SIA licence for Key Holding?

Can it really be the case that if I pay somebody to be a keyholder for my commercial premises (in case of a break in etc) that they and or I have to have a licence from the Home Office

Licensable Activities

 

If they work for you, No.
But if you hire a security firm the people they employ must be sia.
You don't need sia for yourself to hold your own keys.

 

Wot he said ^

 

So I can't have Joe Bloke do it on the side and issue me an invoice? He's either got to be PAYE on my books or get himself an SIA licence?

Presumably I can have a "cleaner" who works freelance and also comes out if the alarm goes off?

 

The Sia key handling side is more aimed at the private security side of things were say "Securicor/G4S" held your keys, because they also hold the keys for many other businesses.
I think you could get away with someone you trust having the keys with them employed on a zero hour contract, that way they are directly employed by you, so no sia needed.

But as stated above if you employ a security company they will be need sia and that will be down to the security company not you.

 

I can see it for a security company employing a number of staff. Reduce that down though and it's, say, one bloke providing a service to one customer. ......

I can really do without taking someone on, zero hour contract or not.....

 

This does not apply to:

• the activities of a person who holds a key or other device for obtaining access to any premises for the purposes incidental to the provision in relation to those premises, or in relation to an individual present on those premises, or any services that do not consist of or include the carrying out of any of the manned guarding activities.

By my reading of this section if they perform no guarding duties they can be a keyholder without an SIA Licence. Chose who you want and don't sweat - all they need are a keyholder (or two or three) and are none too worried about SIA.

 

Theres a bit more. Will reply when at pc

Posted from the ARRSE Mobile app (iOS or Android)

 

What Sinner said is correct but - you have to consider the following:

Your insurance.
Culpability.

If the keyholding includes alarm response or "lock-ups" then somewhere along the lines something is going to happen and...as in everything in the security industry...the moment the contract is signed it's "game on". The security versus the owner versus the monitoring station. When there is need for an insurance claim then blame needs to be apportioned and no parties want to accept it. If you give your keys to any old person who is not with an accreditted firm then the insurance could be affected.

I have a few examples that are pertinent but have to go out now. Will post more later.

 

I'm showing that the Mother in law, according to that daft baggage I'm never right.

 

I'm as confused as a baby raccoon!

 

Ex-Stab - the long & short of it is this: You can give anyone your keys, it's entirely up to you but - should anything happen your insurance could be affected if the keyholder is not an employee or an accredited company. There are lots of things keyholding companies have to comply with to get "keyholder" status. Keys not being identifiable to the premises, secure storage, signed in/out, checked weekly etc etc...the list goes on.

You are better off just paying 20-30 quid a month and letting a keyholding company do it.