New Surveillance Qualifications

11/01/19 - Written by Admin

An Important Announcement About Surveillance Training Qualifications.

Awarding body Industry Qualifications (IQ) have designed a new industry specific qualification in surveillance that has been accredited by OFQUAL. A ‘general’ qualification in surveillance has been developed and ISS Training Ltd have led the way, together with awarding body ‘Industry Qualifications’. IQ have produced a surveillance qualification that is listed on the OFQUAL Regulated Qualifications Framework. Other companies have also been consulted but the mainstream and majority content has been derived from ISS’s current and accredited qualifications.

ISS has put a lot of time and effort into this new qualification. In doing so, they have had to release their course specifications, outcomes, content and their intellectual property into the public domain for any training provider now to use. The assessments are very stringent and therefore ‘automatic’ passes will not be accepted or given (as they have in the past) by other training companies offering surveillance qualifications.

Until now, no two surveillance qualifications have been the same if they are from different training providers. They are offering their ‘own’ product in what is classed as a ‘Customised’ qualification that has been endorsed by an awarding body. This new qualification puts everyone on a level playing field – it is going to be the same nationally recognised course throughout.

What’s different? If you have trained with ISS Training Ltd, nothing has materially changed in the way the course is conducted or the topics taught. The assessments will be even more stringent than they were before, and the tutors more accountable in their marking. Other training providers will now have to up their game like they have never done before, and so the short cuts should be gone. Telling someone they are ‘mobile surveillance trained’ after a PowerPoint and only three hours in a car with no radios should also be a thing of the past. Having said that, one company’s standard can differ from another and so diligence is still important.

This new course is now listed on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (IQ Level 4 Certificate in Managing Surveillance Operations). Anyone running a security company or training company (or wanting to start one up) will now be able to offer the new surveillance training qualifications. The accrediting body has set a criterion to deliver it (demonstrate instructor competency & experience etc) to deter the ‘cowboys’ but no doubt some will always get through, as they have in the CP industry. Therefore, choosing the right training provider should be high priority on anyone’s’ list.

There is a big difference in being ‘surveillance trained’ and having ‘attended a training course’, so be careful who you part your hard-earned cash with. It will be interesting to see how many companies spring up by this time next year offering the qualification.

ISS are proud to say that they have been at the forefront of this new development. Listed below are the details of the three newly developed qualifications.

Level 4 Certificate in Covert Surveillance Operations. Duration: Two to Three Weeks

This course is over three weeks and covers everything to be a fully competent surveillance operator. It covers the following twelve units:

Unit 1: Organising Teamwork in Surveillance Operations
Unit 2: Obtaining and Collating Information by Surveillance
Unit 3: Organising Foot Surveillance
Unit 4: Organising Mobile Surveillance
Unit 5: Organising Advanced Mobile Surveillance
Unit 6: Organising Advanced Foot Surveillance
Unit 7: Conducting Public Transport Surveillance
Unit 8: Organising Counter Surveillance Operations
Unit 9: Digital Cameras and Photographic Techniques
Unit 10: Video Editing Skills
Unit 11: Open Source Intelligence
Unit 12: Technical Surveillance Methods

Level 4 Award in Covert Surveillance Operations (Advanced). Duration: Two Weeks

This is of 12 days duration and covers the more advanced skills of a surveillance operator. It covers the following eight units:

Unit 1: Organising Teamwork in Surveillance Operations
Unit 2: Obtaining and Collating Information by Surveillance
Unit 3: Organising Foot Surveillance
Unit 4: Organising Mobile Surveillance
Unit 5: Organising Advanced Mobile Surveillance
Unit 6: Organising Advanced Foot Surveillance
Unit 7: Conducting Public Transport Surveillance
Unit 8: Organising Counter Surveillance Operations

Level 4 Award in Covert Surveillance Operations (Intermediate). Duration: One Week

This is of five days duration and covers the basic skills. It covers the following four units:

Unit 1: Organising Teamwork in Surveillance Operations
Unit 2: Obtaining and Collating Information by Surveillance
Unit 3: Organising Foot Surveillance
Unit 4: Organising Mobile Surveillance

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