Wilson James introduces health and well-being platform to support employees

Wilson James, the provider of specialist security, construction logistics and aviation services, has introduced a new health and well-being platform for its 5,000-plus employee workforce.

Provided by Vivup, the platform was implemented to reflect Wilson James’ ongoing commitment to invest in its well-being resources and provide help at every level of the organisation.

Over the past year, Wilson James has seen dramatic changes in its operations due to the pandemic and recognised that it needed an employee well-being programme that was inclusive and supported every level of its workforce.

Employees now have access to Vivup’s Employee Assistance Programme with confidential counselling services and online support which is overseen by a clinical governance framework conforming to NHS standards. Staff are also supported with guidance on an array of health-affecting topics including mental fitness, stress and also dependant family support, with no limit on the help they can receive.

Jo Fenton

The new platform also provides financial well-being benefits. Wilson James’ staff can now access a huge range of ‘Lifestyle Savings’ from the UK’s favourite retailers, ranging from supermarkets, utilities and other essentials through to travel, hospitality and popular consumer goods.

Expansive view

Jo Fenton, Human Resources director at Wilson James, explained to Security Matters: “As a business, we’ve always taken an expansive view of employee well-being and we’re proud of our track record for delivering popular and award-winning programmes to support the physical and mental health of our colleagues. However, even a robust approach can be improved. If the events of the last two years have demonstrated anything, it’s that the needs of individual families and households are complex and unique. Any solutions that don’t recognise this are of limited value.”

Fenton continued: “We’re pleased that this new partnership with Vivup will allow our colleagues to customise their well-being and savings benefits to suit their needs, rather than having a blanket model imposed on them that may not be ideal. We’re also involving our colleagues in future development opportunities for the platform to ensure our package of benefits stays relevant to the needs of our workforce. This ability was key to our decision to choose Vivup as a supply partner and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead.”  

Simon Moyle, CEO of Vivup, responded: “This is a great partnership and we’re delighted to be working with the team at Wilson James. The platform has just gone live and we’re already seeing strong engagement. We look forward to providing communications and ongoing support as we continue to connect and engage employees with their benefits.”

*For further information visit http://www.wilsonjames.co.uk

Trauma awareness training to be highlighted on Armed Forces Day 2020

On Armed Forces Day 2020, which takes place on Saturday 27 June, the mental health charity PTSD Resolution is going to be highlighting the plight of Armed Forces’ veterans who find themselves in the criminal justice system. Many are suffering from military trauma and are not receiving the therapeutic support that they need to become well again and rehabilitated.
 
The specialist charity works with security companies and myriad organisations, among them ASIS UK, in order to provide therapy for staff who have been traumatised, as well as training for line managers.

On Friday 26 June at 1.30 pm, PTSD Resolution is holding a free webinar entitled ‘Trauma Awareness Training for Everyone’. The TATE Programme helps people to recognise the symptoms of trauma in themselves, their colleagues or members of staff whom they manage. It provides valuable information on appropriate support and routes for both referral and treatment.

The charity has also launched a special film that tells the story of a former HMPS prisoner and veteran of the First Gulf War. Entitled ‘The Silent Years’, the film was produced and donated by students of the Ravensbourne University, namely Shakeel Hussain (editor), Louise Corleys (editor and sound), Poppy Louise Carter (director) and Diana Alexandru (producer).

Addiction and breakdown

Government statistics estimate that approximately 4% of those in custody and on community orders are ex-Armed Forces personnel, but external estimates claim that the proportion in the prison population may be as high as 17%.

In addition to criminality, military trauma when left untreated can result in addiction, family breakdown and even suicide.
 
“The Coronavirus lockdown gives us all some idea of the stress of losing our freedom even if we’re not actually in prison,” explained Patrick Rea, campaign director for PTSD Resolution. “Plenty of veterans find themselves in the criminal justice system. In many instances, this is at least in part because of the effects of military trauma they’re still suffering. If they don’t receive the therapy they need in prison to become better, how can we expect them to re-join society responsibly? This is both a justice system and a humanitarian issue.”

Patrick Rea

For its part, PTSD Resolution has provided free mental health therapy to veterans, reservists and their families for eleven years now and taken care of people right across the UK. It’s one of the only providers of specialist help to former Armed Forces personnel while they’re in prison or have alcohol and/or substance abuse problems. Treatment is available through a network of 200 therapists, either online or by telephone during the current lockdown scenario.

Reporting of symptoms

According to research conducted by the British Journal of Psychiatry, among ex-Armed Forces personnel, no less than 17% of those who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2014-2016 reported symptoms suggesting PTSD. Those deployed in a support role such (eg medical, logistics, signals, aircrew) were affected at a rate of 6%, which is 1-2% higher than in the general UK population.
 
Emerging studies are indicating that, following the COVID-19 outbreak, rates of PTSD among those serving as medical key workers or Emergency Services personnel and who have been personally affected by the pandemic are likely to be much higher.

*For further information on PTSD Resolution visit www.ptsdresolution.org

IDIS and Galeco Communications NHS project shortlisted for 2020 Safety and Health Excellence Awards

A cutting-edge project undertaken by video surveillance specialist IDIS and Galeco Communications designed to improve protection for vulnerable adolescents and children with mental health conditions has been shortlisted for the 2020 Safety and Health Excellence (SHE) Awards.

The project involved a 150-plus camera system being installed in stages across nine weeks to create what is one of the UK’s safest secure treatment centres for young people with complex care needs, thereby reducing the risk of physical harm to staff, patients and visitors alike.

The Bluebird House project has been selected out of more than 200 entries for this year’s SHE Awards, and is now confirmed as a finalist in the Best Health and Safety Project category. The winners will be announced in September.

Galeco engineers installed 110 IDIS 12 MP IR Super Fisheye cameras as well as upwards of 50 separate 5 MP IR bullet and 31x zoom IR PTZ cameras connected to 32-channel NVRs. All benefit from true plug-and-play set-up, minimising disturbance to patients.

Deployed across three secure wards and two high-level care units, the Super Fisheye models provide comprehensive coverage that’s much more affordably for the end user than the alternative of using three or more fixed lens cameras. Advanced video capture delivers HD scene coverage and allows staff to de-warp in live view as well as playback.

The 5 MP bullet cameras were deployed by Galeco engineers around the building exteriors. At the perimeter, 31x zoom IR PTZ cameras provide clear night-time image capture at distances of up to 200 metres. Each camera is set to perform virtual guard tours periodically during the day and also at night.

Featuring automatic object detection capability, these cameras recognise and automatically track objects, people or cars, alerting CCTV operators to suspicious activity and ensuring that potentially important evidence is always recorded.

Patient privacy requirements

To meet patient privacy requirements, access to live and recorded footage – and the use of specific video tools – is limited to staff according to their location and role. Individuals can only view and review footage from their own area of responsibility at one of the four designated monitoring stations.

The end result of the project has been improved safety standards and care provision, with clinicians and senior administrators now able to use the new video review tools for training, case review and incident investigations.

“At a time when our fantastic NHS staff are in everyone’s thoughts, we’re grateful that we’ve been able to make a contribution towards keeping doctors, care workers, patients and everyone who works with them safe,” enthused Ali Copland, managing director of Galeco Communications.

The project further demonstrates the value of team working and the application of smart technology to improve outcomes.

James Min, managing director at IDIS Europe, concluded: “Together, Galeco Communications and IDIS have shown what can be achieved at such a complex site in sensitive circumstances by adopting a genuine partnership approach.”

Axis Security and The Axis Academy nominated for 2020 OSPAs

Integrated security, Front of House and cleaning services business the Axis Group starts 2020 as a finalist in the UK Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) with nominations in two categories: Outstanding Contract Security Company (Guarding) for Axis Security and Outstanding Security Training Initiative for The Axis Academy, Axis Group’s learning and development division.

The OSPAs recognise and reward companies and individuals across the security sector. Axis Security has been recognised as an outstanding security business which is making a positive difference, successfully motivating and up-skilling staff, making the most of technologies and forging new approaches and thinking around security guarding.

This nomination comes off the back of Axis Security’s most successful year of organic growth, turning over £24 million in new business alone, which represents a 140% increase on last year’s business results.

The Axis Academy, the training division for Axis Group, has been nominated for the Outstanding Security Training Initiative for its Mental Health First Aid course, which was launched in the summer of 2019 and has already trained 220 people across three levels including mental health awareness, mental health First Aid and supervising mental health.

The course supports Axis’ aim to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace, with specific training to equip people with the required knowledge and skills to act as workplace mental health First Aiders. It has been designed to help participants understand why people develop mental health conditions, and how a First Aider for mental health can provide advice and practical support for an individual presenting with a suspected mental health condition.

David Mundell, managing director of Axis Security, believes that the company’s dedication to customer service continues to underpin its success. “We see ourselves as one of the outstanding performers in the security sector, doing our utmost to support our talented people and deliver top quality customer service to our clients.”

Mundell added: “Giving the right kind of support to employees remains key to everybody’s success so we’re especially pleased to see the response to our new training initiatives, notably so around the area of mental health. The course also helps people to recognise and manage their own stress, and how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace, so it’s a really beneficial addition to our learning offer.”

The 2020 OSPAs Ceremony takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in central London on 26 February.

PTSD Resolution organises ‘Shell Shock Walk’ for Forces’ veterans mental health

PTSD Resolution – the charitable organisation looking after the mental health of forces’ veterans, reservists and their families – is organising the third annual ‘Shell Shock Walk’ in London on Saturday 14 September. The walk from Wandsworth Bridge to Tower Bridge is over eight miles and starts at 1.30 pm. Further details are available online at www.ptsdresolution.org/shellshockwalk.php.

PTSD Resolution works closely with ASIS UK and other security associations because of the number of forces veterans that work in the industry. Some may have experienced and still suffer from the symptoms of trauma from earlier military service. The charity can also help where there has been a more recent traumatic incident during the course of current employment.

The charity delivers the TATE Programme (short for Trauma Awareness Training for Employers), a half-day course for security line managers and HR personnel to enable them to recognise the symptoms of trauma in staff and then signpost help.

The 2019 walk is to highlight the issues of veterans’ mental health resulting from military trauma and to raise funds for therapy by PTSD Resolution, which provides free treatment to veterans through a network of 200 therapists nationwide.

In 2019, many veterans are still suffering from the impact of trauma without effective treatment. That’s now over 100 years after the end of World War I, whose mental health casualties are commemorated in the charity walk.

Tragically, many of the victims of shell shock were court-martialled during WW1. Their diagnosis of shell shock was not considered an admissible defence. The Battle of the Somme alone created 60,000 casualties of shell shock – a figure unmatched by any other battle in British military history.

In its aftermath, the Royal Army Medical Corps was actually banned from using the term shell shock.

SSR Personnel Charity Golf Day 2013 supports Combat Stress

The SSR Personnel Charity Golf Day is back, this year supporting Combat Stress (the UK’s leading charity that specialises in the treatment and support of British Armed Forces veterans who have mental health problems).

Mental ill-health affects ex-servicemen and women of all ages. Right now, Combat Stress is supporting over 5,000 veterans aged from 18 to 101. The charity is a vital lifeline for these men and women and their families. Treatment and support services are always free of charge, and are proven to work.

The date for the Charity Golf Day is set for Monday 23 September at the Hertfordshire Golf and Country Club, Broxbournebury Mansion, White Stubbs Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 7PY.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus II, it’s a 6,276-yard par 70 course featuring two contrasting styles. The front nine is a little more forgiving whereas the back nine makes full use of the lakes and forest areas in the grounds. It’s a challenging round of golf!

One of the greens at The Hertfordshire Golf and Country Club

The day will start from 9.00 am with registration. Participants will be able to enjoy a bacon roll for breakfast with a choice of teas and coffees. Warm-up/practice facilities are available before the first tee time of 10.35 am.

It will be an individual full handicap stableford competition over 18 holes to decide the prizes. Maximum handicap: Men 24, Women 28. There will be ‘nearest the pin’ and ‘longest drive’ prizes on selected holes.

Once your round is complete, you will be able to enjoy dinner with prize-giving and a raffle to follow.

The cost of entering the competition will be £60 per individual player, with a concession for four-balls booked at £220.

For a booking form e-mail: joliver@ssr-personnel.com

For any further enquiries contact John Oliver at SSR Personnel on (tel) 020 8626 3110