppliers (64%) felt that licensing has had a
positive impact on staff recruitment, and around half (51%) felt it has had a positive
effect on staff retention. Conversely, around one in six (17%) actually felt licensing
had a negative impact on recruitment, and one in ten (9%) on retention.
Suppliers in organisations with large annual turnovers are significantly more likely
to feel that licensing has had a positive impact on staff recruitment; eight out of ten
(81%) organisations with a turnover greater than £50m believe it has made a
positive impact on recruitment, compared to 59% of other sized Suppliers.
Whilst there is no significant difference in the perceived impact that licensing has
had on staff recruitment or retention by whether Suppliers have experience since
before licensing came in, there is a difference in opinion among Suppliers that have
been in the industry for 10 years or more. This audience are significantly less likely
to feel that licensing has made a positive impact on staff retention, with only 43%
believing so, compared to 61% of those with less than ten years’ experience.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 19
Chart 5.3: Impact licensing has on staff recruitment and retention (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Security Guard Suppliers are slightly more positive about the impact licensing has
had on their industry as a result of licensing compared to Suppliers of Door
Supervision, however not by a significant margin.
All Suppliers were asked how licensing had improved staff recruitment, and three-
in-five (58%) could identify some way in which it had. Just over one in five (22%)
believed that licensing resulted in higher quality personnel applying for positions
(increasing to 34% of those with a turnover greater than £50m), whilst 15% saw
the benefits of individuals already being trained to do the work. Just over one in
ten (11%) saw the positive effect of the background checks required to become
licensed.
-9%
-17%
51%
64%
-50% 0% 50% 100%
Retention
Recruitment
Negative impact
Positive impact
The Impact of Regulation
Page 20
Chart 5.4: Positive impact licensing has on recruitment (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
The proportion of Suppliers feeling that licensing has made a positive impact on
Security Guarding due to the high standard of candidates applying for positions has
risen significantly since the 2007 survey, from 12% to the current level of 22%.
Equally, the proportion of Suppliers feeling that licensing has made no positive
impact on recruitment has fallen since 2007, from three-quarters (74%) to the
current level of 41%.
Door Supervisor Suppliers are also significantly less likely to feel licensing has made
a positive impact on recruitment due to the high standard of candidates applying
for positions, again with only 12% believing so.
Just under three in five Suppliers (58%) could identify some form of negative
impact licensing has had on staff recruitment; the most common being a shortage
of licensed candidates available to them (with 23% believing so). Other negative
issues related to a lack of candidates (12%) capable of becoming licensed, or the
time taken for an individual to become licensed (10%).
41%
6%
6%
7%
11%
15%
22%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
No positive impact
Other positive effects
Licensed Security Guards are more committed to the industry
Confidence in skills of licensed staff
Fewer background checks necessary
People are already trained
High standard / quality of candidates applying
The Impact of Regulation
Page 21
Chart 5.5: Negative impact licensing has on recruitment (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Compared to the 2007 study, there has been a significant increase in the
proportion of Suppliers believing that licensing has had no negative impact on staff
recruitment, up from 28% to 42%. The number of Suppliers believing that licensing
has had a negative impact on recruitment due to the time taken for staff to
become licensed falls from 18% to 10%, whilst the number feeling there is a
negative effect due to the competition with other companies for licensed
candidates falls from 10% to 2%.
Among those feeling that licensing has made a positive impact on staff retention, a
quarter (24%) claim it is to do with the career progression opportunities available
to licensed staff, whilst just under one in five (19%) believe it is to do with the
increased likelihood of employees staying within the sector now they have become
licensed. There has been a significant fall in the proportion of Suppliers feeing that
staff are less inclined to leave the industry due to licensing, down from 39%.
Other positive factors licensing has brought to staff retention relate to the
opportunity to offer improved pay and conditions to licensed staff (with 18% citing
42%
12%
3%
3%
3%
10%
12%
23%
0% 20% 40% 60%
No negative impact
Other negative effects
Slow process
Limited who we can employ
Costs of paying for their licence
Time taken to become licensed limits flexibility of employment
Lack of candidates capable of becoming licensed
Shortage of licensed candidates
The Impact of Regulation
Page 22
this), and staff commitment to stay with their employer in order to pay off the
costs of their licence (mentioned by a further 16%).
Chart 5.6: Positive impact licensing has on staff retention (Base: All 101 Suppliers who feel licensing has a positive impact)
Only 17 Suppliers felt that licensing made it difficult to keep staff, for a number of
reasons:
• Licensed staff are moving between employers in the Security Guarding sector for more pay (cited by 7 respondents)
• Licensed staff are not staying because Suppliers can't offer more pay and better conditions (3 respondents)
• Staff have not been able to get a licence (3 respondents) • Staff have left because Suppliers won't pay for their training/licence/renewal
fee (3 respondents) • Licensed staff are not staying because Suppliers can't offer career
progression opportunities (1 respondent) • Don't know/no particular reason (4 respondents).
14%
23%
16%
18%
19%
24%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Don't know
Other reasons
Licensed staff are required to stay for a pre-determined period to met the costs of their
licence
Able to offer improved pay and conditions to licensed staff
Licensed staff are less inclined to leave the Security Guarding sector for other, non-
security jobs
More willing to stay due to offer of career progression opportunities to licensed staff
The Impact of Regulation
Page 23
5.4 Skill Levels of Staff Opinion of the skill levels of staff is mixed; with half feeling that licensing does not
affect the skill levels of staff. Whilst three in five (62%) agreed that ‘Having licensed
staff means they are capable of carrying out job tasks satisfactorily’, over a quarter
disagreed with this statement. Similarly, three in five (60%) agree that ‘Having
licensed staff means they are trustworthy and reliable’, another 35% disagree.
There are no obvious trends in the opinion of Suppliers on the skill levels of staff
by business size, however those Suppliers with experience of the industry since
before the introduction of licensing were significantly less likely to agree that
‘Having licensed staff means they are capable of performing a wide range of tasks’.
Chart 5.7: Skill Levels of Staff (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
There is very little difference in Suppliers’ opinion of the skill levels of their staff
when comparing against the Door Supervision sector, with similar proportions
agreeing with all four statements in relation to their staff.
-21%
-23%
-20%
-15%
-24%
-16%
-15%
-13%
23%
22%
28%
33%
28%
31%
32%
29%
-60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Licensing does not affect the skill levels of staff
Having licensed staff means they are capable of performing a wide range of
tasks
Having licensed staff means they are trustworthy and reliable
Having licensed staff means they are capable of carrying out job tasks
satisfactorily
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
(62%)
(60%)
(52%)
(50%)
% agree
The Impact of Regulation
Page 24
5.5 Additional Training Required for Staff Eight out of ten Suppliers (81%) require at least some of their Security Guards to
undertake further training beyond what is required to become SIA licensed, with
47% requiring this for all their Guards. Larger organisations are significantly more
likely to require their staff to undertake training, with 97% of organisations with a
turnover of £50m or more claiming so, compared to only 76% of those with a
turnover of less that £250,000.
Equally, only 77% of organisations with 25 or fewer staff require them to
undertake further training, compared to 92% of those employing over 250 staff.
Half of organisations requiring their Guards to go on further training beyond that
needed for licensing do so for first aid, with one in five (21%) requiring their staff
to undertake some additional form of physical intervention training. Other specific
training requirements mentioned by more than one in ten related to improving
supervisory skills, community safety skills and customer service training.
Chart 5.8: Additional training required for staff (Base: All 161 Suppliers who require Security Guards to undergo additional training)
50%
21%
20%
12%
12%
12%
10%
9%
8%
7%
42%
First aid
Physical intervention
Generic skills
Supervisory skills
Community safety training
Customer service
CCTV training
Qualifications (eg NVQs)
Fire training
Health and Safety
Other
The Impact of Regulation
Page 25
In the 2007 survey 73% of Suppliers required their staff to go on additional
training, with the same level as this study (51%) requiring first aid training. Other
training courses were required in similar levels in both 2007 and 2010 with the
exception on Health and Safety training, which has fallen from 24% in 2007 to 7%
now.
Additional training requirements of Door Supervisors in 2010 reflects that of
Security Guards, with half requiring first aid training, 23% physical intervention, and
17% for generic skills.
5.6 Licensing’s Impact on Negotiations with Customers
Whilst many Suppliers agree that the end customer can see the benefits of having
licensed personnel, few can pass on any additional costs associated with licensing.
For example, seven out of ten agree that ‘Customers recognise the value licensing has
on the industry’, and two-thirds (65%) agree that ‘Customers recognise that deploying
licensed staff improves their ability to deal with security threats’. However, almost three
in five 58% disagree with the statement ‘We are able to pass licensing costs on to
customers’.
Organisations with small turnover were significantly more likely to believe that
licensing has had no impact on contract negotiations with customers; almost half of
those with a turnover of less than £250,000 agreed with this statement (that it has
had no impact), whilst 78% of those with a turnover of greater than £50m disagreed
with the statement.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 26
Chart 5.9: Licensing’s impact on negotiations with customers (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Whilst a number of measures remain unchanged since the 2007 study, agreement
has increased significantly in two cases, and decreased significantly in one.
Significantly more Suppliers now agree that ‘Customers recognise that deploying
licensed staff improves their ability to deal with security threats’ and that ‘We are able to
pass licensing costs on to customers’. However, there has been a significant fall in the
proportion agreeing that ‘Customers want to reduce security provision because of costs
associated in having licensed security guards’ (down from 70% in 2007 to 37% in
2010).
Opinion of Security Guard Suppliers is very much in line with that of Door
Supervisor Suppliers, with no significant difference in the level of agreements
across all statements.
-24%
-28%
-18%
-15%
-12%
-15%
-9%
-11%
-35%
-28%
-40%
-28%
-11%
-18%
-18%
-17%
14%
18%
20%
22%
27%
22%
33%
28%
23%
19%
17%
25%
32%
39%
32%
42%
-80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Licensing has no impact on contract negotiations with customers
Customers want to reduce security provision because of costs associated in
having licensed security guards
We are able to pass licensing costs on to customers
Licensing means that we have ongoing communication in our relationships with
our customers
Customers think there are insurance benefits of deploying licensed staff
Customers are interested only in price, regardless of the fact that licensing exists
Customers recognise that deploying licensed staff improves their ability to deal
with security threats
Customers recognise the value licensing has on the industry
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
% agree
(70%)
(65%)
(60%)
(59%)
(47%)
(37%)
(37%)
(37%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 27
5.7 Licensing’s impact on the Perception of Security Guards
Many Suppliers feel that there is trust in Security Guards due to licensing,
particularly due to the criminal record checks, with over eight out of ten (82%)
agreeing so. When comparing this against opinion of other potential impacts to the
sector however, greater numbers of respondents are inclined to disagree that
Security Guarding is regarded as a career due to licensing (with 34% disagreeing),
and that the public recognise the value of licensing has on the industry (with 43%
disagreeing).
Suppliers with experience of the industry since before the introduction of licensing
were significantly more likely to agree that ‘The public recognise the value licensing
has on the industry’ with 67% claiming so compared to 46% of others.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 28
Chart 5.10: Licensing’s impact on public perception (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Exactly a third of Suppliers (33%) believed that their Guards’ relationships with
police and or other authorities has changed as a result of licensing; this is often due
to an improved rapport, improved partnerships, better information shared
between groups or more respect shown.
As seen with the perceived impact licensing has had on negotiations with
customers, there are no significant differences in the views of Security Guard
Suppliers compared to those in the Door Supervision industry.
-24%
-22%
-17%
-13%
-12%
-6%
-4%
-6%
-19%
-21%
-17%
-18%
-11%
-13%
-12%
-10%
23%
27%
31%
35%
38%
39%
37%
32%
28%
22%
29%
29%
35%
38%
42%
50%
-60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Licensing does not affect public perception of security guards
The public recognise the value licensing has on the industry
Security guarding is regarded as a career due to licensing
There is respect for staff because they hold a recognisable, national licence
There is greater awareness of the role that security guards can play in providing security
and community safety
The buyers of security guard services recognise the value licensing has on the
industry
The police recognise the value licensing has on the industry
There is trust in staff because of criminal records checks
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
% agree
(82%)
(79%)
(76%)
(72%)
(64%)
(59%)
(51%)
(49%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 29
5.8 Cost Savings Due to Licensing Confidence in the ability of licensed personnel, and the confidence Suppliers have
in recruiting someone that is licensed is high. Many also feel that staff are
sufficiently trained to meet the requirements of their job, or Suppliers have at least
been able to save money as a result of licensing.
There are however, fewer Suppliers feeling that there have been cost reductions
due to reduced supervisory time, or that less staff are needed for the same jobs.
Opinion on a reduced turnover as a result of licensing is also mixed.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 30
Chart 5.11: Cost savings due to licensing (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
There has been a significant rise in the levels of agreement with a number of the
cost savings measures which may affect Suppliers as a result of licensing when
compared to the study undertaken in 2007. Agreement with five of the 11
statements has increased significantly since the last survey:
-27%
-23%
-28%
-26%
-22%
-23%
-17%
-16%
-14%
-13%
-7%
-31%
-40%
-30%
-31%
-36%
-25%
-25%
-17%
-19%
-21%
-9%
23%
21%
22%
22%
23%
27%
28%
36%
34%
39%
45%
9%
12%
12%
13%
13%
13%
19%
26%
29%
25%
29%
-80%-60%-40%-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%100%
We have saved on recruitment because we have fewer people in better jobs
New staff need little supervision because of the training received when becoming licensed
We have saved on recruitment because staff are better equipped to take on additional
responsibilities
We have saved money because we have to recruit less people
We have saved supervisory and/or management time because licensed staff are
more capable and better skilled
We have saved money on new uniforms and equipment because of lower staff turnover
We have saved on training because of lower staff turnover
We have saved on training because we have been able to recruit staff who are already
trained
Licensed staff are sufficiently trained to meet the requirements of their job
If an individual holds a licence I can be confident in recruiting them
I have confidence in the ability of licensed personnel
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
% agree
(74%)
(64%)
(63%)
(62%)
(47%)
(36%)
(35%)
(34%)
(33%)
(32%)
(40%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 31
• Saving on training because Suppliers have been able to recruit staff who are already trained (62% agreed with this statement in 2010, compared to 43% in 2007)
• Saving on training because of lower staff turnover (47% agreeing in 2010, compared to 26% in 2007)
• Saving money on new uniforms and equipment because of lower staff turnover (40% agreeing in 2010, compared to 25% in 2007)
• Saving supervisory and/or management time because licensed staff are more capable and better skilled (36% agreeing in 2010, compared to 19% in 2007)
• Saving on recruitment because Suppliers have fewer people in better jobs (32% agreeing in 2010, compared to 20% in 2007).
The views of the Door Supervision sector is similar to that of Security Guard
Operatives, with the exception of two statements; Door Supervisor Suppliers are
significantly less likely to agree that ‘If an individual holds a licence I can be confident
in recruiting them’ (with 51% of Door Supervisor Suppliers agreeing, compared to
64% of Security Guards Suppliers) and also that ‘We have saved money on new
uniforms and equipment because of lower staff turnover’ (with 27% of Door
Supervisor Suppliers agreeing, compared to 40% of Security Guards Suppliers).
5.9 Whether Staff have been Subjected to Violence Two-thirds of Suppliers (67%) claim that their staff have been subjected to violence
whilst working, rising to 72% of those with experience of the industry prior to the
introduction of licensing. This compares to less than half of Security Guard
Operatives (48%) claiming that they personally have been assaulted.
Larger organisations (by turnover), and those with greater numbers of employees
are also significantly more likely to have had experience of their staff being
subjected to assault. Eight out of ten organisations (80%) with more than 250
employees have experienced some form of violence, compared to 52% of those
with 25 or fewer staff. Similarly, 78% of organisations with a turnover of more than
£50m have experienced some form of violence, compared to only 53% of those
with a turnover of less that £250,000.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 32
The nature of the violence is almost evenly split by verbal and physical, with 62% of
organisations having staff that have experienced verbal abuse in the past, and 53%
experiencing physical abuse. Among those that have experienced physical violence,
seven out of ten (equating to 38% of the total sample) claim that the violence
resulted in an injury to their staff.
Chart 5.12: Whether staff have been subjected to violence (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Levels of assault reported in the Security Guard sector is significantly less that that
reported in the Door Supervision sector, where over three-quarters of Suppliers’
staff (76%) have been subjected to some form of assault.
5.10 Change in Business Activity since January 2008 Over half of Suppliers (55%) believe that their organisation's turnover, or the
amount of business conducted, has increased since January 2008. This proportion
increases to 72% of those with more than 250 employees. Businesses with a small
turnover or few employees have been in a much less promising situation; 29% of
those with a turnover of less than £250,000 per year believe their turnover to
have decreased a lot. One in five businesses with 25 or fewer employees (20%)
believes the same.
33%
16%
62%
67%
38%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
None
Physical
Verbal
Overall
Assault
Resulting in injury
The Impact of Regulation
Page 33
Chart 5.13: Change in business activity since January 2008 (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
Few Suppliers attribute their change in turnover to be entirely linked to licensing;
in both cases, only 9% believe their increase or decrease to be a direct result of
licensing and a third see licensing to have had some effect (among 34% of those
whose company turnover/ business has increased, and among 32% of those whose
company turnover/ business has decreased).
In comparison to the situation just after the introduction of licensing in 2007, at
that point 17% of Suppliers attributed all their increase in turnover or business
activity to be as a result of licensing, whilst 38% placed at least some of the change
to be as a result of licensing.
25%
30%
-11%
-13%
-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Increased a lotIncreased a littleDecreased a little
The Impact of Regulation
Page 34
5.11 Change in Number of Employees since January 2008
The state of employment levels of Security Guard Suppliers over the past two
years differs quite considerably, with three in five (62%) reporting some change in
their number of employees since January 2008.
When organisations have changed the number of employees, significantly more
have increased in size than decreased; just under two in five Suppliers (38%) report
an increase in the number of Guards they employ, whilst almost a quarter (24%)
have seen the number fall.
Large organisations are significantly more likely to have seen their number of
employees grow over the past two years, with two-thirds of Suppliers with a
turnover greater than £50m per annum (66%) claiming this to be the case,
compared to 30% of those with a turnover less than £5m, and only 24% of those
with a turnover less than £250,000.
This trend is also observed in reverse; rather than smaller organisations remaining
the same size, they are significantly more likely to have reduced the number of
Guards they employ (with 38% having done so, compared to 6% of those with a
turnover greater than £50m).
The Impact of Regulation
Page 35
Chart 5.14: Change in number of employees since January 2008 (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
There is a corresponding trend in staff sizes by current number of employees;
those with large number of employees claim to have increased in number since
January 2008, whilst smaller organisations are significantly more likely to have
reduced.
Few Suppliers – only 10% – have seen their number of clients fall since January
2008 (down from 13% in the 2007 study). Almost three in five respondents have
seen an increase in business activity over this period, with a quarter (25%) having
seen the number of clients increase from within their current portfolio, and 31%
seeing an increase from customers with different requirements.
Whilst there is no difference in likelihood to expand within their current customer
base, larger organisations are significantly more likely to have expanded into areas
with new sorts of customers; three-quarters of businesses with a turnover of
more than £50m claim to have done so, compared to only 21% of smaller
9%
14%
14%
-12%
-5%-6%
-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Decreased significantly Decreased a fair amountDecreased a little Increased significantlyIncreased a fair amount Increased a little
38%
24%
The Impact of Regulation
Page 36
businesses. Equally, 49% of those with over 100 employees have expanded into
new areas, compared to only 15% of smaller businesses.
Chart 5.15: Change in business activity since January 2008 (Base: All 200 Suppliers)
5.12 Impact Regulation has had on Attracting New Business
Many Suppliers feel that licensing has the ability to attract new money or
investment from third parties into a variety of industries where they currently
operate. In particular, over two in five Suppliers operating at live events, within the
public sector, or at schools and universities believe licensing has the ability to
attract new money or investment. Few suppliers believe that licensing has a
detrimental effect.
-10%
33%
31%
25%
-50% 0% 50% 100%
Number of customers has fallen
The same number and type of customers
Increased with different sort of customers
Increased with the same sort of customers
The Impact of Regulation
Page 37
Chart 5.16: The effect licensing has ability to attract new money or investment from third parties (Base: All Suppliers operating in sector)
-6%
-4%
-4%
-4%
-3%
0%
-3%
-4%
-3%
48%
28%
28%
34%
36%
39%
42%
44%
46%
-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Other areas (33)
Retail (98)
Business parks or industrial parks (134)
Construction (95)
Office entrance or reception (166)
Holiday parks and theme parks (23)
Schools and universities (102)
Public sector (137)
Events, including sports, music and other live events (65)
Is LESS attractive to investors because of licensing
Is MORE attractive to investors because of licensing
The Impact of Regulation
Page 38
6 Summary of Results – Operatives Survey Among all Security Guards, regardless of experience, opinion of the current
licensing situation is generally positive, with at least half of Guards believing
licensing has improved the range of skills they have, their overall ability to do their
job, and their future career options. A significant minority of Guards however felt
that licensing has little positive effect on pay and conditions, the availability of
work, and the treatment received from employers.
Most Operatives believe that the fact that there are criminal record checks means
they are viewed in a more positive light due to increased trust, however, many felt
that SIA licensing has not increased the public’s respect for them. On a positive
note however, many stated there was an increase in the professionalism of their
industry as a result of licensing, and also a decrease in criminality.
A little over two in five Operatives (43%) claimed to have paid all of the costs of
applying for (or renewing) their Security Guard licence, with a further quarter
paying all the costs of the training associated with becoming licensed. Many
Operatives paying at least some way towards their licence fee (or the training
associated with licensing) felt the cost was worth it, with 60% claiming it was
definitely or at least probably worth it.
Overall, just under half of security guards (48%) have been subjected to some form
of violence in the past, although this rises to two-thirds (66%) of guards that have
been in the industry for five or more years. Guards are more likely to have been
subjected to verbal assaults rather than physical attack, however many have been
subjected to both.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 39
7 Operatives Sample The age of respondents ranged from 18 to over 60, with half of respondents aged
over 50. Typically, those aged under 50 are more responsive to SIA licensing, and
significant differences between age groups are highlighted throughout this report.
Overall, two-thirds of Operatives (67%) had experience of working into the
industry prior to the introduction of licensing.
In comparison, the age distribution of the Door Supervisor industry is heavily
skewed towards younger staff, with 69% under 40 (and 22% under 24), and only
6% aged 50 or over. Only 23% of Door Supervisors interviewed had experience of
their industry prior to the introduction of Door Supervisor licensing (which was
phased in between June 2004 and April 2005).
Chart 7.1: Respondent age groups (Base: All 401 Operatives)
A little over three-quarters of Operatives (77%) were white, with a further one in
ten black or of Asian origin. Equally, 77% of those spoken to were born within the
UK, and approaching nine out of ten (86%) claimed than English was their first
language. Throughout this report, significant differences are observed by ethnicity,
and also place of birth and first language. Similarly, the vast majority of respondents
(92%) were male, and only 3% were registered disabled. Operatives within the
Door Supervisor industry are significantly less likely to be white, with 66% of
respondents claiming to be.
5% 7%18% 20% 24% 26%
18-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
30%
50%
The Impact of Regulation
Page 40
Chart 7.2: Respondent background (Base: All 401 Operatives)
The Operatives interviewed work in a wide variety of situations, with approaching
half (48%) claiming to do Guarding work in offices, and four in ten working on
industrial parks. Operatives typically work in more than one area.
Chart 7.3: Area of work (Base: All 401 Operatives)
There are no significant trends in the type of work undertaken by the age or
nationality of security guards, however there are differences observed by
77%
10% 10%3%
77%86%
White Black Asian Other Born in UK English first language
9%
9%
9%
18%
25%
27%
39%
48%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Other areas
Events (sports/music/other live)
Schools and universities
Construction
Retail
Public sector
Business/industrial parks
Office entrance/reception
The Impact of Regulation
Page 41
geographic region; guards based in London are typically more likely to work in
offices compared to many other regions, whilst those in the West Midlands or
North West are often more likely to work in business parks. Those in the North
West are also more likely to work in retail or on construction sites.
Most respondents (74%) claimed to be earning between £5 and £8 per hour, with
a further 21% earning between £8 and £10. Only 4% of those interviewed claimed
to be earning more than £10 per hour. Hourly wages of Security Guards are
typically lower than those of Door Supervisors, where 50% of those interviewed
claim to be earning more than £10 an hour.
The vast majority of Security Guard Operatives interviewed (88%) claimed to be
currently employed as a Security Guard, with a small number actively seeking
employment within the sector. In comparison, the Door Supervisor sector has
significantly more Operatives out of work at the time of interview, with only 61%
working as a Door Supervisor, 23% actively seeking employment, and a further
13% not seeking employment at that time.
Chart 7.4: Current employment status (Base: All 401 Operatives)
Since the beginning of 2008, almost a third of respondents (30%) had changed
employer, with a further 18% considering doing so. In the 2007 study, 22% had
2%
4%
6%
88%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Would rather not say
Not currently working as a Security Guard, and not seeking
employment
Not currently working as a Security Guard, but actively
seeking employment
Currently working as a Security Guard
The Impact of Regulation
Page 42
changed employer as a result of licensing, with 23% having considered changing.
Likelihood of Door Supervisors changing employer since 2008 is at a similar,
although slightly lower proportion compared to Security Guards, with 24% having
changed, and 19% having considered doing so.
Security Guards that have been subjected to some form of physical or verbal
assault in the past are significantly more likely to have changed job, with 38% of
those suffering verbal assault, and 41% suffering physical violence having changed
employer since January 2008. Equally, those subjected to assault are also more
likely to have considered switching employer, if they had not done so already.
Chart 7.5: Employment status since January 2008 (Base: All 401 Operatives)
There is no overriding reason why Operatives left their last employer (or had
considered doing so), however for a third of cases it is outside the Operatives’
decision as their old company was either taken over or sold.
When an Operative has made the decision to leave (or at least considered it), the
main reasons are to earn more money, or due to having a bad experience with
their old company. In either case, around one in five Operatives gave this reason.
30%
18%
52%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Have not considered changing employer
Considered changing employer
Have changed employer
The Impact of Regulation
Page 43
Chart 7.6: Reason for changing employer (Base: All 194 Operatives that have changed employer/considered doing so since January 2008)
19%
4%
6%
7%
14%
21%
22%
32%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Other comments
Old company closed down
Was made redundant
Wanted a better location
Wanted more/better hours
Bad experience with old company
Wanted more money
No choice/old company taken over
The Impact of Regulation
Page 44
8 Detailed findings – Operatives Survey
8.1 Payment of Licensing A little over two in five Operatives (43%) claimed to have paid all of the costs of
applying for (or renewing) their Security Guard licence, with a further quarter
paying all the costs of the training associated with becoming licensed. This is at
very similar levels to the 2007 study, where 41% paid all the costs of their licence,
and 23% paid all the costs of their training.
The proportion of Guards having all the costs of their licence paid for differs
significantly by ethnicity and Operatives’ first language. Operatives where English is
their first language are significantly less likely to have to pay for the cost of their
licensing compared to others; 58% of those with English as their first language did
not have to pay anything towards the cost of licensing, compared to only 30% of
those where English is not their first language. Only 38% of those born outside the
UK had all their licence costs paid for them, and only 43% of BMEs had their costs
paid for.
Chart 8.1: Payment made by Operatives towards the cost of their license (Base: All 401 Operatives)
72%
2%
24%
54%
2%
43%
0% 50% 100%
None
Some of
All
Applying for/renewing licence
Training
The Impact of Regulation
Page 45
When regarding training costs, Security Guards with five or more years
experience are significantly less likely to having paid for training (only 21% did)
compared to those with less experience (35% had to pay at least something).
Again, we see significant differences by ethnicity and country of origin, with 22% of
white Security Guards having to pay for training, compared to 49% of BMEs, 50%
of those born outside the UK, and 53% where English is not their first language.
Security Guards based in London are the most likely to have to pay for their
training, with 41% having to do so, however this is likely to be due to there being a
significantly higher proportion of Guards born outside the UK, or being of a Black
or Minority Ethnic background.
Door Supervisors are significantly more likely than Security Guards to have to pay
all the costs of their licence, with 77% claiming to have done so. Door Supervisors
are also significantly more likely to have to pay all the costs towards their training,
with 66% claiming to have done so.
Many Operatives paying at least some way towards their licence fee (or the
training associated with licensing) felt the cost was worth it, with 60% claiming it
was definitely or at least probably worth it. Security Guards with experience of
working before licensing was introduced were significantly less likely to feel the
cost was worth it, with only 52% claiming so (compared to 79% of those with no
experience pre-licensing). Interestingly, there is no significant difference observed
in the proportion of Guards feeling the cost was worth it between those currently
employed, and those actively seeking employment.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 46
Chart 8.2: Whether cost of licence was worth it (Base: All 200 Operatives paying towards their licence or for training)
Door Supervisors that had to pay for at least some of their licence or training
were typically more positive that the cost was worth it, with significantly more
Operatives feeling the cost was definitely or probably worth it (72%), compared to
Security Guards (61%).
8.2 Impact of Regulation As highlighted in Section 5 of this report, two-thirds of Operatives (266
respondents) had experience of working as a Security Guard prior to the
introduction of licensing in March 2006. Door Supervisors were much less likely to
have had experience since before the introduction of licensing, with only 22%
claiming so.
When asked to think back to before the introduction of licensing, opinion of the
benefits of the introduction of licensing among this audience is generally positive,
23%
10%
6%
29%
31%
Definitely not worth it Probably not worth itNeither/nor Probably worth itDefinitely worth it
60% agreeCost was worth it
The Impact of Regulation
Page 47
although some aspects involve high levels of disagreement; whilst over three-
quarters (78%) believed that there is greater levels of trust in security guards due
to the criminal records checks needed for licensing, only half believed there is
greater respect among the general public due to licensing (and 40% actively
disagree with this statement).
Chart 8.3: Impact of regulation (Base: All 266 Operatives with experience since before licensing was introduced)
Interestingly, Guards who have not been subjected to verbal or physical attack
have a more positive view on licensing, which this group significantly more likely to
agree with all five key statements (i.e. excluding the statement ‘licensing has had no
impact on the public’s view of security guards’).
Security Guards born outside the UK are also significantly more likely to agree
with a number of statements, specifically:
-17%
-15%
-16%
-11%
-10%
-7%
-27%
-25%
-19%
-19%
-12%
-8%
17%
14%
16%
16%
23%
18%
32%
36%
43%
47%
49%
60%
-60%-40%-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Licensing has had no impact on the public’s view of security guards
The public has greater respect for security guards now because we hold a recognisable, national licence
Security guard jobs are regarded more as careers than they were before licensing
The training has improved my ability to do my job
People are more aware now of how security guards can help security and
community safety
There is more trust in security guards because of criminal record checks
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
% agree2007(83%)
(73%)
(73%)
(68%)
(57%)
(47%)
% agree
(78%)
(72%)
(63%)
(59%)
(50%)
(49%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 48
• There is more trust in security guards because of criminal record checks (89% vs. 75% when born in the UK)
• People are more aware now of how security guards can help security and community safety (87% vs. 67%)
• The training has improved their ability to do their jobs (84% vs. 58%) • The public has greater respect for security guards now because they hold a
recognisable, national licence (73% vs. 45%).
Opinion of the effect of licensing compared to the 2007 survey is similar in four
measures, however in 2010, significantly fewer Operatives agree with two
statements:
• that the training has improved their ability to do their jobs; and • that their job is regarded more as a career than before licensing.
Among the Door Supervision industry, opinion of the positive effects of licensing is
also similar to those found in the 2010 Security Guard research, with the
exception of one situation; Door Supervisors are significantly less likely to agree
that the training has improved their ability to do their jobs, with only 44% believing
so, compared to 63% of Security Guards.
8.3 Impact licensing has had on Security Guards Among all Security Guards, regardless of experience, opinion of the current
licensing situation is generally positive, with at least half of Guards believing
licensing has improved their situation in five of the nine areas put forward. The
three most common areas of perceived improvement are the range of skills
Guards have, their overall ability to do their job, and their future career options.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 49
Chart 8.4: Opinion of the current licensing situation (Base: All 401 Operatives)
There are three statements where respondents were significantly more likely to
feel that licensing has made the situation worse (albeit in relatively small
proportions):
• That licensing has improved pay and conditions (16% felt it was now worse) • That licensing has improved the availability of work (9%) • That licensing has improved the treatment received from employers and
managers (9%).
There are a number of areas where a specific sub-group has different views
compared to others; for example, Security Guards that earn less than £8 per hour
are significantly less likely to believe that licensing has improved pay and conditions
(with 29% seeing an improvement, compared to 41% of those earning over £8 per
-6%
-5%
-2%
-1%
-1%
-4%
-1%
-1%
-1%
-10%
-4%
-2%
-1%
-1%
-5%
-2%
-1%
-1%
17%
14%
16%
15%
20%
15%
23%
21%
21%
15%
24%
29%
31%
30%
35%
32%
36%
36%
-40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Pay and conditions
The treatment you receive from your employer or manager
The amount of responsibility you have
The treatment you receive from the Police
The treatment you receive from customers and the general public
The availability of work
Your future career options and opportunities
Your overall ability to do your job
The range of skills you have
A lot worse A little worse A little better Much better
% agree
(57%)
(57%)
(55%)
(50%)
(50%)
(46%)
(45%)
(38%)
(32%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 50
hour). Security Guards in the West of England are also less likely to agree with this
statement, with only 9% doing so.
Respondents with less than a year’s guarding experience were significantly more
likely to believe licensing improved the treatment they received from their
employers or managers, (with 64% thinking licensing made this better).
There are a number of sub-groups where respondents are significantly more likely
to have seen an improvement in their situation due to licensing in a large number
of categories, and these can broadly be categorised as follows:
• Respondents with less than five year’s experience, or no experience pre-licensing (with the exception of a perceived improvement in pay and conditions)
• Those that have not been subjected to verbal of physical assault (for improved career opportunities, treatment from Police, the public and their managers, and the availability of work)
• Those aged under 50 (excluding improved treatment from the Police, the general public, and future career options)
• Those that are black or minority ethnic (for all statements) • Those born outside the UK (for all statements) • Those whose first language is not English (excluding improved future career
options and opportunities, treatment from Police, and the availability of work).
Compared to 2007, there has been a significant rise in the proportion of Guards
seeing an improvement in their situation in three cases, all relating to their
treatment from others:
• The treatment they receive from customers and the general public (50% now believe the situation is better, compared to only 37% in 2007)
• The treatment received from the Police (46% now thinking it is better because of licensing, compared to 33% in 2007)
• The treatment received from employers and mangers (38% now thinking it is better, compared to 31% in 2007).
Operatives in the Door Supervision sector are considerably more positive with
regards to the improvements as a result of licensing when compared to Security
Guards. Door Supervisors are significantly more likely to feel that licensing has
made their situation better in eight of the nine areas listed when compared to
The Impact of Regulation
Page 51
Security Guards, with the only exception being an improved treatment from the
general public (where 50% in both sectors believe it is now better).
8.4 Impact of Licensing on Employment Security Guards were generally positive with regards to the impact SIA licensing
has on their jobs, however at least a quarter of respondents disagreed with three
out of the five positive statements listed:
• That they get respect from their employer and colleagues due to licensing (31% disagreed)
• That they will get better pay and conditions in the long term (30%) • That they have confidence to do their job because it is licensed (29%).
Chart 8.5: The effect licensing has on Operatives’ jobs (Base: All 401 Operatives)
Guards who earn less than £8 per hour are significantly less likely to agree that
they will get better pay and conditions in the long-term due to licensing. Again,
-13%
-13%
-12%
-8%
-9%
-7%
-15%
-18%
-17%
-22%
-14%
-10%
25%
18%
16%
21%
22%
30%
40%
38%
46%
42%
50%
43%
-40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Having a licence does not affect the way I see my job
I get respect from my employer and colleagues because I have a licence to carry out my job
I have confidence to do my job because it is licensed
I will get better pay and conditions in the long-term because it is illegal to work as a security
guard without a licence
The training has improved my ability to do my job
My training means I will be able to take on more responsibility in the future
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
% agree
(73%)
(72%)
(65%)
(63%)
(62%)
(56%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 52
respondents from certain sub-groups are more likely to agree with the five
positive comments listed:
• Respondents with less than five year’s experience, or no experience pre-licensing (significantly more likely to agree to all five positive statements)
• Those that have not been subjected to verbal of physical assault (for all statements)
• Those aged under 50 (excluding respect from their employers and colleagues because they have a licence to carry out their job)
• Those that are black or minority ethnic (for all statements) • Those born outside the UK (for all statements) • Those whose first language is not English (excluding respect from their
employers and colleagues because they have a licence to carry out their job).
On the whole, agreement with these aspects reflect the findings of the 2007
survey, however there are three significant changes observed when compared to
2010:
• The proportion agreeing that they will get better pay and conditions in the long-term, because it is illegal to work as a Security Guard without a licence increases from 54% in 2007 to 65% in 2010
• The proportion agreeing that they get respect from their employers and colleagues due to having a licence to do their job increases from 46% in 2007 to 56% in 2010
• The proportion feeling that licensing does not affect the way they see their job falls significantly, from 71% in 2007 to 62% in 2010.
As seen in other measures, Door Supervisors are typically more positive with
regards to the effects of licensing compared to Security Guards. Door Supervisors
are significantly more likely to agree with four out of five of the positive
statements listed when compared to the views of Security Guards (there are
similar levels of agreement that the training has improved their ability to do their
jobs).
8.5 Licensing’s Impact on Public Perception Most Operatives are positive about the impact licensing has on other people’s
perception of the Security Guarding industry. Specifically, the fact that there are
The Impact of Regulation
Page 53
criminal record checks means that Operatives feel they are viewed in a more
positive light due to increased trust. There is some feeling however, that SIA
licensing has not increased the public’s respect for Security Guards, with a third
disagreeing with this fact.
Chart 8.6: The public’s perception of Security Guards (Base: All 401 Operatives)
Again, respondents from certain sub-groups are more likely to agree with the five
positive comments listed:
• Respondents with less than five year’s experience, or no experience pre-licensing (significantly more likely to agree to all five positive statements)
• Those that have not been subjected to verbal of physical assault (for all statements)
• Those that are black or minority ethnic (for all statements)
-21%
-15%
-11%
-5%
-9%
-8%
-8%
-20%
-19%
-8%
-10%
-10%
-8%
-9%
23%
25%
26%
28%
25%
23%
20%
29%
35%
47%
49%
53%
55%
59%
-60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Being licensed has no impact on the public’s view of security guards
The public has respect for security guards because we hold a recognisable, national
licence
People are aware of how security guards can help security and community safety
SIA licensing has decreased criminality in the security guard sector
SIA licensing has increased the professionalism of those working in the
security guard sector
The criminal record checks required to become licensed increases the public's trust in security
guards
There is more trust in security guards because of criminal record checks
Strongly disagree Slightly disagree Slightly agree Strongly agree
% agree
(79%)
(78%)
(78%)
(77%)
(73%)
(60%)
(52%)
The Impact of Regulation
Page 54
• Those born outside the UK (excluding a decrease in criminality) • Those whose first language is not English (excluding a decrease in
criminality).
There is no significant change in the opinion of Guards in this survey when
compared to the results in 2007, nor is there any difference when compared to
the views of Operatives in the Door Supervision industry.
8.6 Whether Staff have been Subjected to Violence Overall, just under half of Security Guards (48%) have been subjected to some
form of violence, although this rises to two-thirds (66%) of Guards that have been
in the industry for five or more years. Guards are more likely to have been
subjected to verbal assaults rather than physical attack, however many have often
been subjected to both (i.e. 83% of those who have been physically attacked have
also been verbally assaulted at some point in the past).
Proportions of Security Guards being subjected to assault appears high, however
according to recent British Crime Survey statistics, 9% of individuals working in the
protective service occupations are threatened every year. Coupling this with the
fact that 60% of Security Guards interviewed have been in the industry for five or
more years, our findings appear realistic.
When comparing Security Guarding against other sectors, the British Crime
Survey reports that 3% of health care professionals had been subjected to some
form of violence in the previous 12 months, and 2% of those working in the
transport sector.
There is no difference in levels of being assaulted by nationality or ethnicity;
however those in the South West and West Midlands appear more likely to have
been subjected to attack. Approaching a third of those being physically attached
(i.e. 9% of the total audience) sustained an injury.
The Impact of Regulation
Page 55
Chart 8.7: Incidence of violence on Security Guards (Base: All 401 Operatives)
The proportion of Security Guards being subjected to assault is significantly lower
than in the Door Supervision industry, where 61% have been verbally assaulted
and 54% physically assaulted.
There was a wide range of physical violence encountered by Security Guards, with
the most common being punched, with over a quarter of those subjected to
physical violence claiming to have experienced this. Door Supervisors were
significantly more likely to have been punched or kicked compared to Security
Guards, with 59% and 20% claiming so in their 2010 research.
52%
21%
43%
48%
9%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
None
Physical
Verbal
Overall
Assault
Resulting in injury
The Impact of Regulation
Page 56
Chart 8.8: Most common nature of violence Security Guards have been subjected to (Base: All 120 Operatives that had been subject to physical violence)
7%
9%
10%
12%
16%
28%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Spat on
Kicked
Bottles/objects thrown
Stabbed/shot
Pushed/shoved
Punched
Security Industry Authority P.O. Box 49768 London WC1V 6WY Phone 020 7025 4100 Fax 020 7025 4101 E-mail info@sia.homeoffice.gov.uk
www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk
GEN/10-11/15 (SG)
top related