Ward Security wins contract at Reading International Business Park

Ward Security has won a contract to provide security services at Reading International Business Park. The contract will see the company providing customer experience officers to the site on a 24/7 basis 365 days per year. Ward Security will be working in partnership with Savills to ensure the best customer service is delivered alongside providing a safe environment for all clients and visitors to the business campus.

Reading International Business Park spans over 375,000 sq ft and consists of dynamic, intelligent and wellness-focused workspace including multi-tenanted corporate offices. It’s a future-proofed and sustainable office environment designed to promote well-being and nurture the ethos of collaboration.

Reading International Business Park

Bruce Anderson, regional manager at Ward Security, commented: “Myself and the team are looking forward to working with the campus team and Keith Feesey on this prestigious contract. Working closely together will ensure that we’re delivering the most streamlined and effective security and guest experience services possible.”

Dan Liddiard, operations director at Ward Security, added: “This is such a great achievement for us and we’re really looking forward to starting the contract. Reading International Business Park is all about sustainability, diversity and well-being. This is similar to our own ethos at Ward Security, so this partnership was a natural fit. Working collaboratively with Keith Feesey and his team means that we can ensure the needs of the campus are always met and that we’re delivering the very best security services.”

A registered business on the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme, Ward Security is a privately owned specialist security business with a £45 million-plus annual turnover and 1,000 employees nationally.

The business delivers high quality security personnel, Front of House, mobile patrols, keyholding, response, vacant property, CCTV monitoring, security systems and risk advisory services.

*For more information about the services delivered by Ward Security visit ward-security.co.uk

Rhondda security company fined for false claim of Approved Contractor status

Rhondda-based security company Dragon Event Security Ltd and its two directors have pleaded guilty at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court to illegally branding their business as a Security Industry Authority (SIA) Approved Contractor.

Dragon Event Security Ltd and its two directors, namely Darrel Baldwin and Anthony Stone, were sentenced on the same day. Dragon Event Security Ltd was fined £390 and required to pay a victim surcharge of £39. Darrel Baldwin was fined £390 and required to pay £480 court costs and a victim surcharge of £39. Fellow director Anthony Stone was also fined £390 and required to pay costs of £480 and a victim surcharge of £39.

The former directors claimed to be dissolving Dragon Event Security Ltd, which was founded on 20 January last year.

The prosecution started with an SIA investigation into Darrel Baldwin’s former business, namely Stay Safe Events Support Ltd, for the alleged supply of illegal security. By the time the investigation gathered momentum, the business had become Dragon Event Security Ltd.

SIA investigators discovered that Dragon Event Security Ltd was illegally displaying SIA Approved Contractor Scheme status on company vans and on social media. Dragon Event Security Ltd has never been an SIA Approved Contractor.

On several occasions, the SIA’s investigators asked Dragon Event Security Ltd to remove the Approved Contractor Scheme accreditation mark from its company vehicles and its Facebook profile. The directors refused to engage with the SIA and continued to display their false status. This left the SIA no other option but to prosecute.

Nathan Salmon, one of the SIA’s criminal investigations managers, said: “The business falsely advertised that it had been awarded Approved Contractor Scheme accreditation. Dragon Event Security Ltd attempted to win lucrative business by purporting to be vetted and having gone through the rigorous process to be an Approved Contractor. Its persistent behaviour has landed the company in court and resulted in fines and criminal records for its directors.”

Salmon concluded: “This is a lesson for anyone who seeks to illegally display our Approved Contractor Scheme accreditation. We will not hesitate to prosecute any business continuing to purport to be something it isn’t.”

London security directors prosecuted at Thames Magistrates’ Court

Three London security company directors have been fined and given a criminal record for failing to disclose information to the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The prosecution is part of an ongoing investigation into the use of fraudulent SIA licences.

On Monday 8 March, two former company directors – namely Damien Burrell and Omar Nelson – were sentenced at Thames Magistrates’ Court. In a previous hearing on 17 July last year, both pleaded guilty to failing to provide information to the SIA. This is an infringement of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

Burrell, the former director of Pro-Active Event Staffing Ltd, was fined £233 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,323.50, plus a victim surcharge of £32 within 28 days.

Nelson, formerly the director of No.1 Security Ltd, was sentenced in his absence. He was also fined £233 and required to pay prosecution costs of £1,323.50 within 28 days, in addition to a victim surcharge of £32.

The third security director, Shahbaz Ahmed of HAR Services Ltd, also pleaded guilty to the same charge at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 22 October 2020. SIA investigators made repeated requests for information to Ahmed, but he failed to engage with the regulator. Ahmed was fined £80 and also required to pay court costs of £100.

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Fraudulent licence

SIA investigators found that these three security companies were sub-contracted to supply a security officer who attempted to use a fraudulent licence. These included Burrell’s company Pro-Active Event Staffing Ltd, Nelson’s company No.1 Security Ltd, and Ahmed’s business HAR Services Ltd.

SIA investigators pursued the directors in the wake of receiving a query from the client of an SIA Approved Contractor. After initially ignoring the SIA’s requests for information, Burrell and Nelson eventually provided information to SIA investigators.

On 23 March 2019, an HAR Services Ltd employee arrived at a student accommodation centre in London to start his shift. He presented an altered SIA Security Guarding licence. During routine induction checks, an employee noticed that the licence had been tampered with. The man fled the premises and this was duly reported to the SIA.

Due diligence

Nathan Salmon, criminal investigations manager at the SIA, said: “Nelson, Burrell and Ahmed did not carry out adequate due diligence of licensed security and, as a result, betrayed the trust of their client to whom they were contracted for the protection of London students. They have been prosecuted for failing to engage with the SIA. They thought that ignoring us would mean they would face no consequences. The reality is that it’s against the law to ignore a legal request for information. These three men now have criminal records and will not be able to work in the industry in the future.”

Salmon concluded: “The use of fraudulent SIA licences is completely unacceptable. I would encourage anyone who has concerns over such matters to report them to the SIA such that we can then investigate.”

The SIA’s investigations into the use of fraudulent licences continues.

Incentive FM moves into Top 3% of Approved Contractor Scheme-registered security companies

Incentive FM, the specialist facilities management company, has recently completed the latest Security Industry Authority Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) audit process and has achieved an excellent score.

Following the rigorous audit procedure, Incentive FM achieved a score of 129 points out of a possible 145 which now moves the business into the Top 3% of around 650 companies who hold ACS registration with the regulator.

Andrew Robbins, associate director of security and risk at Incentive FM, told Security Matters: “This achievement has been gained through the delivery of our clear strategy over the past three years, as well as the sheer hard work and dedication of our senior management and site-based teams who’ve demonstrated a clear commitment to delivering a premium security service to our clients through focus and continuous improvement.”

Robbins added: “We’re extremely proud of all our staff members who’ve helped the business to achieve ACS status for the fourteenth year in succession. The last 12 months has realised many challenges due to the new scoring mechanism adopted by the SIA’s auditors and, of course, the global pandemic, but we’ve persevered and passed with flying colours.”

First Response Group listed in Sunday Times ‘10 Fast-Track Ones to Watch’

Yorkshire-based security and facilities service provider the First Response Group is featured in the latest Sunday Times ‘10 Fast-Track Ones to Watch’ listed. The business has been recognised as one of the companies set to grow rapidly and shows the potential to secure its place in the ‘Fast Track 100’ in the future.

Businesses are identified based on factors such as past sales, growth forecasts, international expansion and external investment. This summer, the Leeds-based company competed a £6 million refinancing agreement, allowing it to continue the strong growth it has experienced over the last few years.

A series of targeted acquisitions – coupled with recent high-profile tender wins in the insurance, corporate and construction sectors which accelerated the company’s growth – triggered the need to increase available working capital for business continuity and future investment.

Founded back in 2007 by directors Jamal Tahlil and Edgar Chibaka, First Response Group provides security, fire and facilities management services for customers including Aldi and the NHS. Sales this year have risen by 51% to hot a total of £18.6 million.

Simon Alderson, CEO at the First Response Group, said: “It’s an honour to be named as one of The Sunday Times’ ‘10 Fast-Track Ones to Watch’. The extraordinary growth we’ve seen over the past few years has firmly established the First Response Group as a rising star in the security industry, and this achievement recognises the dedication and hard work shown by our entire team.”

Alderson added: “This summer’s funding, coupled with our mission to provide the best service and innovation possible by cultivating a culture of employee inclusion and happiness, will continue to position First Response Group as a leader in the security and FM solutions markets.” First Response Group holds the coveted National Security Inspectorate Guarding Gold accreditation and, as an Approved Contractor Scheme Pacesetter, is ranked in the Top 15% of firms registered on the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme.

Jodie Stevens joins Venture Security in compliance manager’s role

Hampshire-based security solutions provider Venture Security has bolstered its senior team with the appointment of Jodie Stevens as compliance manager. In her new role, Stevens will be responsible for overseeing all regulatory, privacy and compliance matters within the organisation and ensuring that the necessary British Standards are applied.

That process and procedure includes managing Venture Security’s many accreditations, such as its National Security Inspectorate Gold status, CHAS and ACS Pacesetters memberships and the business’ continued registration on the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) Approved Contractor Scheme.

Prior to joining Venture Security, Stevens spent 11 years working at Heathrow Airport within airfield operations, safety and transformation. As such, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the airfield, maintaining safety processes and dealing with any accidents and incidents as required, more recently being focused on improving the efficiency of ground operations. This followed on from an 18-month spell in a similar role at Southampton Airport.

Commenting on her new appointment, Stevens said: “I’ve known the team at Venture Security for many years now. I actually hold an SIA licence myself and, in my spare time, have supported the team with guarding operations at Stonehenge, Salisbury Racecourse and for other regional events so I already have a lot of knowledge about the company and how it operates.”

Stevens continued: “Being furloughed due to COVID-19 and a recent restructure led me to reflect on my role at Heathrow Airport and it just seemed the perfect time to make the move to join Venture Security. It’s a great fit for my skills and experience and I look forward to the opportunity of making a tangible difference at what is an ambitious and growing company.”

Jodie Stevens

Upholding standards

Paul Howe, managing director at Venture Security, responded: “Jodie is exceptional at what she does and will be a valuable member of the team. As a company, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality of service possible and that comes down to employing the best people, organising the best training and investing in industry-leading systems and processes. We’re currently undergoing significant growth as a business and upholding standards throughout will be central to our success.”

Based in Andover, Venture Security is ranked within the top 1% of security providers in the UK. The award-winning company was founded in 2006 and works with both corporate and residential clients, providing services including security guarding, mobile patrols, locking and unlocking for premises, key holding and alarm response.

As well as working with businesses, the team manages security for a number of high-profile regional venues and events, also working with councils and BIDs to tackle anti-social behaviour in public spaces.

Security guarding specialist SSGC appoints Haines Watts to manage “rapid growth trajectory”

One of Britain’s fastest-growing specialist security businesses has appointed a leading national accountancy firm as part of its planned expansion strategy that has so far seen a substantial turnover increase to over £60 million per annum.

Robust systems and bespoke technology has enabled SSGC, a niche provider of fully-vetted security officers, to deploy hundreds of individuals to secure and marshal the COVID-19 testing programme at centres right across the UK, building on the significant growth already achieved by the company throughout 2019.

Further, the business has now appointed Haines Watts, the accountancy firm with more than 50 offices nationwide, to manage its financial affairs as it draws up its long-term expansion plan after securing contracts which have underpinned the aforementioned robust and rapid growth in turnover.

Swindon-based SSGC has demonstrated its ability to rapidly provide hundreds of guarding personnel within very tight time windows, many of them former military personnel returning to front line duties as part of the national Coronavirus effort.

Mike Lloyd, a partner at Haines Watts (left), with Guy Dungworth (a shareholder in SSGC) and David Stubbs (managing director at SSGC)

Reinforcing the front line

“Reinforcing our front line in the fight against COVID-19 has meant making some sound decisions as we rise through the ranks of security firms to be part of the top flight of specialist businesses,” said David Stubbs, managing director of SSGC, in conversation with Security Matters. “Appointing an equally top flight accountancy firm was always part of our long-term planning.”

Stubbs continued: “Growth has always been a major part of our strategy, but our ability to demonstrate a robust response to the Government’s needs during the COVID-19 lockdown suddenly accelerated those plans. We had already established a good relationship with Haines Watts, so a complete move to take advantage of a strategic finance partner that complements our own direction of travel will definitely help us when it comes to shaping our future direction.”

Mike Lloyd, partner with Haines Watts, responded: “We provide services to thousands of businesses, many of which, like SSGC, are going through a phase of significant growth in a short time. Expansion presents new and exciting challenges and secures a spot for SSGC as a major corporate player. This is a target the business was already heading towards before current events arose.”

Lloyd continued: “Accountancy services fall broadly into two distinct areas, namely compliance and planning. From the compliance side, we can make sure that SSGC meets all of the necessary legal and tax requirements. With planning, we can help optimise areas such as tax management, financial modelling and scenario forecasting in order to maximise the financial fluidity of the company under growth. We are already working with the directors on both fronts at this key time in the company’s evolution.”

Armed Forces Covenant signatory

A signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, SSGC is an ethical business committed to supporting the military community through remobilisation projects and is also being supported by other key partners in Skipton Business Finance and Squire Patton Boggs Solicitors in delivering on the Government’s call to action.

SSGC is a Security Industry Authority Approved Contractor Scheme registered business that was formed by MBO back in 2014

David Stubbs, himself a former military policeman, concluded: “This is a very exciting time for the business as we transition into the next phase of our development. Working with Haines Watts provides seamless access to the financial services and expertise we will be leaning on this year as we execute the next phase of our growth.”

Spring Bank Holiday security patrol team in Southend save man’s life

The Spring Bank Holiday on Monday 25 May witnessed a security patrol team from Approved Contractor Scheme-registered Stambridge Security Services save a middle-aged man who was suffering from a potentially life-threatening heart attack at Southend-on-Sea Pleasure Beach.

Security Industry Authority (SIA)-licensed door supervisors Jamie Spiers and Patrick Bourke were on patrol at the Pleasure Beach when they received a call from a colleague at around 2.00 pm stating that there was a male in distress.

It was a busy and hot day. Spiers and Bourke found the unconscious man lying on the beach fully dressed and breathing erratically. He was having a cardiac arrest. Both officers are qualified First Aid trainers and immediately called the Emergency Services who advised that they should start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ie CPR).

Spiers started chest compressions while Bourke alerted Southend-based Stambridge Security Services’ Control Room staff to ensure that CCTV was capturing everything. The two door supervisors also took it in turns to administer rescue breaths.

Air Ambulance on scene

Spiers said: “Thankfully we were in the right place at the right time. We took turns in helping the man to breathe because it was so tiring. It took about 15 minutes for the paramedics to arrive. We were relentless, consistent and we did not stop. When the Emergency Services arrived they took over and used a defibrillator. The Air Ambulance also came to the scene.”

Once Spiers and Bourke had handed the man over to the Emergency Services, they cordoned off the busy Pleasure Beach. As it was a Bank Holiday, the traffic was very heavy so they directed cars away from the scene to enable the Emergency Services to transport their patient to Southend Hospital.

Three days later, a security operative at Southend Hospital called Spiers such that he could chat to the man whom he and Bourke had saved. He was very thankful.

On that note, Spiers stated: “I’ve been a door supervisor for 12 years and I was born and bred in Southend. Patrick and I have worked together in crowd control and always focus on making sure we can create a safe environment. I’m just glad we could help. Who would have thought that Patrick and I would save a man’s life?”

Critical and key workers

There are upwards of 400,000 licensed security operatives in the UK and, like Spiers and Bourke, many continue to work as critical and key workers in safeguarding and protecting hospitals and sheltered accommodation, supporting social distancing in supermarkets and transacting other essential operations.

Ian Todd, CEO at the SIA, said: “It’s important to remember that many individuals in the security industry are working as critical and key workers during this emergency period. The scenario in which Jamie and Patrick were involved is testament to the fact that, despite the challenges, many operatives and businesses are going the extra mile to serve their communities.”  

The SIA is actively promoting the industry’s dedication and commitment through the #SIAHeroes campaign. The Regulator is sharing inspiring stories of security operatives who are keeping the public safe and secure at this critical time.

*Read all of the #SIAHeroes stories online here

New Security Industry Authority licence-linked qualifications postponed to April 2021

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has decided to postpone the introduction of new licence-linked qualifications until April 2021.

The SIA has spoken to industry, awarding organisations and training providers who have outlined the difficulties they face during the current pandemic.

In view of these challenges, the September 2020 launch date for the new qualifications is deemed to be unachievable.

The SIA has therefore set a revised target date of April 2021 for the introduction of the new licence-linked qualifications.

The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.

*For further information about the SIA or to sign up for e-mail updates visit: www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk. The SIA is also on Facebook (Security Industry Authority), LinkedIn and Twitter (@SIAuk)

SSAIB appoints Dougie Callander as new manned services scheme manager

The Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) has named Dougie Callander as the organisation’s new scheme manager for manned services after predecessor David Taylor made the decision to step down from the role over the summer.

With over 19 years of experience in the security industrym having entered the security world straight from school, 37-year-old Callander has spent the last decade working as a regional investigator for the Security Industry Authority (SIA), where he also completed a seven-month stint acting as regional investigations manager for the Regulator’s compliance and investigation department during 2012-2013.

While working for the SIA, the new Scotland-based scheme manager also played an integral part in a multi-agency team co-ordinating the regulation and quality assurance at high-profile events such as the London 2012 Olympic Games, the G8 Summits in Northern Ireland (2013) and Cardiff (2014), the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2014 Ryder Cup tournament.

Dougie Callander: new role at the SSAIB

After building up a wealth of experience in his previous employment at the SIA, Callander is now looking to use what he has learnt so far to “bring a new dynamic to the SSAIB.” He told Risk Xtra: “While working for the SIA and within the security industry over the last ten years, I’ve been aware of the excellent reputation that the SSAIB enjoys within the industry and the work the organisation has done to help raise the performance standards within the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS). Most importantly, I also know of the part the SSAIB has played in safeguarding the integrity of the ACS by ensuring that all assessments are fair, proportionate and transparent. For me, it’s essential that the SSAIB continues to perform to the high standards already set.”

Callander added: “I like to think I’m a champion of change. I always promote Best Practice. Therefore, I believe that my unique and diverse background, as well as my knowledge of the SIA and the ACS, will bring a new dynamic to the SSAIB. I’ll be able to offer fresh ideas on ensuring that we continue performing to a consistently high standard.”

Departing manned services scheme manager Taylor – who joined the SSAIB back in June 2014 – will continue as a part-time manned services assessor for the time being. The organisation would like to thank him for all of his hard work during his time as manned services scheme manager.