Licenced Private Investigations ?

The question that is often made to us at Burton Regan / Private Investigator Training UK, especially by learners who are looking to enter the profession is about licensing.

The bottom line, at the moment, is that any person can actually call themselves a, “Private investigator” and operate commercially. Generally speaking, the only, “Checks and balance”, is that you must not transgress the law that governs us all.

Latest Licencing Update

The trade bodies and Associations have been consulted and HM Government are not introducing a system of licences for the private investigator sector.

Investigators and their agencies are left with a void – how can they demonstrate their professionalism, probity, standards and ethics?

The British Standard BS102000 continues to operate as a, “Pseudo” licence.

So what is the British Standard Code of Practice?

The Code of Practice (BS102000) gives recommendations that are accepted as industry, “Best practice”, for the, “Conduct, management, staffing and operational accountability for the provision of investigative services”. Private Investigators have always wanted an environment whereby they can prove that they are competent and capable of delivering a service to the public, business, industry and commerce. If our ethics, standards and service levels can be measured and regulated by adherence to a Code of Practice then the industry will elevate itself.

Not surprisingly, our staff, national field visiting teams and ad-hoc agents have already adopted a lot of the critical parts of the British standard. If you have staff: they should be selected and screened in accordance with BS 7858…this means that you credit check prospective employees and screen sub contractors – historical financial problems or adverse information means you have to decline prospective staff or external contractors… Proof of identity, a basic disclosure criminal conviction check, references, due diligence interviews and careful partner, employee or associate selection are the order of the day.

Training and Continual Professional Development are central to the British standard. When you engage staff or use an external contractor it is vital that you have your business policies and procedures in place and documented. You don’t need to be a multinational to have these documents and procedures in place – they will, at the end of the day, protect you in potential litigation and employment tribunal cases that might cripple you if you are remiss here.

We champion and encourage, best practice and professionalism. The Level 3 Professional Investigator Award currently fulfils the training and development requirements of BS102000