SIA training is changing in 2027: what door supervisors need to know

Published 29 October 2026

If you work on the doors, or you’re thinking about getting into security, you may have heard that SIA training is changing. That’s true, but the details aren’t final yet. Here’s a plain-English look at what’s been proposed, where it stands and what it could mean for you.

What’s happened so far?

On 28 August 2026, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) launched a public consultation on changes to its licence-linked qualifications. These are the qualifications you need before you can apply for a licence, such as the Level 2 Door Supervisor qualification.

The consultation ran until 23 October 2026 and is now closed. The SIA is looking at the responses. Trade press coverage says the final specifications are expected around the end of 2026, with the new qualifications following in 2027.

Important: everything below is a proposal. No final decisions have been published yet. Until the SIA confirms the changes, the current rules and qualifications still apply.

What did the SIA propose?

According to the SIA’s own announcement, the proposals came out of industry engagement and a strategic review carried out this year. The main ones are below.

More up-to-date course content

The SIA has proposed updated specifications for the training. These are the documents that set out what every course must cover. It says some people would need to do more training than they do now. Topics proposed for the common part of the training include:

• recording incidents and preserving crime scenes
• changes to the law, including awareness of Martyn’s Law
• changes to how security operatives respond to drug use
• better training on searching wheelchairs and other mobility aids
• dealing with social media “auditing” activity and new technology such as drones
• a refreshed counter-terrorism awareness package, developed with policing partners

Spiking awareness is already part of door supervision training. The SIA has proposed extending it to security guarding and CCTV courses too.

A new English language test

The SIA has proposed changing how learners show they can speak and understand English, including an additional independent English test. Clear communication matters on the door, whether you’re calming a situation down, talking to the police or writing up an incident.

Changes to first aid

This is the big one for many door supervisors. The SIA has proposed:

• a new security-specific first aid qualification, more closely matched to the incidents security staff actually deal with
• making an in-date first aid certificate a condition of your licence, which means the SIA could take action if you let it lapse

We’ve written a separate post on this: Why your first aid certificate could soon be a condition of your SIA licence.

Physical intervention for higher-risk work

The SIA has also proposed what it calls a first-of-its-kind, post-licence standard in advanced physical intervention skills for higher-risk deployments. It asked whether this should be voluntary or compulsory.

Other questions the SIA asked

The consultation also asked whether:

• trainers delivering SIA licence-linked training should have to hold an SIA licence for the sectors they teach
• close protection licence holders should still be allowed to work as door supervisors and security guards under their close protection licence

Why is this happening?

The SIA says the aim is to make sure security operatives have the essential, safety-critical skills and knowledge to keep themselves and the public safe. Its research found that 43% of licence holders say they’re dealing with increasing levels of violence at work, and 81% of survey respondents confirmed that communication skills are important.

What does this mean for you right now?

If you’re thinking of getting your licence: there’s no reason to wait. The current Door Supervisor qualification is still the one you need, and nothing has changed yet. Training now gets you working sooner.

If you already hold a door supervisor licence: keep an eye on your first aid certificate and your renewal date. Today’s rules already say you need a valid first aid qualification before you can do the Door Supervisor refresher course needed for renewal. We’ll update this post as soon as the SIA publishes its final decisions.

If you’re an employer or venue: Martyn’s Law awareness is proposed for the training, and Martyn’s Law itself is expected to come into force in spring 2027. It’s worth thinking now about what your team needs to know.

Training in Bootle, north Liverpool

Our training centre is at St Mary’s Complex, Waverley Street, Bootle L20 4AP, in north Liverpool. By train, take a Merseyrail Northern Line train towards Southport (from Liverpool Central, or change at Sandhills) to Bootle New Strand, about an 8-minute walk from us, or Bootle Oriel Road, about a 12-minute walk. Only Southport trains stop at Bootle, so check the destination board. Bootle Bus Station by the New Strand is about an 8-minute walk away, and there’s free on-site parking if you drive. We run the full Door Supervisor course, the Door Supervisor refresher and Emergency First Aid at Work, so you can get everything you need in one place.

Sources

• GOV.UK: SIA consults on changes to security licence qualifications (28 August 2026)
• GOV.UK: Proposed changes to SIA licence-linked qualifications (consultation)
• GOV.UK: Understanding Martyn’s Law and the SIA’s role as regulator

This post reflects the proposals as published by the SIA. Final decisions are still to come, and we’ll update it when they’re announced.