Counter-Terrorism Protective Security Awareness (CTPSA)

Course Overview 

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn's Law) requires those responsible for qualifying premises and events to put preparedness arrangements in place. Those arrangements only work if the people on the ground understand them, because front of house, facilities and stewarding staff are usually the first to notice when something is not right.

CTPSA is the SFJ Awards Level 2 Award in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security Awareness. It gives staff working in, or supporting, venues, sites and organisations a working understanding of the terrorism threat context, the attack methods most relevant to public places, what the Act asks of their organisation, and what to do when something looks or feels wrong. The emphasis is on the internal champion role: staying alert, reporting promptly through agreed routes, and passing timely observations to the responsible person or to colleagues with formal counter-terrorism responsibilities. Where the Level 3 CTPSaP qualification develops the smaller number of people accountable for producing risk assessments and preparedness plans, CTPSA is the one-day qualification you put the rest of your workforce through.

Redline Assured Security is an SFJ Awards Approved Centre, delivering CTPSA to organisations across the standard and enhanced tiers of the Act. CTPSA is regulated by Ofqual (qualification number 610/7680/6) and Qualifications Wales (C00/5464/1), with an operational start date of 1 July 2026. It is regulated in England and Wales.

Who This Qualification Is For:

CTPSA is designed for the wider workforce at premises and events in scope of the Act, and for anyone whose day-to-day role puts them in a position to notice and report a concern. It is relevant to:

• Front of house, reception, box office and visitor services staff
• Retail and hospitality team members and supervisors
• Event stewards, crowd safety staff and volunteers
• Facilities, maintenance, cleaning and catering teams
• Security officers new to counter-terrorism protective security
• Transport, logistics and delivery staff working on or into a site
• Education, healthcare and local authority site and administrative teams
• Managers who need a shared awareness baseline across their teams
• Staff who may later progress to the Level 3 CTPSaP qualification

Entry Requirements

There are no formal pre-entry requirements for CTPSA. The qualification is recommended for learners aged 16 and over. Learners will need sufficient literacy and communication skills to engage with the material and to complete a multiple-choice examination. Redline carries out a skills scan ahead of enrolment to confirm learners can work at the appropriate level.

Learning outcomes

On completing CTPSA, learners will be able to:

• Explain what terrorism means in a UK context, and the purpose of the national threat level system
• Identify the attack methods most relevant to public places, including marauding terrorist attack, vehicle as a weapon, improvised explosive device, fire as a weapon and CBRN, alongside cyber terrorism
• Explain the intent of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, the key requirements it places on organisations, and the factors that determine which duties apply
• Describe how staff awareness and vigilance support the responsible person and a positive security culture
• Recognise hostile reconnaissance, probing behaviour and insider risk, including social media exposure, and apply a recognised reporting approach such as See, Check and Notify (SCaN)
• Distinguish between evacuation, invacuation and lockdown, and apply safe practice on discovering a suspicious item using HOT and the 4Cs
• Take the immediate actions that reduce exposure in a hazardous substance incident, report clearly to security teams and emergency services, and explain the purpose of public access trauma first aid

CTPSA is achieved through a single mandatory unit:

Counter-Terrorism Protective Security Awareness (Level 2, 7 guided learning hours). Covers the terrorism threat and common attack methods, the scope and intent of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, vigilance and reporting, and immediate response principles and site procedures.

Course Format

Format: Tutor-led, one day of face-to-face training, followed by a multiple-choice examination.

Total Qualification Time: 7 hours

Guided Learning Hours: 7 hours

We offer classroom-based learning at our Doncaster and Bracknell sites, in addition to in-house delivery at your own premises (depending on number of delegates), as well as tutor-led and live virtual classrooms. 

Assessment

• Pass or fail grading.
• Learners are assessed by a single multiple-choice examination, set by SFJ Awards and delivered by Redline as an approved centre under examination conditions.
• The examination consists of 25 questions with a 40-minute time limit and an 80% pass mark. It is administered through the SFJ Awards e-assessment platform.
• One free resit is included in the registration fee.

ProgressionCTPSA provides a foundation for progression to the SFJ Awards Level 3 Award in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security and Preparedness (CTPSaP), the qualification for those holding operational or strategic accountability for counter-terrorism preparedness. It also supports development into protective security, security operations, event safety, facilities management, emergency preparedness, business continuity and risk management roles.

 Sectors

• Multi-sector security
• Visitor attractions
• Events
• Hospitality
• Retail
• Education
• Transport

Completion of this qualification supports preparedness ahead of the Act's full implementation. It does not on its own ensure compliance with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

This qualification is awarded by SFJ Awards, an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation specialising in the justice, emergency, security, and fire sectors. SFJ Awards developed CTPSaP in collaboration with the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) to meet the preparedness requirements introduced by the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

SFJ Awards

Funding your training through ELCAS

Redline Assured Security is an ELCAS-approved training provider (#14688). If you are a member of the armed forces community, you may be able to use your Enhanced Learning Credits to fund this qualification as part of your resettlement and transition to civilian employment. Contact us to check your eligibility, or find out more at enhancedlearningcredits.com.

How this course supports your Martyn's Law obligations

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn's Law) places statutory duties on those responsible for qualifying premises and events, including putting public protection procedures in place and making staff aware of them. CTPSA gives your wider workforce that awareness in a form you can evidence: an Ofqual-regulated qualification, assessed independently, held by named individuals across your site.