SIA's initiative to tackle labour exploitation

Security Industry Authority brought together senior pioneers from the 30 largest private security businesses to discuss labour exploitation. This summit followed a similar event in December 2024, at which the 20 largest businesses were represented.

These events form part of Operation EMPOWER, which is the SIA’s response to labour exploitation. EMPOWER involves a dedicated multi-disciplinary team that includes intelligence specialists and criminal investigators working closely with HMRC. The event was intended to build on work started in December with a wider range of voices from the industry.

Private security services

Michelle Russell, SIA Chief Executive, welcomed the delegates and said: "This meeting comes at an important time for the private security industry and the SIA, where strategic engagement and partnership between the regulator and the industry can deliver positive change."

"Together we can make a significant difference, strengthening the regulatory regime, rooting out criminality and improving public trust and confidence in the delivery of private security services."

Collaboration and change in culture

Paul Fullwood, SIA Director of Inspections and Enforcement, said: "We have a shared responsibility to do the right thing. Collaboration and a change in culture is the key to this. The harm to individuals from labour exploitation is unacceptable; for every corrupt and criminal action carried out to maximise profit, there is likely to be a victim who is being deprived of their rights."

"We are very keen to engage, and very glad to have influential voices from the private security industry here with us. The solution to many of these problems can be found in this room - however, we will be engaging further across the UK private security industry."

Two questions from SIA

The SIA asked delegates to consider 2 questions in particular:

• What are the top 10 things that are broken or that prevent the UK private security industry from tackling labour exploitation effectively?
• What are the top 10 actions that the private security industry or the SIA can do to address labour exploitation across the UK private security industry?

SIA’s new business approval scheme

Topics under discussion included: the criminal gains to be made from non-compliant behaviour; issues raised by sub-contracting; educating buyers about the part they play in preventing labour exploitation; the SIA’s new business approval scheme (which is scheduled to replace the existing Approved Contractor Scheme); improvements in data-sharing between the SIA and the private security industry.

The summit closed with a commitment from all present to work in partnership to start developing key workstreams based on the discussions and put industry names to actions to take forward. The SIA is planning further engagement to capture the expertise and knowledge from others across the UK private security industry.