SIA CCTV Course in London

What the course covers

The course leads to the Level 2 Award for CCTV Operators (Public Space Surveillance) in the Private Security Industry. It is built around three units:

1. Principles of working in the private security industry. The law, licensing, health and safety, and how the industry works.
2. Principles and practices of working as a CCTV operator. Codes of practice, data protection, privacy, operational procedures and how a control room communicates with the police and other agencies.
3. Practical operation of CCTV equipment. Hands-on camera work: tracking a person through a scene, recognising suspicious behaviour, taking accurate notes and handling evidence correctly.

You spend real time on the equipment, not just in the classroom, and your trainer checks your practical skills before the exams.

Who the course is for

CCTV operators work in town centre control rooms, shopping centres, transport hubs, hospitals, stadiums and large corporate sites. The work is indoors, so it suits door staff who want a change from nights on the door, and it makes a good first licence for anyone who prefers screens to crowds.

You need to be at least 18 with the right to work in the UK. The SIA runs its own criminal record check when you apply for the licence.

After the course

Results and certificates normally take two to three weeks. Delays at the awarding bodies can make it longer, so we cannot promise an exact date. You then apply for your licence through the SIA online, and the SIA says to allow up to eight weeks for a decision.

Want two licences? See the Door Supervisor and CCTV bundles, or the refresher and CCTV bundles if you already hold a Door Supervisor licence.