SIA enforcement update: five security compliance checks | October 2026
Update checked 12 October 2026. The SIA published a new quarterly compliance and enforcement report on 8 October, covering April–June 2026. This is new reporting about existing regulatory activity, not a new licensing rule or a notice that ACS has ended.
What the report means for security businesses
The report describes licensing decisions, inspections, training-centre assurance and action on ACS approval. It records 1,054 licence inspections and nine withdrawn ACS approvals in the quarter. Those figures describe the reported period; they do not predict an individual company’s risk or show a like-for-like weekly trend.
It also explains that a suspended licence takes immediate effect and prevents work in any licensable sector. Keep checks connected to deployment decisions, rather than treating an old staff-file copy as evidence of current status.
Five practical checks to run this week
The following are Clause Ten’s suggested review steps. They are not a replacement for the applicable SIA rules, ACS standard or authorised British Standards.
1. Licence checks: select a sample of deployed staff. Confirm the relevant activity and current licence status using the official register. Retain the check date, result and reviewer; escalate any mismatch before deployment.
2. Staff evidence: review screening, qualifications, competence and assignment briefings. Record what was checked and follow up incomplete evidence. Keep personnel-screening work distinct from SIA licensing decisions.
3. Supplier oversight: identify who supplies each operative, who checks eligibility and how concerns are escalated. Test one subcontracted assignment against the agreed process.
4. Actions: sample recent findings and complaints. Each should have an accountable owner, proportionate deadline and evidence that the corrective action worked.
5. Management review: bring recurring issues, licence-check exceptions and supplier findings to the responsible manager. Agree resources and follow-up rather than leaving a report unread.
ACS and BAS: keep facts separate from plans
The October report continues to describe the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme. BAS development should be monitored through official SIA announcements. Do not replace current ACS obligations with assumed future criteria, or present a pilot milestone as a confirmed end date for existing approvals.
Frequently asked questions
Does this report introduce new compliance requirements?
It reports enforcement activity. Review your controls against current official requirements and your contracts; the report itself is not a new standard.
Does ISO certification replace SIA licensing or ACS approval?
These serve different purposes. A management system can organise responsibilities and evidence, but an ISO certificate does not replace the required operative licence or a scheme’s own approval decision.
Can Clause Ten carry out the review with us?
Yes. We provide hands-on support with security compliance documentation, operational evidence, internal audits, management reviews and ongoing system maintenance. Scope is agreed around your activities, sites and current system.
Email contact@clausetenconsulting.com with your services, number of sites and next assessment date to discuss a focused review. Independent bodies make licensing, certification and scheme-approval decisions; consultancy cannot guarantee approval.
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