Close protection officers are often called bodyguards. Their job is to provide physical protection to a person and sometimes to several people. The person that they are protecting is referred to as the “principle.” As a close protection officer you would protect the principle from harm and quickly get them to safety if they were threatened. These threats might include violence, kidnap, robbery and harassment. There are several areas of specialism within close protection, including celebrity protection, VIP and high net individual worth protection, maritime protection and hostile environment protection.
In order to work in close protection in the UK, close protection officers must have attended an accredited SIA close protection course, hold a valid approved First Aid at Work certificate (minimal).
Our CP course covers all key competencies mandatory for close protection operations, from threat and risk assessment to foot drills and communication and conflict management skills. The course also provides operatives with practical scenario exercises to give participants the chance to practice the skills and techniques they have been taught.
Close protection work is demanding and you are likely to need to be physically fit to do it. It requires you to be calm under pressure, reliable and trustworthy. You need to be able to quickly identify threats, make decisions and take appropriate action. Good communications skills and a high standard of professionalism are also important.
Flexibility is required as you may need to follow principles at any time of day or night, wherever they are going. This means that you may travel a lot, sometimes internationally.
The companies that employ close protection officers may expect that you know self-defence and other combat techniques. This is not covered in SIA specified training and you do not need this training to apply for a licence. You may therefore have had to pick up these skills elsewhere (e.g. the military) or get them before you start applying for jobs.
It is likely that you will be expected to be able to drive to a high standard and to use a radio.
You will frequently work as part of a team with other close protection officers.
Course Description
Our SIA accredited course covers all key competencies mandatory for close protection operations. In addition, our instructors will be able to recommend available employment routes open to you. The course covers:
Close Protection Specialist Module
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Close Protection Operative
- Threat and Risk Assessment
- Surveillance Awareness
- Operational Planning
- Law and Legislation
- Interpersonal Skills
- Close Protection Teamwork and Briefing
- Conduct Reconnaissance
- Close Protection Foot Drills
- Route Selection
- Close Protection Journey Management
- Search Procedures
- Incident Management
- Venue Security
Conflict Management Module
- Avoiding Conflict and Reducing Personal Risk
- Defusing Conflict
- Resolving and Learning from Conflict
- Application of Communication Skills and Conflict Management for Close Protection
AND Practical Scenario Exercises
For further information, please contact:
Geraldine Gormley, Global Horizon Skills
Tel: 028 822 50544 geraldine@ghskills.com
