Hello and Welcome to the new home of SDS Solutions.  This web site has been completely redesigned so as to make navigating your way around it child’s play.

Included in this site is our NEW E-Learning Portal, designed to deliver distance learning content directly to the students home computer/laptop.  There by cutting down the time needed to be sat in a classroom, away from home and away from work.  Along with the NEW look Web Site, SDS are happy to announce that we have also relocated our training center to the Cotswold’s.  Below are a few photographs that were taken at our new training venue, as you can see the facilities that we have at our disposal are second to none and as a result our students learning experience is also second to none.

Hot Off The Press …. Hot Off The Press …. Hot Off The Press …. Hot Off The Press ….

New Legal Requirement For Working With Children And Vunerable Adults.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been created to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults.

They do this by working in partnership with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and other delivery partners. Read more about how they will provide this service.

Increased safeguards have now been introduced under the Vetting and Barring Scheme, from October 12^th 2009:

• It is now a criminal offence for individuals barred by the ISA to work or apply to work with children or vulnerable adults in a wide range of posts – including most NHS jobs, Prison Service, education and childcare. Employers also face criminal sanctions for knowingly employing a barred individual across a wider range of work;
• The three former barred lists (POCA, POVA and List 99) are being replaced by two new ISA-barred lists;
• Employers, local authorities, professional regulators and other bodies have a duty to refer to the ISA, information about individuals working with children or vulnerable adults where they consider them to have caused harm or pose a risk of harm. Referral forms and referral guidance are available.

VBS Guidance is also available covering the increased safeguards and the duties to refer introduced from the 12^th October.

The basics

You can apply for registration through your employer if you have one, or if you are applying for a job, through your prospective employer. If you are self-employed – as a childminder, for example – you will need to apply yourself. You will be able to do this through the website as the ISA vetting service is phased in.

Employees

If you are already employed to work with children or vulnerable adults and have had a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, you will need to apply for ISA registration in due course. Details of how and when you should apply will become available on this site.

If you are employed to work with children or vulnerable adults and have not been CRB checked you will need to apply for ISA registration as early as possible. Details of how and when to do this will become available on this site.

In both cases you will need to pay a one-off fee. Once you have paid for registration we will give you a personal ISA Registration Number and you remain on our database even if you change employers.

Volunteers

If you work or want to work with vulnerable people you will need to apply to register with us in exactly the same way as an employee. The only difference is that we do not charge an application fee for volunteers.

Unsuitable people

If you have a record of unsuitability for working with vulnerable groups or if you have committed certain offences, we may not be able to register you. Instead you will be put on an ISA Barred List and may not be able to work with vulnerable people.

If you apply for a job with children or vulnerable adults when you know you have been barred you could be fined or face imprisonment.

Your privacy

ISA registration does not mean that we make your details available to the general public. Only employers will be able to access your information – and only after you give them your ISA Registration Number. Employers will only be able to check that you are in fact ISA-registered. Only ISA case workers and the police will have access to information we hold about you.

Fees

We will charge a small fee for applications to register with the ISA as an employee or self-employed worker. This fee covers our administration costs and you will only be asked to pay it once, no matter how many times you change jobs.

Please note: ISA-registration for the Vetting and Barring Scheme does not start for new workers or those moving jobs until July 2010 and ISA-registration does not become mandatory for these workers until November 2010.  Further information on how to apply for registration will be provided on the ISA Web Site in due course.

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New SIA Licencing Requirements – Control & Restraint…!

There is a very strong rumour out there at the moment that sometime during October the SIA (Security Industry Authority) will be announcing that ALL Door Supervision Licence holders will be required to undertake and pass a Physical Intervention Skills course as a requirement to continuing to hold a valid Licence.  We understand that this will eventually apply to ALL Front-line Licences, Close Protection through to Vehicle immobiliser.

Most of you will agree with us that this is a good thing as  continued Professional Development only strengthens an operators footing within the industry.  The only downside we can see with the introduction of this training requirement is the time scale that the SIA are allowing for it be achieved, rumour has it that the SIA are expecting ALL current Door Supervisor Licence holder to complete a training course within 9 months of the announcement …. Yep that’s what we have heard 9 Months….!   What will happen to anyone who does not achieve this deadline we do not know, only time will tell.

Needless to say we at SDS Solutions have made sure that we are in a position as of NOW to deliver one of the approved training courses, therefore being able to offer industry operators the chance to beat the mad rush that will no doubt ensue when the SIA make a formal announcement. Check out our COURSE section in this web site to see details, prices of this and many other Professional Development Courses available to you, you can even purchase a course online now….!

 So guy’s please feel free to watch this space for updates to this very interesting SIA rumour.

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SIA to introduce New Updated and Modular Training….!

This follows an industry-led review of the SIA specifications that drive training content. The new specifications reflect current industry best practice so that individuals working in the security sectors undergo good basic training for their role.

A new structure with core plus specialist modules means less overlap and duplication in content across the sectors. This will make it easier to get qualified to obtain more than one licence, as just the relevant and required training needs to be taken for each additional qualification.

The new qualifications are now being developed by the awarding bodies and will be offered by training providers across the UK from:

• June 2010 for door supervisors; and
• January 2010 for operatives in all other sectors (September 2010 in Scotland).

After these dates, all applicants applying for an SIA licence for the first time must hold either the new qualification; or a current qualification that is less than three years old.

Hazel Russell, SIA director of Strategy and Corporate Services, said: “Licensing for security operatives has done much to reduce criminality and raise standards in the private security industry.

“As the role and responsibilities of security staff evolve, it is important that their training reflects these changes and equips them for the challenges they face.

We now have industry-led content, meaning it is relevant and has been developed in conjunction with those working in the licensable sectors. This will benefit the operatives, businesses and the public.”

The content for all of the SIA specifications has changed and been updated. For most sectors there are not major changes to the content areas included. The exception is door supervision, where significant changes have been made at the request of industry to reflect up to date working practices.

There are currently no further training requirements for any existing licence holders who wish to renew their licence. However, because of the changes to the door supervision area, there may at a future date, be a need for a short ‘top-up’ training session for this sector. This proposal will need to be subject to public consultation and will not be a requirement, if at all, until after May 2011. Any requirement will be announced a year before this date to give the industry plenty of time to do the training.

Notes to Editors:

The new modular qualification structure: 

A full certificate for the relevant sector is still required. The new modular format means those undergoing the training (for most sectors) will take common units – core security, and conflict management – followed by a specific unit for each security sector.

A licensed operative who has already passed the two common units will therefore only need to sit the relevant additional specialist unit if they wish to gain a licence for another sector.

The qualifications are taken by applicants for front line licences. Applicants for non-front line licences do not require a qualification because they do not carry out front line activities. Those applying for a Key Holding licence will not need to take a qualification.

As there is a different qualifications system in Scotland, the new regime will be introduced there later. The new door supervision qualification will be introduced from June 2010, and the other unitised qualifications from September 2010.

Several different types of organisation are involved in the creation and delivery of the licence-linked qualifications.

• The SIA sets competency standards and specifies qualifications for licensing;
• The qualification regulation authorities accredit qualifications and approve awarding bodies
• Awarding bodies develop qualifications and operate the examination system against the SIA specifications, approve training and assessment centres, award the qualification and input data into the SIA qualifications database
• Training providers are responsible for delivering training courses.

The Security Industry Authority regulates the private security industry in Great Britain under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, reporting to the Home Secretary. Its main duties are: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities; managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme approving private security suppliers.