Choosing the right Security Company
Choosing the right Security Company/Supplier can be daunting as there are so many to choose from, it’s important to ensure the supplier can provide immediate responses through an unbroken chain of communication from their own 24/7 control Centre and response teams. This together with the right calibre of Security Personnel who are SIA licensed and trained is an excellent start to selecting an appropriate provider. Effective internal training procedures and training plans should be accessible for would be clients to inspect, don’t just accept its done, check its done, “Audit” it’s a client’s responsibility to ensure their chosen supplier is suitable for purpose (check staff records).
Good Quality management has a direct impact on the services being provided, managers need to know and understand both their staff and their clients to effectively provide a quality service (Supervisors should be more knowledgeable than Officers and Managers should have excellent background knowledge of all security matters). An effective Quality Management System (QMS) will provide daily alerts to all Security Managers, enabling them to be fully compliant with both site requirements and those that are covered by legislation these being e.g.;
· Enhanced DBS working with the young and vulnerable, hospitals and schools
· First aid trained 4 day
· Fire warden trained, high rise buildings
· Customer care, an extra package when dealing face to face
· ACT Action Counters Terrorism, all Officers should receive this trg
· Channel General Awareness certified by the police
· BS7984 key holding and response officers
· Safeguarding children when working in schools
· Data Protection GDPR
Company Culture and Reputation
A company that treats their staff poorly, stacks em high sells them cheaply, rates of pay that is! will result in Security Officers being less dedicated to the company, at the heart of all Security Staff is their pay £££££, as with the rest of us! Disharmony can often cause a Security Company to lose contracts, meaning less work available for the Officers, do the Guards care, not always as they know they can move to another huge supplier really easily. With the number of security companies available today, how the Officers perform has a huge impact on contract retention. A company that usually invests in their staff and Officers through ongoing training, good terms and conditions will result in a stable workforce and increased loyalty. Looking back over the past years has seen the demise of many seemingly good companies, nevertheless they are now gone, a void opens clients usually panic then choose another large supplier and so it continues.
Type of Sites
Some Security Officers are much better interacting with others while others prefer to work alone, but be careful, do they want to work alone or just do nothing and be unmonitored, as usually is the case? Some companies focus on concierge and event security where Officers will frequently interact with people. Other companies focus on alarm response where interaction is not as much. All security staff are licensed therefore its said they are capable to carry out all the required functions, this is definitely not the case. When choosing a supplier, interview staff yourself, speak to them, you’ll learn a lot especially from the Supervisors and Managers.
Location of Sites
If you live in Kensington and Chelsea, for example, it would be ideal to have a site in Kensington and Chelsea close to home to avoid having to commute each day, its expensive. A Security supplier in the North of England can have work anywhere in the UK regardless where they are based, satellite offices whilst good should be fit for purpose and not situated above a chip shop with a chair and answer phone. When choosing a supplier their base should be inspected to ensure its compliant and again, suitable for purpose (BS7499), it’s a client’s responsibility to check, this does mean getting of your back side and checking!
If you are in any doubt about a suitable supplier give me a call, its my job and that of every so-called Security Professional to ensure a client or prospective client receives a professional service, even if this means suggesting an alternative supplier.