Published 29 May 2025
Last updated 15 July 2025 — See all updates
The SIA's annual independent satisfaction survey saw satisfaction
levels among individuals rise once again, increasing in 2024 by
5% from the already high level of 86% in 2023. Satisfaction among
employers was also at an impressive 89%, having increased from
85% in 2023. These improvements demonstrate the positive progress
made by the SIA since it revised its customer contact strategy in
2022.
The main drivers behind the high levels of satisfaction among
individuals include the application process being simple and
straightforward to manage, that licensing decisions are
consistent, fair, and made within the expected time, and that
applicants are given clear instructions on what they need to do
next to progress their application.
The positive feedback is the result of continuous improvement
across the SIA's licensing processes and management of customer
contact, including initiatives launched as part of the revised
contact strategy to enhance the customer experience. These
initiatives include the launch of a series of guidance videos to
walk customers through the application process and address the
main reasons for contact, which have since been streamed
thousands of times.
Employers noted the low effort required on their part, and the
clear information the SIA provides to support the application
process, as the key factors contributing to their high level of
satisfaction. This reflects the continued success of the SIA's
Business Support team which was redesigned in 2022 as part of the
revised contact strategy. The redesign has allowed the team to
build strong engagement with businesses, providing proactive and
reactive support in managing licensing-related queries.
Favourable opinion of the SIA among individuals increased in line
with satisfaction levels, rising to 91% from 88% in 2023.
Iestyn David, SIA Head of Licensing and Service Delivery,
said:
It's incredibly encouraging to see customer satisfaction increase
once again, among both individuals and employers, from the
already high levels of satisfaction in last year's survey.
This demonstrates the success of our contact strategy initiatives
and our ongoing work to improve the customer experience and the
licensing journey. I am proud of all the hard work the team
has put in over the last year, particularly in the context of the
record application volumes we've been managing, and it's great to
see this recognised in such positive feedback from our customers.
The survey was conducted in January 2025 to measure the SIA's
performance in 2024. It involved 703 interviews with individuals
who had recently applied for an SIA licence and 95 interviews
with employers who had recently submitted applications on behalf
of their employees.
Read a summary of the
survey findings.
Background
The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible
for regulating the private security industry in the United
Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the
Private
Security Industry Act 2001.
The SIA's main duties are: the compulsory licensing of
individuals undertaking designated activities; and managing the
voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
