Security Industry Authority Approved Contractor Scheme

The Private Security Industry Act (PSIA) 2001 set the ground rules for the licensing of security officers operating within the security industry and commencing in March 2006 the self-regulated industry was replaced by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) who became responsible for regulating the private security industry throughout the United Kingdom.

The SIA cover two main duties:

• The compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated duties within the private security industry to ensure that they are ‘fit and proper’ persons, who have received formal training and are qualified to carry out their duties.
• Management of the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) which measures security companies against independently assessed criteria. The Approved Contractor Scheme is a voluntary scheme. Any company that is part of the scheme has chosen to be.

The ACS introduced a minimum level of achievement in respect of operational and performance standards for companies providing security services. The contractor is scored against 78 achievement indicators. These cover topics as diverse as staff training, financial management and the company’s health and safety policies.

Only organisations that meet these standards, and continue to do so when inspected annually, are awarded Approved Contractor status, and may advertise themselves as such. The ACS is a progressive quality standard. That means that the SIA continually raise the standard that companies must meet in order to be approved.

For further information on the SIA and ACS go to The SIA’s official site.