Becoming A Security Officer/Door Supervisor

Security officers and door supervisors work in positions of trust, not just to the general public but also to other members of their team. Because to this, it is absolutely vital that anyone thinking of becoming a professional security officer or door supervisor can show they have been checked, trained and accredited to a suitable standard.

Undertaking approved security training and obtaining an SIA licence is far and away the best way to do this.

Types of SIA licence

There are two types of SIA licence which individuals looking to work as a security officer and/or door supervisor can obtain: frontline and non-frontline.

Frontline – This licence is required by anyone who will be working directly with members of the public in a service delivery environment or as the first point of contact to customers at a venue/premises. A good example of a frontline professional is someone who controls a point of entry at a licensed premises to determine whether or not customers are suitable for entry (this, along with the responsibility to maintain order within the premises itself, is the basic remit of a door supervisor).

Non-frontline – This license is issued to anyone who is not expecting to be involved directly with the general public/customers but is likely to be responsible for the managing or supervising of frontline officers. This, along with the task of maintaining overall control of a team and/or premises, is the basic remit of security supervisor, manager or director.

Difference between frontline and non-frontline SIA licences

In order to obtain a frontline security licence, an individual must undertake and successfully complete any one of the SIA approved security courses which lead to a nationally recognised qualification. In contrast, individuals who are looking to obtain a non-frontline licence are not required to undertake SIA training. It is important to note that both types of licence require applicants to sanction a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check by the SIA. During this process, applicants need to tick the ‘frontline’ box if they have completed a SIA training course prior to applying for an SIA licence. The actual licence also differs between the two categories: a frontline licence is a credit card-type badge whereas a non-frontline licence is a paper-type certification.

Relevance of SIA ‘Approved Status’

Once an individual has successfully completed their SIA training and obtained a relevant qualification they can apply for their SIA licence and look for work under ‘approved status’. If a candidate can show prospective employers (approved contractors) that they have applied for their SIA licence and are waiting for it to be processed then approved contractors are legally allowed to hire them. However, this does not apply to individuals who are looking to work as a door supervisor in pubs, nightclubs and some other public entertainment venues. Candidates looking to gain employment in these circumstances must hold the actual SIA licence (badge) before they can be hired as door supervisors will be working within public entertainment venues where alcohol may be present.