SIA prescribed person status could begin on 2 June 2026

In a statement published on GOV.UK, the Security Industry Authority said a Statutory Instrument has been laid in Parliament that could make the SIA a prescribed person under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 from 2 June 2026, subject to final parliamentary scrutiny. This is one of those legal updates that can look dry on first reading. Once you translate it, though, the question is very human: if someone in private security sees suspected wrongdoing, will they have a clearer and better protected route to report it to the regulator?

**What a prescribed person is:** in UK whistleblowing law, it is a body named in law that workers can raise concerns with. When the right kind of disclosure is made to one of those bodies, and the legal tests are met, that disclosure can count as protected whistleblowing. If Parliament approves this change, the SIA would become one of those named bodies for the private security industry. For workers, that could remove some of the guesswork about whether going to the regulator is the correct step.

The law behind this is the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, usually shortened to PIDA. You do not need to remember the title to grasp the point. The aim is to protect workers who speak up about serious wrongdoing that affects the public interest. **What this means for you:** the protection is about raising genuine concerns, not simply being unhappy at work. If someone reports suspected unlawful activity through the proper route, the law may help protect them from dismissal or other unfair treatment for speaking up.

The SIA says this change would close a gap it had asked government to close. That matters, because it suggests the regulator has been aware of a weak spot in the current reporting system. When rules are unclear, people can hesitate. In a sector where workers may be the first to notice unlawful activity, delay can mean problems continue unnoticed or unchallenged for longer.

It is also worth saying what this proposal does not do. Prescribed person status would not turn every workplace complaint into whistleblowing, and it would not make every disclosure automatically protected. The SIA's own wording focuses on genuine concerns about unlawful activity in the security industry. So this is aimed at serious matters in the public interest, not routine disagreements, personality clashes or ordinary disputes over day-to-day management.

Nothing changes immediately. The Statutory Instrument still needs to clear final parliamentary scrutiny, and the SIA says it will publish fuller guidance when the change is commenced. If approval is given, the date to watch is 2 June 2026. For workers, employers and anyone trying to understand how law touches everyday working life, this is a useful reminder that technical language can have real consequences. A small phrase in legislation can shape whether speaking up feels exposed or protected.