The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is hoping to make licence applications simpler and cheaper by teaming up with the Post Office.
The SIA, the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry, has signed an agreement with the Post Office for a new service to start in the autumn.
Individual applicants will benefit from no longer having to send documents and a photograph.
Instead, after completing an application on the SIA website they are told which documents to take to the Post Office, which will check the online details against the applicant’s documentation.
The Post Office will take a digital photograph of the applicant, an electronic version of the signature and take payment of the application fee.
All these details are sent to the SIA electronically; allowing the regulator to add them to the information already received and continue with checks.
SIA director of service delivery Stephen McCormick said: “Our new licence application service will make applying for an SIA licence easier and cheaper, reducing the overall cost for the applicant.
“We are delighted to be working with the Post Office; the face to face element of the new service will reduce errors, which can cause applications to be rejected, and will help to discourage fraud.
“We are continuing to make improvements to our licensing processes to deliver a faster and simpler service to our customers.”
The new process will reduce application errors and result in less cost and inconvenience as applicants can keep their identify documents in their possession.
Martin Moran, commercial director at the Post Office, claims these improvements will help the SIA “deliver a better service” to applicants.
The new service will run alongside existing application methods until early in 2014. From that time the electronic application will replace paper forms as the method to apply for a new licence.
