The SIA Licence Application Tracker allows applicants will be able to check that their licence application form is on their way to them, and once completed, see whether it has been received by the SIA and accepted for processing.
The new SIA Licence Tracker
Applicants will then be able to log on and view the progress of the application from the initial checks through to granting the licence and its eventual dispatch.
Paul Douglas, the organisation’s Assistant Director of Licensing said:
“I am delighted that the SIA online tracker has been launched. We have listened closely to our customers through satisfaction surveys and workshops to get feedback on the application process.
“We learned a lot from the experience gained throughout the implementation of licensing in England and Wales. We are aware of the challenges faced by companies in the training and licensing of their employees.”
The compulsory licensing of individuals working in specific sectors of the private security industry is one of the SIA’s main responsibilities, with a remit covering England, Scotland and Wales.
It takes an average of six weeks for the organisation to complete the necessary licence checks and to make a decision on an application. However, the SIA warned that complex applications, like those subject to further CRB checks or overseas criminality checks, may take longer to process.
The SIA has said that its contact centre will not respond to queries regarding licence applications until this six week period has elapsed, and a correctly completed application will only appear on the status checker once preliminary checks and scanning has been completed.
This currently lasts around eight working days and applicants are being asked to allow this time before checking the status of their application on the website.