SIA Business Licence

R

rhea

Longterm Registered User
Just got back from a SIA seminar on licensing. My interest was in sole traders.

If you are self employed you do not need a BL, however if you are a sole trader with a LTD company then you will need a BL.

The cost is yet to be set by the HO but there will be an initial application cost and a yearly subscription. Plus to apply for the licence you will have to have the relevant British Standards for each sector that you wish to be involved in which can be costly. To help out for the first year for those with 10 or fewer employees or a new start up then there will be an e learning section on the SIA website but you will have to sit an exam which may be around £50 for each one.

There are no plan at this time but not totally excluded, to include Private Investigation in BL if licensing does come in next year.
 
Did they mention anything about the circumstances in which a business licence might be revoked? For instance companies who fail to pay workers for work done? Does the business licence require any good practice such as not charging staff for insurance, uniform or admin costs etc.?
 
There is something called "Financial Probity" and one of those conditions is to be compliant with company law. Nothing specific to your examples though.
 
had email off sia saying i was a limited company....pointed out that i was'nt.... and asked a few questions about how it effects dog handlers........they came back with it only concerns companies that provide dog handlers and guards/cp/ds...... i dont provide them so according to them i will not be effected.

I only do dog services....
 
The SIA will be attending the CP Networking event on Fri 22nd Nov 2013 in central London.

Contrary to popular belief they did agree to come and face their critics.

They will be specifically discussing the new Business Licence.

It will be interesting to see how eleoquently their critics challenge them.

CM
 
specialistk9 said:
had email off sia saying i was a limited company....pointed out that i was'nt.... and asked a few questions about how it effects dog handlers........they came back with it only concerns companies that provide dog handlers and guards/cp/ds...... i dont provide them so according to them i will not be effected.

I only do dog services....
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I think you'll find that in SIA speak if you are providing a dog and handler then you are providing guards, it is irrelevant to them that the guard also has a dog. The person in the partnership is doing the duties of a guard, the fact that he also has a dog helping him and handles the dog is seen as additional to that. Basically, if your handlers need SG licences then you will need a business licence if your company/service or whatever it is, comes under the definition for business licensing.
 
had a reply.......... apparently dog handlers per-say do not come under the sia act as they are NOT Quoted/stated in the act.... whilst they (sia) have prosecuted 4 handlers for working without a license they have lost ALL four cases........ and not prosecuted another 3 that i know of........ 2 were ndd and 1 gp............ like i said before.......from the sia legal department..... dog handlers are NOT covered by the sia act....... neither does it state in the act that a security guard with a dog is classed as a dog handler... this is mainly down to nasdu and bipdt stating that they police dog handlers.....
 
Just to let you guys know the SIA will be answering questions at the CPW conference on 22nd November.
30 mnute overview and then 15 mins for questions , weve reserved an extra 15 mins in the case it goes over as I know you lot are dying to talk to them in person :)
 
The mind boggles, another classic example of hastily thrown together with NO joined up thinking, shoddy legislation that does nothing to address the concerns and challenges of the legitimate operators!!!
Just wait until you see the scams etc that develop on the back of this!!
 
specialistk9 said:
had a reply.......... apparently dog handlers per-say do not come under the sia act as they are NOT Quoted/stated in the act.... whilst they (sia) have prosecuted 4 handlers for working without a license they have lost ALL four cases........ and not prosecuted another 3 that i know of........ 2 were ndd and 1 gp............ like i said before.......from the sia legal department..... dog handlers are NOT covered by the sia act....... neither does it state in the act that a security guard with a dog is classed as a dog handler... this is mainly down to nasdu and bipdt stating that they police dog handlers.....
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So, if I've got this right from what you've said, the SIA legal department themselves are saying that Dog handlers of whatever discipline, do not need an SIA licence, nor do companies providing dog handlers require a business licence when this comes into effect? Have I read this completely wrong or is that what they've told you? I would be interested to see a copy of their response to you if at all possible, not that I'm doubting you of course, just out of future arse covering!

Paul
 
I would be very interested if the SIA didn't recognise dog handlers as security guards!! I might make a killing in small, pocket sized dogs and would be able to supply 100's of non-guards for the sake of supplying a Shih Tzu to each of them for the duration of the job!!! Safe a fortune in business licensing fees!!! I apologise for being pedantic but its the role that is licensable, so a dog handler guarding a factory is guarding and security guarding is a licensable role, therefore the handler needs a badge, or maybe its the dog?
If you can prove me wrong I will donate £50 to the Dog's Trust!!
 
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