The New ACT Awareness E-Learning: Integrating NaCTSO’s Guide, Shelter, Report (GSR) Framework

The landscape of counter-terrorism preparedness within the United Kingdom’s private security sector has taken a significant step forward. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) [1], in partnership with Counter Terrorism Policing and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) [2], has officially launched an updated version of the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) Awareness e-Learning programme. This updated curriculum introduces the newly published Guide, Shelter, Report (GSR) response principles [2], which represent a critical shift in how businesses and security operatives prepare for and respond to terrorist incidents.

This article provides a comprehensive, fact-checked analysis of the new e-learning programme, explores the core principles of the GSR framework, and examines how these changes integrate with the broader requirements of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law [3]. It also explains how SSS had already anticipated these requirements — and built the technology to prove it.

The Evolution of ACT Awareness Training

The ACT Awareness e-learning programme is a cornerstone of public safety training in the UK, designed to teach frontline staff how to identify and respond to security threats [4]. While the core modules of the training — covering hostile reconnaissance, suspicious behaviour, and public protection culture — remain fundamental [5], the integration of the GSR framework represents the most substantial update to the programme in recent years.

Under the current regulatory framework established by the SIA, counter-terrorism training is no longer optional for licence renewals. Since 1 April 2025, door supervisors and security guards must complete mandatory refresher training that includes updated counter-terrorism content to renew their credentials [6]. This requirement was extended to close protection operatives on 1 April 2026 [6].

The launch of the updated ACT Awareness e-learning has immediate operational implications for the industry. All existing ACT e-learning certificates were officially withdrawn at 09:00 on the launch day [5]. While existing licence holders are not required to repeat the course immediately, they must complete the updated training as part of their routine licence renewal process or as mandated by their employers [1]. The updated course remains free of charge and is hosted on the ProtectUK platform [2].

Understanding the Guide, Shelter, Report (GSR) Principles

The most significant addition to the updated ACT Awareness curriculum is the Guide, Shelter, Report (GSR) framework, which was officially published by NaCTSO on 23 March 2026 [2]. Developed in response to extensive feedback from the business community, GSR addresses a critical gap in existing public safety advice.

For years, the public has been trained on the Run, Hide, Tell (RHT) campaign [2]. However, businesses and security providers noted that RHT was designed primarily for individual members of the public and did not account for the specific duty of care responsibilities that venues and their staff have toward customers, visitors, and colleagues during an incident [2]. GSR was specifically founded to bridge this gap, providing a structured, professional framework for staff working within public-facing premises [2].

The GSR framework consists of three core principles that are designed to be executed in parallel rather than as sequential steps [2]:

Guide: Operatives must use their detailed knowledge of the venue’s layout, exit routes, and security systems to actively direct people away from immediate danger [2].

Shelter: If evacuation is not safe or possible, staff must secure people inside the safest, most defendable spaces within the venue, utilising physical security measures such as locks and barriers [2].

Report: Staff must immediately pass clear, accurate, and actionable information to the emergency services by calling 999, providing critical details about the threat, location, and casualties [2].

Operational Implementation and Duty of Care

A critical distinction emphasised by both NaCTSO and the SIA is that the GSR principles are not intended as a set of ad-hoc actions to be carried out by individual staff members without prior planning [1] [2]. Instead, they represent an organisational standard that must be thoroughly integrated into a business’s security policies, emergency response plans, and standard operating procedures [2].

For security providers like SSS, this requires active collaboration with venue management. Security operatives must liaise closely with the venues they protect to establish clear protocols [1]:

• Pre-Agreed Responsibilities: Operatives and venue staff must have pre-assigned roles determining who guides evacuations, who secures specific shelter areas, and who communicates with emergency services [2].
• Physical Security Familiarisation: Operatives must have complete familiarity with the venue’s physical security infrastructure, including emergency exit overrides, lockdown mechanisms, and secure shelter zones [2].
• Dynamic Risk Assessment: Security teams must be trained to continuously assess the situation in real-time, determining whether guiding an evacuation or initiating a shelter-in-place response is the safest course of action [2].

Alignment with Martyn’s Law Compliance

The launch of the updated ACT training and the GSR framework is directly aligned with the implementation of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn’s Law) [3]. As the legislation progresses through its implementation phase ahead of full enforcement, public-facing venues are under increasing pressure to demonstrate robust preparedness [3] [7].

Under Martyn’s Law, premises are categorised into two tiers based on capacity, with the SIA acting as the primary regulator and enforcement body [3]:

• Standard Tier (200–799 capacity): Requires venues to undertake low-cost, common-sense activities, including basic staff training and the preparation of a standard preparedness assessment [3] [8].
• Enhanced Tier (800+ capacity): Requires comprehensive protective security planning, detailed risk assessments, documented staff training, and the appointment of a designated Senior Individual responsible for compliance [3].

The GSR principles provide a practical, standardised methodology that venues can use to satisfy the training and emergency planning requirements of both tiers. By ensuring that all security personnel and venue staff are trained in the updated ACT e-learning, businesses can provide documented evidence of compliance and, more importantly, build genuine operational resilience [3] [7].

SSS Was Already One Step Ahead

While the industry is now adapting to these new requirements, SSS had already anticipated them. Long before the updated ACT curriculum was published, we recognised that Martyn’s Law would fundamentally change what clients, regulators, and the public would expect from a professional security provider — and we built our technology accordingly.

The SSS Workforce Management Platform includes a fully operational Martyn’s Law compliance module, purpose-built to help our clients and our own operational teams meet the Act’s requirements from day one. This is not a feature that is coming soon — it is live, tested, and in active use across our deployments today.

The platform’s Martyn’s Law section provides:

• Tier classification tracking — each venue is automatically categorised as Standard (200–799 capacity) or Enhanced (800+), with the relevant compliance checklist generated accordingly.
• Documented staff training records — every operative’s ACT Awareness e-learning completion, GSR training status, and SIA licence details are stored, verified, and instantly reportable, providing the documented evidence of compliance that both tiers require.
• Emergency response plan management — venue-specific evacuation routes, shelter zones, and pre-assigned GSR roles are recorded within the platform, ensuring operatives arrive on site already briefed on their Guide, Shelter, and Report responsibilities.
• Incident reporting — a real-time incident log that captures the structured, accurate information that the Report principle demands, with timestamps and officer details automatically recorded.
• Compliance dashboard — a live overview of every venue’s Martyn’s Law readiness status, so our management team and clients can see at a glance which sites are fully compliant and which require attention.

This level of preparedness is not accidental. It reflects SSS’s belief that technology and operational excellence must work together — and that our clients should never be left scrambling to demonstrate compliance when an inspector or incident demands it.

SSS Commitment to Leading Standards

At SSS, we recognise that security is not static. As threats evolve, our training and operational standards must evolve in parallel. We are fully integrating the new ACT Awareness curriculum and the NaCTSO GSR principles into our workforce deployment protocols.

Every SSS operative assigned to our clients’ venues is fully trained on the latest ACT modules, ensuring that your premises are protected by professionals who understand their duty of care, are familiar with the latest emergency response frameworks, and are fully prepared to Guide, Shelter, and Report should an incident occur.

Our investment in the SSS Workforce Management Platform means that this is not simply a promise — it is a verifiable, auditable fact. If you would like to learn more about how SSS can support your venue’s Martyn’s Law compliance journey, or to see a demonstration of our workforce technology, please contact us today or visit the SSS Application page.

References

• [1] Security Industry Authority (SIA), “ACT Awareness E-Learning Update,” LinkedIn & Facebook Announcement, June 2026.
• [2] National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) & ProtectUK, “Guide, Shelter, Report,” March 2026. ProtectUK GSR Guidance
• [3] UK Government, “Changes To SIA Licence-Linked Training,” Updated 1 April 2026. SIA Licence Changes
• [4] Counter Terrorism Policing, “ACT Awareness E-Learning Launched,” April 2018. Counter Terrorism Policing
• [5] ProtectUK, “ACT Awareness Programme Launch,” May 2026.
• [6] Proforce Security, “Recent SIA Licence Updates,” March 2026. Industry Blog
• [7] Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, UK Parliament.
• [8] Home Office, “Martyn’s Law — Tier Guidance,” 2025.