Current SIA Door Supervisor Licence Holders
From 1 April 2025, you must have a ‘refresher’ qualification before you can renew your Door Supervisor licence.

Expired, but Within 3 Years of Expiry
If you have an expired SIA Door Supervisor licence that is within 3 years of its expiry, you can also take the Refresher qualification to renew your SIA Door Supervisor licence.

Expired, Beyond 3 Years of Expiry
If it has been more than 3 years since the expiry of your last Door Supervisor licence, you will need to start from scratch.

Entry Requirements
Learners must hold a current and valid First Aid or Emergency First Aid at Work certificate. This must meet the requirements of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 and have a minimum of 12 months’ validity from the start date of the course.

Overview
The Refresher qualification will support licence holders in ensuring their skills, knowledge, and practice are up-to-date, helping them to stay safe and protect the public while they are working.

Course Length
The Minimum Contact Time (MCT) stipulated by the SIA for this qualification is 21 hours. The SIA defines the MCT as the minimum time that a learner must spend under the immediate guidance or supervision of a trainer, assessor, or invigilator (including assessment).

The SIA permits all theory elements to be delivered using approved ‘Self-Study’. This means the MCT can be reduced from 21 hours to just 11 hours and 15 minutes. Although the 11 hours and 15 minutes may be unrealistic to cover the modules and assessments, using the ‘Self-Study’ option allows the course to be delivered in just 2 days.

If done correctly, attendees should prepare to complete approximately 10 hours of pre-course self-study before attending the physical portion of the course. It is mandatory that all associated ‘self-study’ is fully completed by the start of the course. Those who do not complete it will be turned away, as this is an SIA requirement.

It is also important to note that the subjects covered within the ‘Self-Study’ cannot be delivered during the face-to-face portion of the course due to time constraints. Those who do not take the ‘Self-Study’ seriously risk failing and will need to return to resit the course.

Modules for the Refresher Qualification for Door Supervisors
The following modules are delivered using approved ‘Self-Study’:

Principles Of Working As A Door Supervisor in the Private Security Industry (Refresher) – (PWDSPSIR)

  • Know how to conduct effective search procedures
  • Understand how to keep vulnerable people safe
  • *Understand terror threats and the role of the security operative in the event of a threat
  • Know how to safeguard the public from incidents of spiking

Application Of Physical Intervention Skills In The Private Security Industry (Refresher) – (APIPSIR)

  • Know the implications of physical interventions and their use
  • Know the risks associated with using physical intervention
  • Know how to reduce the risks associated with physical intervention

*ACT Awareness and ACT Security e-learning programmes are the only permitted self-study methods for this unit. If you already have these, they must be dated within 6 months of the course start date. 

The following modules are delivered during the face-to-face portion of your course:

Application Of Physical Intervention Skills In The Private Security Industry (Refresher) – (PWDSPSIR)

  • Be able to proficiently and safely use physical skills to protect yourself and others
  • Be able to use non-pain compliant standing, holding, and escorting techniques safely.

Assessment

Principles Of Working As A Door Supervisor in the Private Security Industry (Refresher) – (APIPSIR)

  • An externally set and marked multiple-choice exam with 35 questions. You have 55 minutes to complete it, and you need to answer at least 25 questions correctly to pass (71%).
  • Internally assessed observation of a search of a person and their property, which will be video recorded. The videoed assessment is expected to take approximately 15 minutes.

Application Of Physical Intervention Skills In The Private Security Industry (Refresher)

  • An externally set and marked multiple-choice exam with 30 questions. You’ll have 45 minutes to complete it, needing at least 24 correct answers to pass (80%).
  • Internally assessed observation of all physical intervention skills, alongside an oral discussion focusing on six critical areas of physical intervention, all recorded on video.

Timings
Day 1: 13:00 to 18:30* – (08:00 start for those who also require First Aid)

Day 1 – Content summary:
– English Assessment and Course Administration (30 min)
– Search recap and  practice (2.5 hours)
– PWDSPSIR Theory exam (55 min)
– APIPSIR Theory exam (45 min)
– Video Search Practical Assessment (15-min)

Day 2 – Content summary:
Day 2: 08:00 to 18:30*
The day will be dedicated to APIPSIR Practical training, followed by videoed assessments of physical intervention skills and an oral discussion assessment.

* The precise finish time each day will depend on the dynamics and abilities of your peers and the order in which you take your final practical assessment.

Combining with First Aid (EFAW)
For those requiring First Aid, this will be completed using a blended approach consisting of approximately 2 hours of ‘Self-led’ study, followed by 4 hours of practical and theory assessment on the morning before the DSRT begins at 08:00.