Manned Guarding Compliance Excellence
Manage SIA licensing, patrol documentation, and client requirements with digital tools designed for security guarding operations.
The Challenge
Manned guarding companies operate under strict SIA regulatory oversight where deploying a single unlicensed officer is a criminal offence that can shut down your business. Security officers work across multiple client sites with varying requirements, paper patrol logs get lost or damaged, and clients demand documented evidence of service delivery. When the SIA conducts an inspection or a client audit occurs, incomplete records undermine your professional reputation and contractual position.
How Assistant Manager Solves Manned Guarding Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges manned guarding businesses face every day.
Checklist Management
Manned guarding requires site-specific checklists that vary by client - industrial sites need different checks than retail or office buildings - with GPS verification proving officers actually completed physical patrols
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Patrol officers skip checkpoints or rush through rounds during quiet night shifts, filling in logs retrospectively with 'estimated' times
Clients discover gaps in patrol coverage when reviewing CCTV, calling into question the value of your service and triggering contract reviews
- Different sites have different client requirements, but officers use generic checklists that do not capture site-specific compliance needs
Key client requirements are missed - fire doors not checked, specific areas not patrolled, or safety equipment not inspected as contractually required
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
GPS-verified digital checklists with checkpoint scanning, timestamped photo evidence, and site-specific task requirements configured per client contract
Every patrol is verified with location data and timestamps, client-specific requirements are built into each site checklist, and managers can prove service delivery with irrefutable evidence
Use Cases:
- • Patrol checkpoint verification with NFC/QR scanning
- • GPS-tracked patrol routes with timestamp evidence
- • Site-specific opening and closing procedures
- • Fire door and fire equipment checks
- • Client-specific compliance task lists
- • Perimeter security verification
- • Daily occurrence book digital entries
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Patrol officers skip checkpoints or rush through rounds during quiet night shifts, filling in logs retrospectively with 'estimated' times
Real Scenario
"A client reviews their CCTV after a break-in attempt and finds your officer sitting in the gatehouse during the time their patrol log shows a perimeter check was completed. The contract is terminated for breach of service."
Example 2: Different sites have different client requirements, but officers use generic checklists that do not capture site-specific compliance needs
Real Scenario
"Your contract specifies hourly checks of the server room temperature. The generic patrol checklist does not include this. After a cooling failure causes £50,000 in damage, the client claims breach of contract."
Scheduling
Security scheduling must balance 24/7 coverage requirements with SIA compliance, site-specific training needs, and Working Time Regulations - scheduling unqualified staff is not just poor service, it is criminal
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Last-minute shift coverage is assigned without checking whether replacement officers hold valid SIA licences or have completed site-specific inductions
Unlicensed officers are deployed to sites, creating criminal liability for both the officer and your company, and invalidating insurance coverage
- Officers are scheduled for sites they have never worked before, without time allocated for proper site induction and familiarisation
Officers do not know emergency procedures, client expectations, or site-specific hazards, leading to poor service delivery and potential safety incidents
The Solution
How Scheduling Helps
Intelligent scheduling that integrates with licence verification and training records, preventing deployment of officers without valid SIA licences or required site certifications
Only licensed and properly inducted officers can be scheduled for shifts, with automatic alerts when licence renewals are approaching and blocking of non-compliant deployments
Use Cases:
- • SIA licence validation before shift assignment
- • Site certification requirements for scheduling
- • Multi-site officer rotation management
- • Relief and cover officer deployment
- • Client-specific staffing ratio compliance
- • Bank and casual officer management
- • Night shift and lone worker scheduling
Feature Screenshot
Scheduling
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Last-minute shift coverage is assigned without checking whether replacement officers hold valid SIA licences or have completed site-specific inductions
Real Scenario
"An officer calls in sick on Saturday night. The controller calls in cover without checking licence status. SIA compliance officers visit the site and find the replacement officer's licence expired two weeks ago. Prosecution follows."
Example 2: Officers are scheduled for sites they have never worked before, without time allocated for proper site induction and familiarisation
Real Scenario
"A new officer arrives at a pharmaceutical site without understanding the strict access protocols. They allow an unauthorized vehicle through the gate, triggering a major security incident investigation."
Time & Attendance
Security officers often work for multiple companies and across multiple sites - tracking actual attendance and total hours is essential for both compliance and commercial accuracy
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Officers work excessive hours across multiple sites and employers, exceeding Working Time Regulations limits without anyone tracking total hours worked
Fatigued officers make mistakes, miss incidents, or fall asleep on duty - and your company is liable for Working Time Regulations breaches even if the officer works elsewhere
- Officers claim they arrived on time and completed full shifts, but there is no independent verification beyond paper sign-in sheets
Clients are billed for hours not worked, officers are paid for late arrivals and early departures, and disputes arise when challenged
The Solution
How Time & Attendance Helps
GPS-verified clock-in and clock-out with location confirmation, Working Time Regulations monitoring, and automated timesheet generation for client billing
Every shift is verified with location and timestamp evidence, Working Time breaches are flagged before they occur, and billing is based on verified attendance data
Use Cases:
- • GPS-verified site arrival and departure
- • Automatic Working Time Regulations monitoring
- • Client billing timesheet generation
- • Late arrival and early departure alerts
- • Break compliance monitoring for long shifts
- • Multi-site attendance tracking
- • Officer hour declarations for secondary employment
Feature Screenshot
Time & Attendance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Officers work excessive hours across multiple sites and employers, exceeding Working Time Regulations limits without anyone tracking total hours worked
Real Scenario
"An officer working for you also works for another security company. Combined, they work 70-hour weeks. They fall asleep during a night shift and miss an intruder. Investigation reveals nobody was tracking their total working hours."
Example 2: Officers claim they arrived on time and completed full shifts, but there is no independent verification beyond paper sign-in sheets
Real Scenario
"A client installs their own CCTV covering the security office. They discover officers regularly arrive 30 minutes late and leave 20 minutes early. Your sign-in sheets show full attendance. The relationship is destroyed."
Training & Development
Security officers need rolling SIA licence management, annual refresher training, and documented site-specific inductions - compliance must be provable for both regulatory and client requirements
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- SIA licence renewals are missed because nobody tracks expiry dates across a large, mobile workforce - officers only mention expiry when it is too late
Officers continue working with expired licences, creating criminal liability. When discovered, they must be immediately stood down, leaving sites uncovered
- Site-specific training is delivered informally with no documentation, so when incidents occur you cannot prove officers were properly trained
After an incident, investigation reveals no documented training for the specific procedure that failed, exposing the company to negligence claims
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
SIA licence tracking with automated expiry alerts, digital training courses with certificates, site-specific induction documentation, and competency verification
SIA licence renewals are flagged months in advance, every training course is documented with verified completion, and site inductions are recorded with evidence
Use Cases:
- • SIA licence expiry tracking and renewal alerts
- • First aid certification management
- • Conflict management and physical intervention training
- • Site-specific induction documentation
- • Fire safety and evacuation training
- • Customer service and client relations courses
- • Annual security refresher training
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: SIA licence renewals are missed because nobody tracks expiry dates across a large, mobile workforce - officers only mention expiry when it is too late
Real Scenario
"During an SIA inspection, three of your officers are found with expired licences. All three are arrested. You face prosecution for deploying unlicensed staff and must immediately source replacement officers for their sites."
Example 2: Site-specific training is delivered informally with no documentation, so when incidents occur you cannot prove officers were properly trained
Real Scenario
"An officer incorrectly handles a trespasser who is injured during the incident. The resulting claim argues the officer was never trained on use of force procedures. You have no training records to prove otherwise."
HR Management
Security industry vetting standards are among the most stringent - BS 7858 compliance requires documented five-year employment history verification, identity confirmation, and criminal record checks
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Officer personnel files are incomplete with missing right-to-work checks, reference verifications, and vetting documentation
Clients require BS 7858 vetting for their sites, but you cannot demonstrate compliance. Home Office audits find right-to-work check failures, resulting in civil penalties
- High turnover means constant onboarding and offboarding, with leavers retaining access to uniforms, ID badges, and client site information
Former employees retain company identification that could be misused, and clients are not notified of personnel changes on their sites
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Complete digital personnel files with BS 7858 vetting documentation, right-to-work verification, uniform and equipment tracking, and automated onboarding and offboarding workflows
Every officer has a complete, auditable personnel file meeting BS 7858 standards, equipment is tracked and recovered at termination, and clients are automatically notified of personnel changes
Use Cases:
- • BS 7858 vetting documentation management
- • Right-to-work verification and ongoing monitoring
- • Uniform and equipment issuance tracking
- • ID badge management and recovery
- • Employment reference verification records
- • DBS check management and renewals
- • Client personnel notification workflows
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Officer personnel files are incomplete with missing right-to-work checks, reference verifications, and vetting documentation
Real Scenario
"A major client audits your vetting procedures. Your files are missing employment gap explanations and reference verifications for several officers on their site. The contract is suspended pending remediation."
Example 2: High turnover means constant onboarding and offboarding, with leavers retaining access to uniforms, ID badges, and client site information
Real Scenario
"A terminated officer uses their retained ID badge to gain access to a client site and commits theft. Investigation reveals the badge was never collected and the client was never informed of the termination."
Risk Assessment
Guarding operations face diverse risks from aggressive individuals, lone working, hazardous sites, and site-specific dangers - assessments must be living documents that reflect actual conditions
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Site risk assessments are completed once at contract start and never updated despite changes in client operations, new threats, or security incidents
When incidents occur, outdated risk assessments show the company failed to identify and mitigate known or foreseeable risks
- Lone worker risk assessments do not reflect actual working conditions - officers work isolated night shifts without proper check-in procedures
A lone worker has a medical emergency or is attacked, and nobody knows for hours because no welfare check system exists
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Site-specific risk assessments with regular review scheduling, lone worker risk analysis, dynamic risk updates following incidents, and AI-suggested control measures
Risk assessments remain current and relevant, lone worker procedures are documented and enforced, and incidents trigger automatic risk review workflows
Use Cases:
- • Site-specific security risk assessments
- • Lone worker risk analysis and controls
- • Violence and aggression risk assessments
- • Night shift specific hazard identification
- • Client site induction risk briefings
- • Post-incident risk assessment reviews
- • Patrol route hazard assessments
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Site risk assessments are completed once at contract start and never updated despite changes in client operations, new threats, or security incidents
Real Scenario
"A lone worker officer is assaulted at a site that has had three verbal threats in recent months. Your risk assessment from two years ago does not mention escalating threats or recommend two-officer patrols. The injured officer claims negligence."
Example 2: Lone worker risk assessments do not reflect actual working conditions - officers work isolated night shifts without proper check-in procedures
Real Scenario
"A night shift officer suffers a heart attack at 2 AM. They are not found until the morning shift arrives at 6 AM. The coroner notes that earlier discovery might have saved their life. Your lone worker assessment showed 'hourly check-ins' that never happened."
Incident Reporting
Security incident documentation serves multiple stakeholders - clients, police, insurance, and regulatory bodies - each requiring professional, complete, and accessible records
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Incidents are recorded inconsistently - some in paper occurrence books, some in emails to control, and some not documented at all
When clients request incident reports or police need statements, information is fragmented, incomplete, and difficult to compile into coherent records
- Officers do not understand what constitutes a reportable incident, so minor events are documented while significant security breaches are downplayed
Serious incidents are not properly escalated, clients are not informed of material security events, and patterns are not identified
The Solution
How Incident Reporting Helps
Structured digital incident forms with severity classification, photo and evidence capture, automatic client notification workflows, and integration with occurrence books
Every incident is documented consistently with complete evidence, severity triggers appropriate escalation, and clients receive professional incident reports automatically
Use Cases:
- • Security incident documentation with photos
- • Trespasser and intruder reports
- • Criminal activity and police liaison records
- • Client notification and escalation workflows
- • Occurrence book digital entries
- • Suspicious activity logging
- • Evidence collection and chain of custody
Feature Screenshot
Incident Reporting
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Incidents are recorded inconsistently - some in paper occurrence books, some in emails to control, and some not documented at all
Real Scenario
"Police investigate a series of thefts at a client site. They request all security incident reports for the past six months. Your records are scattered across paper books, emails, and WhatsApp messages to supervisors. Key details are missing."
Example 2: Officers do not understand what constitutes a reportable incident, so minor events are documented while significant security breaches are downplayed
Real Scenario
"Officers report that 'some youths were hanging around' but do not document the criminal damage discovered on the next patrol. The client learns about the damage from their own staff and questions what your officers were doing."
COSHH Management
Security officers encounter chemical hazards from cleaning duties, suspicious packages, industrial sites, and emergency incidents - COSHH awareness is essential for their safety
The Problems
Why This Matters for Manned Guarding
- Security officers use cleaning products, handle found substances, and work in areas with chemical hazards without understanding the risks or required precautions
Officers are exposed to hazardous substances without proper PPE, or incorrectly handle suspicious substances found during patrols
- When officers work at client sites with industrial processes, they are not briefed on site-specific chemical hazards or emergency procedures
Officers cannot respond appropriately to chemical spills or alarms, and may inadvertently put themselves in danger during emergencies
The Solution
How COSHH Management Helps
Digital COSHH assessments for security operations, site-specific hazard briefings, suspicious substance handling procedures, and chemical incident response protocols
Officers understand hazards at their sites, know how to handle suspicious substances safely, and can respond appropriately to chemical emergencies
Use Cases:
- • Cleaning product assessments for security duties
- • Suspicious substance handling procedures
- • Client site chemical hazard briefings
- • Emergency spill response protocols
- • PPE requirements for specific sites
- • Chemical storage and handling at gatehouse
- • First response to hazmat incidents
Feature Screenshot
COSHH Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Security officers use cleaning products, handle found substances, and work in areas with chemical hazards without understanding the risks or required precautions
Real Scenario
"An officer finds a spilled white powder during a patrol and attempts to clean it up without protection. It turns out to be a caustic substance that causes chemical burns. They had no training on substance handling procedures."
Example 2: When officers work at client sites with industrial processes, they are not briefed on site-specific chemical hazards or emergency procedures
Real Scenario
"A chemical alarm sounds at an industrial site. The security officer enters the affected area to investigate rather than following evacuation procedures, because nobody briefed them on the site hazard protocols."
Results Manned Guarding Businesses Achieve
Other Security Solutions
Guard Your Compliance Standards
Join manned guarding companies using Assistant Manager to maintain SIA compliance and client confidence.