SIA continues crackdown on training malpractice

The Security Industry Authority's (SIA) interim director of inspections and enforcement Pete Easterbrook has given an update on the SIA's current crackdown on training malpractice.

Over the last three months, the SIA has conducted 35 unannounced visits to training providers around the country. 12 of these were as a direct result of information received that training malpractice had taken place.

The SIA has also collaborated with awarding organisations who withdrew their approval to deliver licence-linked qualifications from 5 training centres in response to reported malpractice and mismanagement.

81 action points have been issued to a number of training providers, where it has has been identified that improvement needs to take place.

The SIA has met with chief executives from the six awarding organisations and agreed new procedures to prevent training providers from switching awarding organisations after they have had sanctions put in place or approval withdrawn because of malpractice or mismanagement. There were also discussions around new innovations in collaboration with the awarding organisations and Ofqual to combat training malpractice.

Easterbrook said: "I would also like to highlight that at the end of April, acting on intelligence and working in conjunction with an awarding organisation, we carried out an unannounced visit at a training provider in East London. During the inspection we uncovered malpractice that led to the provider swiftly being suspended from delivering licence-linked qualifications. Our enquiries are still ongoing to discover the extent of the malpractice.

"Where we have a suspicion that malpractice has taken place, we will not hesitate to take action.

"This activity represents the effectiveness of a more streamlined and joined-up approach to tackle malpractice or mismanagement.

"We all need to be confident that those who hold SIA licences receive the correct entry level qualification."