When you sign up with a security services provider you are putting the protection of your business in their hands, that means your assets; be it people, buildings or materials and equipment. Naturally, you will want these assets protecting, but that comes in different forms. Security systems can be automated, physical or a combination of the two, so you need your security services provider to be flexible enough to meet all security challenges and be successful in paying back on what can be a big financial investment.
So how does your security services provider achieve that, and what should you reasonably expect from them?
Training
You need any personnel dispatched to your site, be it to carry out patrols or install CCTV systems, to be fully trained and qualified to an acceptable standard. They need to be able to respond to the unique challenges presented by your business, and their level of training needs to reflect and prepare them for that. No two businesses are the same, and that needs to be seen in how your security services provider aims to understand your business and protect it.
Professionalism
Being fully trained is one thing, the next is performing the role in a professional manner. This means that you expect good communication, consistent performance, being able to follow procedure and having a mechanism for feeding back on issues found. A security provision sometimes has to evolve over time and often personnel have to respond to unexpected issues and occurrences, and this all comes under the banner of professionalism.
Compliance
Security personnel require an SIA licence to carry out their role, so this is a prerequisite for any security professionals dispatched to your site. But you also expect them to have the required health & safety awareness, to be fully compliant in regulatory guidelines and what they are and are not allowed to do in their role. Compliance also means being tech-savvy and aware of new software trends which can help a security system evolve and maintain a critically important status. For complete peace of mind look for security companies with NSI Gold accreditations to ensure they meet the industry’s highest standards.
Detail
A level of detail in your security services provider can also be translated as ‘vigilance’, and that is something you very clearly need in your security. But ‘detail’ means more than that, in that you don’t just want them to be vigilant to every threat, you also need them to be able to identify and respond to potential risks, and you need them to be able to spot and assess details which could raise suspicion or lead to a different form of risk, for example environmental or health and safety risks.
Hospitality
Security services are often front-facing, meaning they also act as the public face of your organisation. Therefore, you don’t necessarily want or require an intimidating security presence or strong visual deterrent and a more subtle approach is needed. In a car park warden, traffic marshal or front-of-house concierge service you will want a friendly, welcoming and helpful security service, one which presents a good image for your business, is personable and warm and seamlessly integrates with your business personnel. Again, this often comes down to training and requirements will differ by organisation, but this is a key expectation in many businesses.
Assessment
As we mentioned earlier, security services are constantly evolving, so you need your provider to be flexible and open to change. This requires a system whereby the security services are monitored and assessed for their suitability and success. It is common for unforeseen risks to develop and for systems to be amended, so you need your security services provider to have a mechanism for assessing performance and recommending changes to reduce the risk from any real or potential threat.
Contact First Response Group today for expert security services in the UK.
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