Residential Programme

“Instructors include UK Forces ,Special Forces veterans, Armed Police supervisors, and international security specialists experienced in high-risk protective duties.”

Overview of the Close Protection Course

The course follows the UK SIA Close Protection Award framework and provides the full range of knowledge and practical skills required to operate as a Close Protection Operative. This intensive six‑week programme prepares learners to deliver personal protection in low‑, medium‑ and high‑threat environments. It combines classroom instruction, practical skills training and scenario‑based exercises to build operational capability.

Core Competencies and Practical Skills

Furthermore Trainees develop core competencies in threat and risk assessment, protective surveillance, conflict management, communication procedures and operational planning. They gain experience in conducting advances, assessing venues and routes, identifying vulnerabilities and establishing protective measures.

Practical modules include embus and debus drills, foot formations, protective movement techniques and coordinated team actions during dynamic or hostile incidents. The programme places strong emphasis on situational awareness, teamwork and professional behaviour under pressure.

Residential Security Team (RST) and Surveillance Training

This module incorporates Residential Security Team (RST) duties such as perimeter protection, access control, CCTV use, alarm response and household coordination. Surveillance and counter‑surveillance training develops the ability to detect hostile reconnaissance, recognise behavioural indicators and implement effective countermeasures.

Driving introduces vehicle security, convoy procedures, journey planning, embus and debus management and actions‑on during vehicle‑based incidents.

Protective Driving and Journey Management

Protective Intelligence is strengthened through the analysis of local threats, environmental factors and operational forecasting. These skills support informed decision‑making. Executive Travel Security prepares operatives to support clients through airports, hotels, corporate environments and public areas. This includes travel risk assessments, venue advances and movement coordination.

Scenario‑Based Operational Exercises

Scenario‑based exercises replicate real operational environments and require learners to apply the full protection cycle. They plan, conduct reconnaissance, coordinate movement and respond to emergencies, including protective evacuations. The Course meets the theoretical expectations of the UK SIA framework, covering legislation, conflict management, use‑of‑force principles, duty of care, human rights and dynamic risk assessment.

FIRST AID REQUIREMENT (Operational Competence – Licensing Compliant)

While FAW { First Aid at Work – Level 3 } satisfies the legal minimum in The UK , modern protection work demands a higher level of medical capability. International teams, high‑risk environments and corporate clients increasingly expect operatives to hold:

• FREC 3 – First Response Emergency Care (Level 3)
• or FPOSi – First Person on Scene Intermediate (Level 3)

These qualifications introduce trauma‑focused skills relevant to protective operations, including catastrophic bleeding control, airway management, environmental injuries and structured handover to medical teams.

Britannia Elite offers FPOSi or FREC 3 as an optional upgrade for learners seeking to meet the full operational standard expected within the industry.

Why This Matters in Real Close Protection Work

Protective operations often take place in environments where:

• Emergency medical response is delayed or unreliable
• The operative becomes the first and only responder
• Trauma is more likely than illness
• Decisions must be made under pressure, with limited resources
• The principal’s survival may depend on the operative’s immediate actions

A Level 3 trauma‑capable qualification ensures the operative can stabilise a casualty, manage life‑threatening injuries and maintain control until evacuation or medical support arrives.

Weapons Live Fire Package (Optional Module: 5–10 Days)

Additionally Learners preparing for international deployments may undertake the Weapons Live Fire Package as an optional module delivered outside the UK SIA framework and under host‑nation legal requirements. Over 5–10 days, trainees progress from basic safety and marksmanship to advanced live‑fire techniques. These include rapid target acquisition, close‑quarter shooting, fire and movement, use of cover and transitions between primary and secondary weapons. The module emphasises safety, accuracy and controlled application under stress.

Learning Outcomes and Qualifications

Graduates will be able to conduct complete Close Protection operations, including threat assessment, advance work, venue and route planning, protective movement and incident management. They will operate effectively within a Close Protection team, applying communication protocols, situational awareness, conflict resolution and lawful use‑of‑force considerations.

As a Result Learners will be capable of delivering RST duties, detecting and countering hostile surveillance, performing journey management and providing protective support during executive travel. They will also demonstrate the ability to analyse intelligence, identify emerging threats and apply structured decision‑making under pressure. Professional standards, confidentiality, discretion and client care remain central throughout.

Scenario‑based testing confirms competence in planning, coordination, emergency response and protective evacuation across a range of environments.

Learning Outcomes and Qualifications

• UK SIA-aligned Close Protection knowledge and practical skills

• Conflict Management competencies

• Advance work, venue assessments and route planning

• Protective surveillance and counter-surveillance capability

• Residential Security Team (RST) operational skills

• Protective Driving fundamentals and journey management

• Protective Intelligence and threat analysis

• Executive Travel Security competencies

• Communication procedures and radio protocol

• Embus/debus drills, foot formations and protective movement

• Use-of-force principles, duty of care and human rights

• Incident management and emergency response

• Professional standards, etiquette, confidentiality and client management

• Dynamic risk assessment and team coordination under pressure

• Optional Medical levels

• Optional international Weapons Live Fire certification (where legally permitted): safe handling, marksmanship, live-fire drills and transitions

Close Protection Course Options

Learners can complete the standard UK‑aligned Close Protection qualification with First Aid at Work (FAW), or enhance their operational capability with optional trauma‑care qualifications (FPOSi or FREC 3) and international weapons competency modules. The pathways below show the exact duration of each route, allowing candidates to select the option that best matches their professional requirements and deployment goals.

Graduates are professionally prepared for Close Protection operations in the UK or internationally, subject to local licensing requirements.

This programme is built directly on the UK SIA Close Protection licensing framework, which remains one of the most widely recognised professional standards in the protective security sector. Although other countries do not “follow” the UK model, many international awarding bodies and regulatory authorities recognise the level and structure of SIA‑aligned training when mapping qualifications to their own national frameworks. As a result, this course can be aligned with local licensing pathways in jurisdictions such as Uganda, the UAE and other regions where regulators acknowledge UK‑standard competencies during their approval or equivalency processes.

• Compliance & Accreditation
• UK close protection licence- SIA
• Course Interest Survey
• Training Programmes Hub