UK SIA outgoing chair Heather Baily on Martyn’s Law

On 27 February 2026, Heather Baily QPM published her farewell note as chair of the Security Industry Authority (SIA). She underlined the SIA’s public‑protection mission and its next assignment: building the regulator that will oversee Martyn’s Law. Mike Cunningham CBE QPM takes over as chair on 1 March 2026. (gov.uk)

If you’ve ever worked a late shift at a venue or helped to run a campus event, you’ve already met the SIA’s work. It licenses individual security workers, runs the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, and inspects and enforces compliance as a Home Office arm’s‑length body. In recent years the SIA has also updated licence‑linked training so frontline staff are better prepared. (gov.uk)

Martyn’s Law is the shorthand for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It became law on 3 April 2025 after campaigning led by Figen Murray, following findings from the Manchester Arena Inquiry and the London Bridge inquests. The Home Office has set an implementation period of at least 24 months, so duties will not bite until regulations commence. (gov.uk)

Here’s the simple sizing rule you can teach. Premises become “qualifying” if 200 or more people (including staff) could reasonably be there at the same time. Those are “standard duty” unless 800 or more people may be present, which moves them into the “enhanced duty” tier. (gov.uk)

What standard duty asks of you is practical and teachable: tell the SIA who the “responsible person” is and make sure four procedures exist and are understood-evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. The factsheet is clear: you aren’t required to buy equipment to comply; the emphasis is on staff readiness and clear instructions. (gov.uk)

Enhanced tier premises and qualifying events must go further by putting appropriate measures in place to reduce vulnerability. Persistent or serious non‑compliance can lead to civil penalties: up to £10,000 for standard duty premises and up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide revenue for enhanced duty premises or qualifying events, with possible daily penalties if breaches continue. (gov.uk)

Training is moving too. Since 1 April 2025 you need a refresher qualification to renew a door supervisor or security guard licence, with valid Emergency First Aid at Work (or equivalent) in place first. From 1 April 2026, close protection licence renewals also require a refresher, on top of the level 3 first‑aid prerequisite. (gov.uk)

Quick glossary for your notes: the SIA is the UK regulator for the private security industry within the Home Office family; Martyn’s Law is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, which sets venue‑safety duties; the “responsible person” is the entity legally in charge of compliance; “standard” covers 200–799 people with procedural duties; “enhanced” covers 800+ or certain qualifying events with extra protective measures. (gov.uk)

A mini‑timeline you can teach from. The Manchester Arena Inquiry pressed for change; the Bill was introduced on 12 September 2024 and became law on 3 April 2025; Home Office guidance will be published during the 24‑month implementation window; the SIA introduced refresher training for guarding roles from 1 April 2025 and for close protection from 1 April 2026; leadership passes to Mike Cunningham on 1 March 2026 after Baily’s farewell on 27 February 2026. (gov.uk)

What this means for you if you run a student venue, volunteer at a sports ground or manage a theatre: check whether your building ever tips over 200 people at once; write, share and practise simple “what we do if” procedures; keep first‑aid certificates in date; and plan staff refreshers so you’re ready ahead of commencement-expected no sooner than April 2027 given the 24‑month window from April 2025. (That date is an inference from the official implementation period.) (gov.uk)

Baily also points to the human scale of this work. She thanks 458,075 licence holders for keeping spaces safe year‑round and signals that the SIA will judge success by quality of service rather than sheer numbers of licences or approved firms. That is a useful cue for how we teach professional standards in 2026. (gov.uk)

As the regulator function for Martyn’s Law is built inside the SIA, we’ll keep pointing you to official Home Office factsheets and SIA training updates you can use in class or team briefings. The aim is simple: make sure the people on duty can act quickly and confidently if the worst happens. (gov.uk)