What is most people’s idea of the archetypal bouncer? A squat, ferocious man always spoiling for a fight and unable to keep his temper in check? Well, unfortunately the answer to that question for many people is a definite “Yes”. But the term “Door Supervisor”, which is the correct job title, is presently and gladly free of such associations. Though the reputation which surrounds public-facing security professionals is often fuelled with stories that portray them as being dangerous types who derive job satisfaction from the pursuit of hitting people, anyone who has genuine experience of the Private Security Industry these days knows this is most certainly not the these days.
The SIA training for Door Supervisors shows up exactly how false the old stories are in relation to the professionals who work in the locals of South Wales. There are no classes on how to beat a man senseless. Private security is an extremely serious business, and anyone who has been doing it for a living realises that the public often view Door Supervisors as being almost equivalent to policemen
A Door Supervisor’s job is, purely and simply, to protect the safety of staff and customers upon licensed premises. They may exercise the right to refuse entry to anyone who they deem to be unsuitable, whether because they are under age, too scruffily or provocatively dressed or, in the Supervisor’s estimation, a likely troublemaker. If the Door Supervisor suspects that someone is carrying an offensive weapon, drugs or drug paraphernalia, they are legally entitled to conduct a search prior to admitting or turning the individual away.
If you wish to work as a Door Supervisor in the UK your first step is a simple one – get licensed, and do it now if you can. Working as a Security professional without having the correct SIA training for the role concerned is a criminal offence, and could see you behind bars for six months – or £5,000 poorer. An SIA training course lasting just four days, a couple of exams passed and a CRB check are all you need in order to remove those risks.
After the doors have been shut to prevent anyone else entering, the supervisor becomes more concerned with patrolling the premises and they monitor the interior and exterior of the venue for any illegality, preventing violence and dealing with miscreants in the appropriate manner, which may include the ejection or arrest of anyone who is believed to pose a threat to other customers.
The SIA training course for Door Supervisors, should you pass the exams, grants you the Integrated Licence that enables you to work as a Security Guard as well. Training as a door supervisor is therefore unquestionably your best option should you wish to find employment within the leisure and retail sectors of the security industry. The SIA training syllabus covers more modules, of a more varied nature, than those on the syllabus for Security Guards, yet does this over the same 30-hour period. It is therefore definitely safe to say that the Door Supervision accreditation is measurably tougher to get, but the result will be a far greater benefit to you in terms of employability.
The only level of accreditation above that of Door Supervision is Close Protection (or Bodyguarding), but as the SIA training course for a Close Protector’s licence takes 150 classroom hours and requires you to pay for and arrange an independent First Aid qualification it requires a commitment which demands your absolute certainty and genuine belief in your ability to find a Close Protector job.
SIA Training courses in Cardiff take place at the Campanile Hotel in Prestwych, well within reach of public transport. The 4 day course runs for a total of thirty hours – twenty-eight of these hours are classroom time during which the syllabus is studied, and two are exam hours.
The syllabus is in two units. Unit 1 deals with the role of a Door Supervisor, and covers such topics as behaviour; drugs; licensing; civil and criminal law and powers of arrest, in addition to how to liase with the emergency services. Other compulsory elements within this part of the SIA training programme include Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety.
The second unit covers Communication Skills and Conflict Management. This is the section of the course which entails the elements of the job that Door Supervisors or “bouncers” are typically known for, such as preventing violence or ejecting people from the venue for breaches of any law or venue policy. In this unit of the course, matters of how one does the job of Door Supervisor are dealt with (the first part being concerned with “why”) and the prospective Supervisor familiarises himself with best practice for resolving conflicts.
On successful completion of this SIA training course, the candidate gains their licence to work as a Door Supervisor – results are posted on the awarding body’s website ten days after the exam.
Gaining a licence for Key Holding under the SIA's auspices does not require any training or qualifications, though this doesn't mean it isn't a difficult job. It may sound simple to have the only training required for to be a Key Holder is that your employer must trust you, but this itself has it's own problems. Before accepting the responsibility of being a Key Holder for an employee or client, you must pass your own set of training – can you do this? Will you be good at it? Are you trustworthy? It seems to odd to ask oneself these questions, but you must, because as soon as you accept the role of Key Holder you are putting yourself in a position of extreme responsibility, and this is a decision that should never be taken lightly.
If you genuinely can be sure you've given the job the due care and attention it deserves, you can accept the offer of becoming a Key Holder. With that under your belt, you can act as a Key Holder without any problems whatsoever. This means that you can be called upon to open the premises at any given time at the behest of the proprietor, for whatever reason. Your role as Key Holder should only involve opening the premises; what is important is that you do not undertake any activity that may fall under the definition of "manned guarding activities" – as these do require that you gain the correct SIA training.
You can get a Key Holding Licence simply by contacting the SIA. The only criterion you must satisfy is the lower age requirement – anyone under the age of 18 cannot by law work as a Key Holder. So what exactly does being a Key Holder really entail?
The Key Holder duties are often carried out alongside other job responsibilities, and are often given to the senior members of staff by the employer or client. Although in the hierarchy of SIA accreditation the duty of Key Holder is some way down the list, being included as an Integrated qualification on all other qualifications, the role is not without responsibility – hence of course the lower age limit of 18. Due to the obvious security considerations entailed by possessing a key to a place of business, it is judged that anybody younger than 18 cannot legally be given this responsibility. This trust is unique, and if offered it by an employee or client you know you are doing your job well. As long as you think long and hard about taking the role, ensuring you know you can give the job what it needs, then accepting the role is a further step up the career ladder.
The SIA issues licences to people who would wish to act as key holders, but does not operate a training course for key holding. The simple reason for this is that anybody can technically be a key holder. There is no particular mental or physical skill involved in the act of key holding, and certainly nothing that could be affected by a period of training. The sole criterion on which a person's eligibility to be a key holder hinges is their trustworthy nature. If you can be trusted to hold a key, you qualify. It's really that simple.
None of this is to say that the task of Key Holding is an unimportant one. The Key Holder's reliability is of paramount importance, as they are required to be ready to act if the primary key for the premises is mislaid or stolen. Should the key have been stolen, there is a danger that the thief will attempt to make use of it as soon as is practically possible. To forestall this possibility, the police and/or premises security team should be called and should be met at the premises by the Key Holder, who will let them in t investigate further. If the designated Key Holder is also a security guard or other member of security staff, then they may also take part in the search of the premises.
The Key Holder for a building is not permitted to conduct a search if the only SIA accreditation they hold is that of a Key Holder. By taking part in any search they will be in contravention of the Public Security Industry Act and, technically, breaking the law, as they are not qualified in terms of evidence and crime scene preservation techniques, and their presence on the scene could invalidate the results of any search that takes place. For this reason it is common practice for the position of Key Holder in a company to go to an existing member of security staff, removing any confusion of roles and responsibilities. As any security worker who has gone through SIA training will automatically have gained an Integrated Key Holder's licence, this is by far the most straightforward approach.
