Joining FAQ's

Grades

Q: What grades of membership are there?

We have 3 professional grades of membership – Associate, Member and Fellow, plus 2 non-professional grades, Affiliate and Student.

Q: I am just starting out on my security career – am I eligible to join?

Yes! We welcome applications from individuals new to the profession and can offer you support and opportunities to help you develop your career.

Q: What is the highest entry grade?

‘Member’ is the highest professional grade an applicant can be awarded on joining the Institute.

Q: Can I apply to upgrade my membership once I have joined?

Yes – absolutely! Over time many of our members move through different membership grades as their experience and professional development progresses. We would encourage you to take a long-term view to membership, the positive contribution you can make to the security profession and your own continuing professional development.

Please contact the Membership Registrar or call 01803 663275 for further advice.

Q: Can I apply to join if I’m not a security professional?

Yes, if you work alongside security professionals or if you are just starting out on your security career you are very welcome to join as an Affiliate with the opportunity to progress through our membership grades (should you wish to) as your career develops.

General

Q: Whilst wishing to join, I would prefer that my details are not published. Is this possible?

Our list of members is only available to Institute members on our website. Once your membership is approved you will be able to access your own records and can stipulate which details (if any) you wish to share with other members.

Q: Can I apply to join if I live outside of the UK?

We welcome applications and involvement in Institute activities from individuals all over the world – currently approximately 20% of our members are based outside of the UK and we offer a reduced flat overseas annual membership fee of £100.

Application Process

Q: On average, how long does the application process take?

We aim to complete applications within 8 weeks of receipt. Once received, your application will be prepared for review at the following Validation Board meeting (held monthly). Following the meeting the VB’s recommendations must be approved by the Board of Directors and then, providing references and pre-membership screening are complete, membership will be confirmed.

Q: Can I have temporary membership whilst my application is being processed?

Yes – as soon as we receive and acknowledge your application you will begin to receive all our communications to members and will be able to attend events, register for courses etc at the discounted member rate. Please note that you will not be able to access the member areas of the website until your membership has been confirmed.

Q: If my application is unsuccessful or if I withdraw my application, will my Application Fee be refunded?

No. The one-off Application Fee payment (required with application) is non-refundable. The only circumstances in which an applicant would not be offered any grade of membership is if there was believed to be an ethical issue or if the required references could not be obtained.

Q: How much does it cost to join?

There is a one-off Application Fee of £95 payable with application and you will be invoiced for your first year’s annual membership fee once your membership grade has been confirmed.
The annual subscription fees are currently:
– Student £50
– Affiliate: £125
– Associate: £145
– Member: £170
– Fellow: £195
– Overseas member: £100

We offer facility for the annual subscription fee to be paid via direct debit on either a monthly/quarterly/6-monthly or yearly basis.

Q: What documents do I need to submit with my application?

Please submit with your application copies of any qualifications and training course certificates (where available) which have been relevant to your security career. Formal qualifications must be evidenced to be counted towards your membership. If you have served in the armed forces or police service, then please also provide a copy of your certificate of service. Lastly please provide a copy of your CV if possible. You will be prompted at the relevant points during the online application process to upload these documents.

Q: Will I need to undertake any pre-membership screening?

Pre-membership security screening to BS7858 is the minimum standard required by the Security Institute in respect of all individuals applying for professional membership.

If you are a serving Police Officer in the UK or a serving member of the UK Armed Forces, or if you have any of the following currently in place and this can be confirmed, then the Institute will not require further screening:
– SIA Licence
– National Security Vetting (included CTC, SC and DV)
– Baseline Personnel Security Standard

If you do not currently have any of the above, we will arrange screening to BS7858 through our engaged screening provider. You will then receive full details of the information required to carry out the screening and this information must be provided by you within 2 months in order that the screening can be fully completed within 6 months of application (the maximum timeframe permitted).

There will be no additional charge to you for the cost of screening except in the case of applicants from outside of the UK who must meet any fees payable locally for the production of a criminal record certificate and for the official translation of any documents required for screening or validation purposes, into English.

Q: In the event of my application resulting in a lower grade of membership than I was hoping for, can I appeal the decision?

If you feel you have not been awarded an appropriate grade of membership according to the information you have provided, you have the right to appeal within three months of grading confirmation.
Please note that the Validation Board cannot consider any further supporting information submitted with a grading challenge – in this case the applicant is required to apply for revalidation.

Qualifications

Q: I don’t have any formal qualifications – does this impact my eligibility to join?

Our validation process is designed to recognise and value security experience, qualifications, security-related training and any other activities which demonstrate professional commitment. While of course we strongly advocate formal qualifications, they are not a prerequisite for membership.

Q: I have previously partially completed a degree, or I am part way through degree studies, can the credits that I’ve been awarded to date count towards my membership?

Yes, they can, provided you submit a copy of your university transcript showing the modules studied and credits obtained.

Q: What is classed as a ‘relevant qualification’?

Relevance is determined based on the qualification’s close alignment to the field of security, or combination of subject matter and its application.
– ‘Close alignment’ is determined through scrutiny of the qualification and its component modules.
– ‘Application’ will consider current and previous use of the qualification in workplace activities directly related to the field of security.

Q: Do qualifications which are not relevant to my security career count towards membership?

Any formal qualification that is recognised on the Recognised Qualification Framework (or international equivalent) providing evidenced, will count towards your membership. Security qualifications and those in other subjects which have been directly relevant to your career (ie: management; teaching; engineering etc) have a higher points weighting on our scoring matrix.

Employment Experience

Q: I am not currently employed – does this prevent me applying for membership?

Absolutely not – an excellent opportunity to complete your application! Membership can widen your professional network and provide you with tools and opportunities to assist your career.

Q: Will my police experience count towards membership?

Yes, it will. If you are currently serving or retired, please include details of the ranks you held together with dates of promotion. If retired from police service, please provide a copy of your Certificate of Service.

Q: Does my military experience count towards membership?

Yes, it does. If you are currently serving or retired, please provide details of your service postings, ranks, promotion dates and highlight any periods where specific security management responsibilities were held. Where possible please provide a copy of your certificate of service.

Q: Does security sales / sales management experience count towards membership?

Individuals engaged in security sales and sales management roles are eligible to join as Affiliate members, except in cases where an individual has a proven security background, in which case professional membership can be applied for.

Q: Some or all or my work has been within sensitive business areas, the details of which I cannot include in my application form. How should I provide this information?

Please do not include any information regarding your current or previous employment which may be deemed sensitive by the employer, client or you personally as it will be seen by members of the Institute’s Validation Board. Essentially, we require a broad summary of the level of responsibility held. If you have any doubts as to the relevance of specific detail, please contact the Membership Registrar or call 01803 663275

Security Courses

Q: How far back should I go when listing the courses that I have attended?

As far back as your memory will allow! Please include the details of any security-related training that you have undertaken.

Q: Do I need to include course certificates?

Where available yes please, but if you no longer have the certificate or certificates weren’t issued then please still include the details within the form.

Q: What types of courses are recognised?

The aim of this section is to understand any vocational training you may have undertaken which did not result in a formal qualification. You should provide details of the security related training courses you have undertaken to support your career progression.

Points are not awarded for awareness or familiarisation courses, basic job training, refresher courses, promotion courses, or for attending conferences or seminars. In-house training courses will be recognised if accredited by an external organisation.

Any further Questions?

All new applications are looked after and prepared for review by the Validation Board by our Membership Registrar, Paula Stanbridge, who will be your point of contact throughout the application process.

If you have any queries regarding making application, the validation process or membership, then please contact Paula Stanbridge via paula@security-institute.org or on: 01803 663275.