Back to the Beginning: Who Is Behind Titan Private Investigation Ltd?
Simon Henson’s founding story of Titan Private Investigation Ltd
There are many private investigation firms operating across the United Kingdom. Some are one-man operations run from a spare bedroom. Others are large corporate entities that prioritise volume over quality. Titan Private Investigation Limited sits in a different category entirely — and understanding why requires going back to where it all began.
Founded on Experience, Not Ambition Alone
Titan Private Investigation Limited was founded in 2014 by a former police professional with 17 years of service across some of the most demanding disciplines in UK law enforcement. Those years were not spent behind a desk. They encompassed frontline uniform duty, six years leading surveillance teams targeting organised crime networks, and seven years operating as a detective sergeant on counter-terrorism enquiries — work that demands precision, discretion, and an unwavering commitment to operational integrity.
The decision to leave policing was not taken lightly. Austerity measures, pension reforms, and a freeze on promotion had fundamentally altered the landscape of a career that had once promised a clear 30-year trajectory. When that path closed, the founder did not simply walk away from the profession — he channelled everything he had learned into building something new. Something better.
“I set out to build a national private investigation practice rooted in operational experience and high standards,” he explains. That founding principle has never changed. It is the thread that runs through every aspect of Titan’s operation — from how cases are managed to how operatives are trained and supported.
From One Office to a National Operation
In 2014, Titan opened its first office in Derby. It was a modest beginning, but the ambition behind it was anything but modest. The goal from the outset was to create a firm that could operate at scale without sacrificing the quality and professionalism that distinguished it from competitors.
That vision has been realised. Today, Titan is a genuinely national operation, with ten offices spanning the length and breadth of England — from Truro in the far southwest to Manchester in the northwest. The firm has access to a network of 340 surveillance operatives and operates a structured model capable of meeting large and complex investigative demand.
Growth was steady and deliberate. By 2017, demand had outpaced capacity — a challenge that many growing businesses face, but one that Titan chose to address in a way that reflected its values. Rather than outsourcing work to third parties whose standards could not be guaranteed, the decision was made to train operatives in-house. This was not simply a commercial decision. It was a statement of intent: that quality would never be sacrificed for convenience.
Building a Training Programme Worthy of the Name
The launch of Titan’s formal training programme in 2017 marked a significant moment — not just for the company, but for the wider private investigation sector in the United Kingdom. Surveillance training in the private sector has historically been inconsistent. Courses vary enormously in quality, duration, and rigour, and the industry has long suffered from a perception that anyone with a camera and a car can call themselves a surveillance operative.
Titan set out to change that.
The training team comprises four instructors who bring a combined 107 years of police and surveillance experience to the classroom and the field. These are not academics teaching theory. They are practitioners who have spent careers conducting the kind of work they now teach — surveillance operations against serious and organised crime, counter-terrorism support, and complex investigative casework. When they speak about operational standards, they do so from direct, hard-won experience.
The flagship offering is the RQF Level 4 Surveillance Course — a five-day, practical, pass/fail programme that runs four times per year, in February, May, September, and November. Class sizes are deliberately kept small to ensure that every student receives the individual attention and development they need. This is not a course where you can sit at the back, collect a certificate, and leave. Assessment is rigorous, and the pass/fail structure means that the qualification carries genuine weight.
The course fee is £1,200 plus VAT. For those who wish to obtain the formal RQF Level 4 qualification — accredited through Skills for Justice, the recognised awarding body for the justice sector — there is an additional fee of £420 paid directly to the awarding body. A 50% deposit secures a place on the course.
Who Is This Course For?
One of the most important things to understand about Titan’s training programme is who it is designed for. The answer may surprise you.
You do not need a background in policing or the military. Whilst those experiences are certainly valuable, they are not prerequisites. Titan has welcomed students from an extraordinarily diverse range of backgrounds — military veterans, former veterinary nurses, couriers, bankers, and professionals from countless other fields who are seeking a meaningful career change.
What Titan looks for is not a particular CV. It is a particular attitude. The commitment to reach and maintain an operational standard. The willingness to be assessed honestly and to put in the work required to pass. The professionalism to represent the industry with integrity once qualified.
If you have those qualities, Titan wants to hear from you.
More Than a Course: The Grow Student Aftercare Programme
Completing a training course is one thing. Building a sustainable career is another. Titan understands this distinction better than most, and it is why the company developed the Grow Student Aftercare Programme — a structured support framework that begins the moment a student passes the course.
The Aftercare Programme is, in many respects, what truly sets Titan’s training apart from anything else available in the UK market. Students who successfully complete the course are not simply handed a certificate and wished well. They are brought into the Titan operational resourcing group — the same network used by the company’s 340 active operatives.
This means immediate access to live work opportunities. Assignments posted by other operatives and companies within the network are available to Aftercare Programme members, providing a genuine pipeline of paid work from the very beginning of a new career. Alongside this, ongoing mentoring and operational support is provided as students build their experience and confidence in the field.
The philosophy is straightforward: train, nurture, and give people the opportunity to earn whilst they develop. In an industry where newly qualified operatives often struggle to find their footing, this approach is genuinely transformative. It bridges the gap between training and employment in a way that no other UK surveillance training provider currently offers.
Professional Recognition and Industry Standing
Titan’s training programme is run in association with the Institute of Professional Investigators (IPI) — one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for the investigation sector. Upon successful completion of the course, students are eligible to apply for IPI membership, gaining a recognised professional affiliation that carries genuine credibility with clients and employers alike.
Combined with the optional RQF Level 4 qualification from Skills for Justice, graduates of the Titan programme leave with a professional profile that stands up to scrutiny. In a sector where credentials are not always what they appear, this matters enormously.
Why Titan Training Stands Apart
There are a number of surveillance training providers operating in the UK. So why choose Titan? The answer lies in four areas that the company believes are non-negotiable.
Operational pedigree. The training team’s combined experience of 107 years in policing and surveillance is not a marketing figure — it is the foundation upon which every element of the course is built. Students learn from people who have done the job at the highest level.
Small cohorts. Focused, individual development is only possible when class sizes are kept deliberately small. Titan’s intake limits ensure that no student is lost in the crowd.
A real work pipeline. The Grow Student Aftercare Programme provides immediate access to a busy operational resourcing group. This is not a promise of future opportunities — it is a structured, functioning system that is already delivering work to graduates.
Professional pathways. IPI affiliation and the option of a recognised Level 4 qualification give graduates a professional foundation that opens doors across the private investigation and corporate security sectors.
How to Apply and What to Expect
If you are considering a career change in 2026 and are serious about entering the surveillance and private investigation sector, the next step is straightforward. Full course details, dates, and availability can be found at titansinvestigations.co.uk — navigate to the training tab for everything you need.
A word of caution: May’s course in particular tends to fill quickly. If you are interested, early enquiry is strongly advised. A 50% deposit secures your place, and from that point forward, Titan’s team will be in contact to ensure you are prepared for what lies ahead.
Come ready to work. Come ready to be assessed. And come with the professional attitude that this career demands.
Titan Private Investigation Ltd: A Final Word
Building Titan Private Investigation Limited has been, at its core, about translating the lessons of a policing career into a private sector operation that refuses to compromise on quality, professionalism, or the development of the people within it. The firm that began in a single Derby office in 2014 is now one of the most operationally capable private investigation practices in the United Kingdom — and the training programme it has built is a direct expression of the values that got it there.
If you want training that leads to real opportunities — not just a certificate to frame on a wall — Titan welcomes your application.
See you on the course, and stay safe.
For full course details and to secure your place, visit titansinvestigations.co.uk
About Titan Private Investigation Ltd
Titan Private Investigation Ltd is a leading provider of corporate and private investigation services in the UK. Based in Derby, the company serves clients nationwide, offering a full range of investigative solutions including surveillance, fraud investigation, digital forensics, and more. We are a private investigation agency with a reputation for professionalism, discretion, and delivering results. Titan is the trusted partner of choice for businesses seeking to protect their interests and ensure compliance.
London Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations London Office 020 39046622
Birmingham Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Birmingham Office 0121 7162442
Cambridge Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Cambridge Office 01223 662022
Derby Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Derby (Head Office) 01332 504256
Leeds Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Leeds Office 0113 4574066
Leicester Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Leicester Office 0116 2436520
Nottingham Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Nottingham Office 0115 9646950
Manchester Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Manchester Office 0161 3023008
Sheffield Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Sheffield Office 0114 3499400
Truro Private Investigations – Call the Titan Investigations Truro Office 01872 888706
Alternatively, you can contact us directly using our fully confidential contact form at enquiries@titaninvestigations.co.uk or chat directly using our Live Chat facility, and one of our UK Private Investigators will get right back to you.
