The challenge is ensuring that staff recognise when something warrants attention, understand how to report it and trust that their concerns will reach the right people.

This is the protective security information gap: the potential disconnect between those who observe what is happening on the ground and those responsible for assessing and acting on that information.

Closing that gap is an important part of building organisational resilience. It also raises a practical question: how can effective counter-terrorism awareness training help bridge the gap between frontline observations and protective security decision-making?

Frontline staff: the first line of awareness

In many public-facing environments, frontline employees interact with far more people throughout the working day than those with formal security or preparedness responsibilities.
Reception teams welcome visitors and contractors. Retail and hospitality staff interact with customers. Healthcare professionals work alongside patients and service users. Facilities teams move throughout buildings, while event stewards and volunteers help manage busy public spaces.

These employees often develop a strong understanding of what is normal within their working environment. That familiarity can put them in a valuable position to recognise unusual activity or behaviour that may warrant further attention. But being well placed to notice something does not automatically mean knowing what to look for, whether a concern is relevant or what action to take.

Without appropriate awareness, an employee might dismiss something unusual, assume somebody else will report it, or hesitate because they are unsure whether their concern is significant enough.

This is where workforce awareness becomes an essential part of protective security.

It isn’t about expecting every employee to become a security specialist. It’s about ensuring people understand the role they can play in recognising potential threats, maintaining vigilance and reporting concerns appropriately.

Recognising a concern is only the first step

An informed workforce can make an important contribution to protective security, but awareness alone doesn’t close the information gap. Employees also need to understand what to do with their observations. That means knowing who to report concerns to, how to communicate relevant information and what immediate actions may be appropriate in different circumstances.

Equally, organisations need clear reporting pathways and people with the appropriate responsibilities and capability to receive, assess and act on that information.

Consider an employee who notices suspicious behaviour in a busy public-facing environment. Their responsibility may be to recognise that something warrants attention, report what they have observed and follow the organisation’s established procedures. It is not necessarily their role to investigate the situation, determine the level of terrorism-related risk, or decide which wider protective security measures should be implemented. Those decisions sit with people who have the relevant organisational responsibilities, knowledge and authority.

Effective protective security depends on understanding these different roles – and ensuring information flows effectively from frontline staff to those responsible for assessing concerns and taking appropriate action.

When staff know how to recognise and report concerns, and clear reporting arrangements are in place, organisations can build a more informed, coordinated approach to protective security.

What does Martyn’s Law say about workforce awareness?

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, has brought greater attention to organisational preparedness and the role people play in public protection.

The statutory guidance supporting the Act recognises the importance of staff understanding the procedures and protective security measures relevant to their roles. It also identifies, as good practice, that all staff working at qualifying premises and events should understand that a terrorist attack could occur, be alert to suspicious items and behaviours, know how to report concerns and appreciate the importance of reporting them quickly.

This reinforces an important principle: effective preparedness cannot depend solely on those with formal protective security responsibilities.

The people responsible for developing and implementing an organisation’s protective security arrangements need the support of a workforce that understands its role within those arrangements.

While the Act does not mandate a particular training qualification, developing appropriate workforce awareness can help organisations strengthen the practical foundations of their preparedness.

How counter-terrorism awareness training helps close the gap

One way organisations can address this challenge is by providing structured, role-relevant counter-terrorism awareness training.

The SFJ Awards Level 2 Award in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security Awareness (CTPSA) is a recognised, one-day counter-terrorism awareness qualification delivered by Skills for Justice Training. It is designed to help frontline and public-facing staff recognise potential threats, report concerns appropriately and understand immediate response actions.

The tutor-led qualification focuses on essential awareness, including:

  • Understanding the terrorism threat context and common attack methodologies
  • Recognising suspicious behaviours and items
  • Maintaining vigilance within everyday working environments
  • Understanding the importance of reporting concerns promptly and appropriately
  • Understanding immediate response actions and individual responsibilities
  • Recognising how workforce awareness contributes to wider organisational preparedness.

Importantly, the qualification is not intended to give frontline employees responsibility for assessing organisational security risks or overseeing protective security arrangements. Instead, it helps them become informed contributors to organisational preparedness, better equipped to recognise potential concerns and provide timely, relevant information to those with more formal responsibilities.

Strengthening protective security doesn’t necessarily mean giving everyone greater responsibility. It means ensuring people have the appropriate knowledge to fulfil the responsibilities they already hold – ultimately supporting public safety.

From individual awareness to a stronger security culture

Closing the protective security information gap requires more than teaching employees to recognise suspicious activity. It also means creating a culture where people understand why reporting matters, feel able to raise concerns and trust that these will be handled appropriately.

Clear reporting procedures, proportionate responses and appropriate feedback can help reinforce these behaviours, particularly across organisations with multiple sites and varied workforce roles.

The benefit is not simply having more people looking out for threats. It’s having more people who understand what matters, what to communicate and how their observations can support informed decision-making.

Building resilience by connecting awareness with responsibility

Workforce awareness and organisational responsibility must work together.

Without an informed workforce, important observations may never reach those responsible for protective security. Without clear responsibilities and effective reporting arrangements, valuable information may not lead to appropriate action.

Organisational resilience depends on connecting the two – ensuring frontline awareness supports informed decision-making, effective preparedness and a coordinated approach to protective security.

Help your workforce play its part in protective security

Skills for Justice Training delivers the SFJ Awards Level 2 Award in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security Awareness (CTPSA) to help organisations develop foundational protective security awareness among frontline and public-facing staff.

Delivered by experienced practitioners with backgrounds in counter-terrorism policing, protective security, intelligence and crisis response, the one-day qualification brings practical insight into the learning experience, helping learners understand how protective security awareness applies to real working environments.

Whether you’re developing awareness among reception teams, customer-facing employees, security personnel, facilities staff, event stewards or wider frontline workforces, Level 2 CTPSA training can help staff understand their contribution to organisational preparedness.

Explore Level 2 CTPSA training and book your place

We also offer dedicated organisational delivery for employers looking to develop protective security awareness across wider teams, with learning tailored to reflect their operating environment, workforce roles and existing procedures.

Frequently asked questions

What is counter-terrorism protective security awareness training?

Counter-terrorism protective security awareness training helps employees understand potential terrorism-related threats, recognise suspicious behaviours and items, and know how to report concerns and respond appropriately.

It supports wider organisational preparedness by helping staff understand their role in protective security, particularly those working in frontline, customer-facing and other public-facing environments.

Does Martyn's Law require all staff to complete counter-terrorism training?

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 does not mandate a particular training qualification for all employees.

However, the supporting statutory guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring staff understand the public protection procedures and measures relevant to their responsibilities. It also identifies workforce awareness, including recognising suspicious activity and reporting concerns promptly, as good practice.

Organisations should therefore consider what awareness, training or instruction is appropriate for their workforce, taking account of individual roles and the protective security arrangements in place.

Who is the Level 2 Award in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security Awareness suitable for?

The Level 2 Award is designed for frontline staff and those working in public-facing environments. It is suitable for anyone whose role may involve recognising suspicious behaviour, identifying potential threats, responding appropriately to an incident or supporting protective security within their organisation.

The qualification is relevant across a wide range of sectors, including local government, healthcare, retail, hospitality, events, leisure, transport, education and the wider public sector.