The Security Industry Authority (SIA) and the BSIA have endorsed the work of the Keyholding and Response Consultation Group which has just delivered a National Occupational Standard tailored to this arm of private sector security provision.

Alan Martin – SITO’s head of standards development – said: “While the SIA licences for keyholders and security officers provide assurances of the minimum standard of competence, this new qualification sets the benchmark of occupational competence for people who hold keys and respond to events at clients’ sites.”

The Standard and a proposed National and Scottish Vocational Qualification for Keyholding and Alarm Response Officers covers all the traditional keyholding activities, from initial response and visiting sites through to locating alarms.