Walbrook Business Centre Green Lane Hounslow Middlesex TW4 6NWRegistered in England and Wales Number 3022670 VAT Registration Number 656 6398 87

Magenta Security Services Ltd

www.magentasecurity.co.uk0800 772 3786

The government is introducing sweeping new changes to the way contract security guards are

regulated. If your security provider does not meet the requirements of the new business licensing regulations then could be liable for fines, or even court action.

These new regulations will change the face of the security industry, with hundreds, if not thousands, of agencies and unregulated security providers swept away and replaced by legitimate security providers.

Ensure that your security staff are properly trained, supported and insured by a professional contract security company, so your business will have robust protection from break-ins, fires, floods, health issues as well as any other unforeseen security situations.

Waiting until licensing arrives is simply not an option. Employment agencies won’t have the necessary back-up or resources to qualify and will disappear. As a result of the massive increase in demand, professional contract security companies may not have the capacity to respond quickly

enough. The result? Your business may be left without security services.

Make sure that your business is in safe hands; act now prevent your business losing its security detail overnight.

Read on to discover exactly what the new licensing regime requires, and what you need to do next …

Who do the Business Licensing regulations apply to?The upcoming changes to the way security companies are regulated are broad in scope and will affect all companies who supply security guards under contract for any purpose, even if security is only a secondary function of their role.

The regulations apply to all providers of security staff, including agencies, and regardless of the business’s size, location or legal status. The regulations will also apply to companies who supply any kind of security staff, including those who are part-time or, crucially, who are self-employed.

Simply put, the company who supplies your business’s security guards under

contract must have a business licence in all circumstances.

What does Business Licensing require of my security company?Many businesses currently source their security guards from employment agencies, often the same ones who supply staff for their catering, cleaning or warehouse staff.

Under the new Business Licensing regulations, all providers of contract security will be required to meet a specific set of criteria specifically designed to ensure high standards of safety, quality and employee protection.

Agencies and rogue operators will have neither the desire nor the means to implement these changes, and as a result will no longer be able to legally supply security staff.

Make sure your business is protected by hiring a professional security company who qualifies fully under the forthcoming Security Industry Authority (SIA) regulations.

Business Licensing is coming – are you ready? How to make sure your security guards don’t disappear overnight …

Walbrook Business Centre Green Lane Hounslow Middlesex TW4 6NWRegistered in England and Wales Number 3022670 VAT Registration Number 656 6398 87

Magenta Security Services Ltd

www.magentasecurity.co.uk0800 772 3786

In order to qualify under Business Licencing, your security supplier must be able to provide:

Insurance of up to £10mIn the event of an emergency on your business premises, the law will soon require your security supplier to be fully insured for up to a maximum of £10m for all on-site staff.

You may be surprised to hear that this is not already the case. If your security guards are self-employed and your current provider is not insured, and there were a fire, flood, or other accident on site, then the liability falls on you, and your insurance, as the business owner.

This would not only be catastrophic for your business, but, under business licensing, it would be illegal.

Support from a 24-hr control roomIf there’s something strange, and it don’t look good, who they gonna call? – The control room.

It is truly shocking how many small security firms and agencies supply self-employed guards without any centralized control room support. If your self-employed guard is working alone at 2am and has an accident, he is completely on his own.

Security guards supported by a control room must call in to give a status update every hour. In addition the control room will regularly contact the guard, just to make sure that everything is safe and secure on site.

Access to mobile back-upIn an emergency you need to know that your security guards are well

supported. If there is a break-in during the night, for example, your security guards may need to call in back-up personnel.

This means mobile security units, ready to respond to a request for aid at a moment’s notice.

Under Business Licensing regulations, security suppliers will need to show that they can provide this kind of back-up to their security guards.

The proper systems in placeIn addition to these requirements, all security providers will be subject to audit by the SIA, whereas currently the regime is voluntary.

This means they need to keep proper financial records, hold comprehensive details about the premises to which they provide security, and full details of their staff’s training and employment records.

Crucially, this means that all security companies will be responsible for the legal right of their security guards to work in the United Kingdom. Currently, less reputable companies have been able to side-step this regulation by providing only self-employed guards.

How to I make sure the security of my business is guaranteed under the new regulations?Simple: by hiring a security provider who already meet and exceed the expectations of the forthcoming Business Licensing regulations.

A security company who are fully insured against any incidents which might occur, protecting your business physically as well as financially.

A provider who provides its guards with 24 hour support and back-up, both over the phone, and from mobile security units. A security company who values its staff and give them full training, support and benefits.

A security company like Magenta Security.

About Magenta SecurityMagenta Security is a multi-award winning security provider which has been safeguarding businesses all over the UK for twenty years.

Whether you are looking for security officers, mobile patrols, electronic security or a host of other security services we have the skills and the experience to deliver the very best quality results.

Magenta Security is one of the foremost innovators in the contract security industry, has been rated in the top 5% of all contract security companies in the UK by the SIA, and is consistently commended in national and regional awards for outstanding customer service.

And, of course, we are fully compliant with the upcoming changes to the Business Licensing laws …

To request a quote for your security needs right now click here.