Decisions Officer – Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS)

Role Name: Decisions Officer – Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS)
Department: Licensing & Standards /Business Standards
Contract: Permanent
Location: London (hybrid working)
Security Clearance: BPSS
Region: London (Hybrid)
Grade: H (AO)
Salary: £26450-£29000 (The SIA policy is that all new starters are expected to start at the bottom of the grade.)

If you would like to apply for this role, please submit fill out the profile builder and provide a covering letter.

About Us

The SIA is the organisation responsible for the regulation of private security. It is an independent, arm’s length body (ALB) of the Home Office, reporting to the Home Secretary, under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s purpose protecting the public through effective regulation of the private security industry and working with partners to raise standards across the sector. Its regulatory remit covers the whole of the United Kingdom.

The SIA has two main duties: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities within the private security industry and the management of a voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, which measures private security suppliers against independently assessed criteria.

SIA licensing covers security operatives who are in guarding, door supervision, close protection, cash and valuables in transit, and public space surveillance using CCTV, vehicle immobilisation (in Northern Ireland) and key holding. Licensing ensures that private security operatives are fit and proper persons who are properly trained and qualified to do their job.

About the Role

We require an ACS Decisions Officer to take a critical role within the Business Standards function. The primary purpose of the role is to provide effective customer facing work as part of the ACS Decisions team. The role is to support the decision-making process for ACS applications and related matters to deliver fast and accurate decisions with a focus on efficient process and quality customer service, ensuring delivering against key performance indicator targets.

What are we looking for?

We want our future team player to have experience of managing and motivating a team to deliver a range of tasks at the highest level. Knowledge of the Approved Contractor Scheme and particular the terms and conditions of approval is key. Given the evolving nature of our industry, it’s vital our new team player is able to keep abreast of developments and changes within the private security industry and public protection as well as working in a fast-paced, but extremely exciting environment.

What you will be doing:

• To achieve team and individual performance targets through the delivery of performance and key performance indicators
• Prioritise and manage own workloads and meet targets and deadlines.
• Produce system reports and carry out audit checks on logged information.
• Using the most appropriate form of communication, respond to business queries in a prompt and professional manner, providing additional specialist advice when required. Draft high quality decisions letters, demonstrating appropriate consideration of any mitigation provided by the business and which can be successfully defended at appeal in court.
• Contribute to reviewing and amending processes together with highlighting new ACS licensing trends.
• Assist with the training and mentoring of staff, including the production of materials
• Make judgments on when case referrals to Partnership and Interventions or Formal Investigation may be appropriate. Ensure all documentation is correctly logged and information held is accurate, taking remedial action if incorrect.
• To obtain and accurately record evidence to support all decisions that may be appealed at court or to a civil standard and present material, including reports and evidence and where appropriate and liaise with the SIA’s legal advisors and senior managers to support cases being progressed to a conclusion.
• Correctly apply SIA criteria on a case-by-case basis in making ACS licensing decisions, including analysis of documents and investigations in relation to complex cases and anomalies.
• To work alongside the Intelligence, Inspections and Enforcement teams to identify and manage cases of non-compliance or non-conformance
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as requested from time to time, within the job-holder’s capabilities. Providing cover for other business standards where required.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Health & Safety practices, data handling policies and equal opportunity / diversity issues, both internally and externally.
• To demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the SIA’s operational teams and departments roles and responsibilities and their policies and procedures within the private security industry and the ACS.
• To operate consistently within the SIA’s internal policies and procedures
• Ensure procedures and practices comply with the Private Security Industry Act 2001, SIA Policies, the Data Protection Act, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, Criminal Procedure and Investigatory Powers Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the Human Rights Act and all relevant legislation
• To undertake relevant training and self-development in order to become multi-skilled in the processing of individual licensing and the approval of companies applying for ACS status.

Key Outputs of Role:

• Manage ACS applications and provide support to all aspects of the approved contractor scheme.

• Support quality improvement within the approved contractor scheme working closely with internal teams, including but not limited to Business Standards, Intelligence & Inspections & Enforcement.

What skills are we looking for?

Essential:

• Able to understand and interpret legislation and then apply this to everyday compliance activity.
• Experience in undertaking challenging conversations with people whether this be on the phone or email.
• Able to persuade and influence people to take the necessary action applying appropriate questioning techniques when required.
• Experience in managing caseloads and adhering to tight deadlines involving the exercising of judgement.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of researching information and providing briefing material.
• Experience of working in a customer focused environment and development of customer relationship.
• Proven ability to prioritise urgent issues whilst achieving outcomes to agreed deadlines.
• Ability to communicate (by oral and written means) to a high standard.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and to deal with a wide range of people in a professional manner.
• Experience of effective relationship building with customers and key stakeholders
• Able to act under own initiative, effectively manage own workload, making sound recommendations and judgements on the next required course of action.
• Able to take accountability for own performance and development.
• An uncompromising approach to customer service.
• An understanding of the need, and ability, to hold information in confidence when appropriate.

What can you expect from us?

• A welcoming and innovative work environment.
• Continued support and development opportunities.
• Access to training for attainment of recognised qualifications.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave entitlement will be 27.5 days, rising by one additional day for every two years of service up to a maximum of 32.5 days.
• A variety of discounts including Gymflex,
• Civil Service Pension Scheme – Employee contribution between 4.60% and 7.35% and Employer contribution between 26.60% and 30.30%

Selection process for this role:

If you would like to apply for this role, please complete the profile builder and submit a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the essential’, competency skills outlined within this advert, and ‘essential’, skills and experience within the job description.

The interview will be competency based (Also known as structured, behavioural, or situational interviews they are designed to test one or more skills or competencies).

• Closing date Sunday 16th February 2025
• Interview to be held via Microsoft Teams
• Interview date scheduled for Mon 3rd March 2025
• We would like the successful candidate to start asap

The SIA is committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Our approach: do more than just our duty. We explain this in more detail in our equality, diversity and inclusion policy. We actively promote equality, take positive action to redress inequality and build a culture that champions diversity and inclusion. By doing this, we will ensure that we build equality, diversity and inclusion into the way we think and work. As an employer, the diversity of our employees enriches us and enables us to better carry out our role as a regulator. We value the skills and qualities each employee brings with them into the organisation. And we improve representation wherever we need to foster a culture of inclusion that our employees lead, own and champion.

If you’d like to know anything before applying such as more on the location, salary, or our recruitment policies etc, please just let us know and we’ll be happy to help. You can contact the recruiter for this role at (Recruitment@sia.gov.uk )