Close Protection UK
Close Protection Services

Close Protection Qualification

To earn a close protection badge, you will need qualifications. Just a simple defense course will not make the cut. You will have to qualify to get into close protection. You will need close protection qualifications which include the SIA (Security Association License). This is not just for our company. If you want to work in this particular sector in the UK, you will need the SIA license.

Do not fall for those 5 to ten days of training which will unlimitedly not be worth your while or money. These types of unlicensed courses are not accepted in the UK. People providing you the course may promise your work abroad. However, only SIA license works in this region. Other countries might approve of other licenses, but UK's government definitely does not. Other licenses may not be credible and can be expensive. Hence, it is better to stay away from them. The SIA license is a verified and valid license which any reputed close protection company in the UK will accept. Thus, you will have more employment options.

Credible courses will give you a level 3 certificate in close protection. Moreover, you will need this level 3 close protection certificate to apply for the SIA license. In contrast, if you already have accreditation through the military or police, you can directly apply for a SIA license. A BTEC level 3 close protection course will help you acquire new skills and test you in challenging and real scenarios. You will learn everything a lot of things.

There are only four bodies which can give you a close protection level 3 certificate. Firstly, you can get one from the Highfield awarding body for compliance commonly known as HABC. Then you have Edexcel and Buckinghamshire New University. Last but not the least is City and Guilds.

Once you have your appropriate close protection certificate, you can apply for the SIA license. You will have to fill in the SIA application form. You need to follow all the instructions mentioned on the form. Be careful while writing down your details, you would not want to make any mistakes. Do not miss out on any information or else you might just get rejected. There is nothing called too much information when it comes to working in this sector. The processing time is a minimum of 6 weeks. However, do not get your hopes high. You will need to be patient because sometimes it might take a lot longer like six months. However, it will all sum up to be amazing in the end. After getting your CPO license, you will be legally allowed to work. But if you have lived in any other country other than the UK or you are currently living overseas, you will need a police record check completed in each of the countries you have lived in.

There is a certain thing that you will have to keep in mind. The SIA certificate does not necessarily mean that you are the best in the field. It just means that you have completed some of the basic requirements needed for working in this field. Having this SIA license will indicate that you are an individual who has acquired basic training which means training for a minimum of 140 hours. It will teach you the ways specialist forces in the UK operate. You will learn to work in teams. Moreover, you will be able to assess risk. You will learn to communicate in difficult situations. Do not think that getting the SIA license does not require any theoretical knowledge. To finally get a license, you will have to sit for an examination which includes 40 multiple choice questions. You will definitely have to pass that exam to award yourself with the SIA license.

Applying for a front line close protection license to SIA does not come cheap. You will need 245 pounds and the license will last you about 3 years. But the good thing is that you will not need any prior experience or professional training. You can start getting some real action as soon as you get yourself the SIA license.