Level 4 Certificate for Protective Security Advisers

About the qualification

Qualification Number: 610/5561/X

Operational Start Date: 1st May 2025
Total Qualification Time: 140 hours
Guided Learning: 111 hours

What are the objectives for the Level 4 Certificate for Protective Security Advisers?

This qualification was designed in collaboration with and is endorsed by the Protective Security Centre (Home Office). In addition, the qualification is also endorsed by all three of the government’s National Technical Authorities: National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), UK National Authority for Counter Eavesdropping (NACE) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The objective of this qualification is to provide learners with the baseline of knowledge and skills required to carry out the role of a protective security adviser. This qualification equips delegates with the competencies to understand how the protective security disciplines dovetail to provide the foundations of ‘security convergence’. Completion of this qualification will provide an understanding of how threat actors target us with a converged approach, and the importance of protecting organisational assets with robust converged security mitigations providing organisational seniors with a single overview of protective security risk.

What are the pre-entry requirements for the Level 4 Certificate for Protective Security Advisers?

There are no pre-entry requirements for this qualification. However, centres must ensure that learners are able to complete this qualification, for example, through completing a skills scan to ensure they can work at the appropriate level.

How Does This Qualification Build a Unified Protective Security Profession?

The SFJ Awards Level 4 Certificate for Protective Security Advisers has been designed, with endorsement from the Home Office and the UK’s National Technical Authorities, to establish a consistent baseline of knowledge and competence across the protective security disciplines – physical, personnel, technical, and cyber.

The certificate provides learners with a platform of competence across the main disciplines of security and resilience to enable learners to then progress their development towards a deep specialism whilst understanding how the security eco-system integrates with a converged approach to protective security.

Given the diverse professional backgrounds of learners, it’s expected that individuals may have stronger existing knowledge in some disciplines than others. The qualification brings those varied experiences together to promote a common understanding and shared professional standard across the sector.

For more information, download the Qualification Handbook here:

End Point Assessment

SFJ Awards is also a leading EPAO with extensive experience. We are approved to deliver the Level 4 Protective Security Adviser EPA, providing trusted end-point assessment services to employers and training providers. For more information and to access our fact sheet, click here