The mandatory contact time required by the SIA is 3 hours provided that you hold a valid Emergency First Aid at Work qualification (or higher) that includes Emergency Response, adhering to recommendations R140 and R141.

Additionally, the qualification must cover security-specific topics such as serious incident triage and handling acid attacks. You must also have completed the ACT E-learning and the required self-study, for which we have developed the Listen & Learn Audiobooks available to be streamed online.

This qualification was developed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in collaboration with its approved Awarding Organisations, including QNUK. Learners who successfully obtain this qualification will be eligible to apply for an SIA licence, enabling them to work in the private security sector within the United Kingdom.

It is designed for individuals who already hold a Security Officer licence and need to complete the 'Refresher' qualification to support relicensing. This course will be available from 1st October 2024 and will become mandatory starting 1st April 2025, directly supporting workplace roles.

The qualification is officially backed and developed by the SIA and its endorsed Awarding Organisations, such as QNUK, Pearson, Laser, SFJ, Highfield Qualifications, and BIIAB. While this qualification is available internationally, the SIA licence is only applicable in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and UK territories where an SIA licence is required (e.g., British embassies).

Since the legal systems of Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from those of England and Wales, these differences are addressed in the relevant sections of the qualification. However, employers may not always know which version of the qualification an employee has completed. Therefore, the SIA advises both security operatives and their employers to be aware of the specific legal requirements and laws relevant to the region in which they operate.