Over 3,300 respond to SIA Get Licensed consultation

The consultation was centred around a number of proposed changes to further strengthen the criteria that determines what makes someone eligible to hold an SIA licence. 

This included changes to the criteria on criminality and providing greater transparency on the wider ‘fit and proper’ test that all applicants and licence holders must meet. When implemented, the changes would also update the list of relevant offences the SIA takes into consideration in licensing decisions.

Tim Archer, SIA Director of Licensing and Standards, said: 

We were very happy to see such a strong level of response to our consultation. The proposed changes are designed and intended to further enhance public protection. Whilst we now need to undertake a detailed analysis of the responses, it looks like our proposals have been strongly supported by those working in the industry.

Based on the feedback received from the consultation, the SIA will finalise its recommendations and seek ministerial approval in the autumn. If the proposed changes are agreed by ministers, the SIA will update Get Licensed and the new rules will come into effect.

The SIA also reported that its annual independent satisfaction survey saw satisfaction levels among individuals rise once again, increasing in 2024 by 6% from the already high level of 86% in 2023. Satisfaction among employers was also at an impressive 89%, having increased from 85% in 2023. These improvements demonstrate the positive progress made by the SIA since it revised its customer contact strategy in 2022. 

The main drivers behind the high levels of satisfaction among individuals include the application process being simple and straightforward to manage, that licensing decisions are consistent, fair, and made within the expected time, and that applicants are given clear instructions on what they need to do next to progress their application. 

The positive feedback is the result of continuous improvement across the SIA’s licensing processes and management of customer contact, including initiatives launched as part of the revised contact strategy to enhance the customer experience. These initiatives include the launch of a series of guidance videos to walk customers through the application process and address the main reasons for contact, which have since been streamed thousands of times.  

Employers noted the low effort required on their part, and the clear information the SIA provides to support the application process, as the key factors contributing to their high level of satisfaction. This reflects the continued success of the SIA’s Business Support team which was redesigned in 2022 as part of the revised contact strategy. The redesign has allowed the team to build strong engagement with businesses, providing proactive and reactive support in managing licensing-related queries.

Favourable opinion of the SIA among individuals increased in line with satisfaction levels, rising to 91% from 88% in 2023.

Iestyn David, SIA Head of Licensing and Service Delivery, said: 

It’s incredibly encouraging to see customer satisfaction increase once again, among both individuals and employers, from the already high levels of satisfaction in last year’s survey. 

This demonstrates the success of our contact strategy initiatives and our ongoing work to improve the customer experience and the licensing journey.  I am proud of all the hard work the team has put in over the last year, particularly in the context of the record application volumes we’ve been managing, and it’s great to see this recognised in such positive feedback from our customers.

The survey was conducted in January 2025 to measure the SIA’s performance in 2024. It involved 703 interviews with individuals who had recently applied for an SIA licence and 95 interviews with employers who had recently submitted applications on behalf of their employees. 

Read a summary of the survey findings.