A Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament would bring the Security Industry Authority into the prescribed persons framework under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 from 2 June 2026, subject to final parliamentary scrutiny. In practical terms, the change would give workers in the private security industry a recognised legal route to raise concerns with the sector regulator. In its government statement, the SIA said the measure addresses a gap it had asked to be closed. The regulator's position is that workers who speak up about wrongdoing should have clearer protection when disclosing genuine concerns directly to the authority.
Prescribed person status matters because whistleblowing law does not protect every disclosure in the same way. Where Parliament designates a regulator as a prescribed person, workers can make a protected disclosure to that body if the concern falls within its remit and the statutory conditions are met. For the private security sector, that would mean disclosures to the SIA about unlawful activity could attract the protections associated with whistleblowing law, including protection against detriment or dismissal for eligible workers. The policy aim is to reduce the risk that fear of workplace consequences suppresses information about misconduct.
The immediate policy effect is to strengthen the reporting route between frontline workers and the regulator. Instead of relying solely on internal channels or general enforcement bodies, individuals in the sector would have a clearer basis for approaching the SIA where the issue concerns unlawful conduct within private security. That matters in a regulated market where licence holders, contractors and security providers can operate across public-facing and higher-risk settings. A more direct reporting channel may assist the regulator in identifying patterns of non-compliance earlier, particularly where concerns recur across firms or sites.
The announcement does not suggest that every workplace complaint will become a protected disclosure. The change is framed around genuine concerns about wrongdoing and unlawful activity in the industry, not routine disputes about management style or day-to-day employment issues with no wider regulatory element. For workers, the practical point is that both the subject of the disclosure and the body receiving it matter. For employers, the message is that internal speak-up procedures should now be read alongside the possibility of external reporting to the sector regulator.
Once in force, the measure is likely to carry compliance consequences for firms operating in private security. Employers may need to review whistleblowing policies, staff training and escalation procedures so that employees understand when concerns can be raised internally, when they may be raised to the SIA, and how records should be kept. The change also places a premium on governance. Where businesses respond poorly to reported concerns, the legal and reputational exposure may increase if workers choose to approach the regulator through a protected route rather than confining the matter to internal management.
The proposed commencement date is 2 June 2026, but the change remains contingent on parliamentary approval of the Instrument. Until that process is complete, the announcement should be read as a confirmed policy intention rather than a fully operative legal position. The SIA has said it will publish further information and detailed guidance when the Instrument is commenced. That guidance will be important for workers, employers and advisers seeking clarity on the types of concerns the regulator expects to receive and the process for making a disclosure.