by beezly

Health and Safety with Security

Security is a very vital term in every field. It is very important and essential in schools, clubs, pubs, shopping centers, colleges, private or government buildings and warehouses. In case of construction sites when the construction equipment is being stolen the entire project becomes more expensive. Insurance may counter balance a part of the loss but many uninsured expenses are paid by the construction groups.

Explicit responsibility for school safety is not lain down in legislation. School safety and security is associated to health and protection. Therefore whoever has liability for safety should think what safety procedures are essential and ensure that it can be guaranteed as far as sensibly feasible for the security of the students and staffs. School managements must be conscious of their safety and security needs. Night club and pub security is also very important for us. Door supervisors work at such places for the individual and club security. They are trained under SIA scheme and their major duty is to check the criminal records and strengthen the security system.

Hiring a good security staff is an important factor at all public site. These well trained people can protect us and make our lives safe and secure. For preventing crime and public security CCTV systems are quite a good idea. They are very helpful for monitoring and controlling the entire region from a remote control room. Security alarm system is another good tool to secure your home and office. This alarm system is commonly used by many safety and security organizations for complete protection.

When you are hiring a security system consider some important factors like what your expected level of security is and what needs to be protected. Whether it is business security or domestic security we always need it in our lives.

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Technorati Tags: Health, Safety., Security

by beezly

Understanding the Importance of SIA Licence Training

A Brief Outlook of SIA Licence Training

SIA licence training is the organisation which regulates the personal security business.

They provide the aspirant security guards with correct training in self defence and preserving the vigilance in the respective area.
Primary countries below the coverage SIA licence training is England, Wales and Scotland.
Each security guard who functions in the field of personal security has to get a licence from SIA.
This license is only obtained through license training.
Individuals who pass in the training are only eligible to get a SIA licence.
There is different license and training for security personals, for various security sector.

Any security guard without a relevant SIA license training is in fact breaching the law, and the employer will also be breaking the law by hiring you. It is the responsibility of the employer to hire only SIA licensed exclusive security guards.

The trainers at SIA get a broad array of expertise from monitoring the computer, security camera and also some fundamental self defence mechanism.

They are encouraged to have a excellent well being so that they can simply combat any problems producing element in the premise. The studying is carried out in friendly and informal atmosphere so that the trainers can grasp much more in a relaxed surroundings.
The count of college students at every class is kept lower so that optimum attention can be given to the college students and this way finest SIA Licence training is provided.

The SIA course is extremely comprehensive it can be broadly divided in the following way; SIA Door supervisor Licence training, SIA car immobiliser Licence training, SIA CCTV Licence training, SIA close safety licence training.

The course fee for this type of training varies from pounds 200 to 1400 and normally varies from the kind of course you opt for. For corporate or group bookings the selling price comes down even further.

The security Business Authority regulates and is accountable for any kind of personal security in the full of UK.

The trainers are offered holistic training to the students, they encourage group work within the trainers as security is a team effort and they are taught coordination and effective approaches of communication through drills so that nothing goes wrong at the time of crisis.

The SIA licence training is advised for all the aspirants who are searching at career as a exclusive security guard, and it is surely the greatest and most recognised in the complete of the United Kingdom.
Find out more information about SIA licence training here.

Technorati Tags: Importance, Licence, training, Understanding

by s0ggy lettuce

SIA Training For a Secured Position in Nightclubs

If you are currently interested in getting a security position somewhere in London at a nightclub, pub, bar, or any other kind of place like that, then you will want to look into Sia training. This training will give you the skills and education you will need to get one of these high-paying jobs that more and more people are becoming interested in. Although you might start off working as security for a pub, with the right amount of training and work experience, you can move your way up to more high paying prestigious jobs. In London it is really pretty much required that you are certified and undergo this type of training if you want a security-related position in London. Once you receive this training, your job opportunities are going to start to open up a lot more and you will be able to pick from a variety of jobs.

A low level position in security is a door supervisor, which is basically someone who is responsible for securing the entryway at a pub or restaurant. Your responsibilities will include checking people’s ID cards at the door and handling any disputes inside or outside the premises if there are any. Although it doesn’t pay a lot of money to start off, you can move your way up to other security-related jobs in healthy and safety and conflict management. After you complete Sia training, you will then be awarded a certificate which is valid for a length of time not exceeding three years. After that time you will have to renew your certificate with a test of your skills and abilities. More and more people are becoming interested in completing this training because of the opportunities it means to them in terms of a career working in security.

Right now there are a lot of people being hired in as security guards, and if you are interested in pursuing a career as one, then you will definitely want to look more into this training. You will only have to undergo 3 days of actual training, and it will go a lot for you career-wise in the long run. Without this Sia training and certification, it’s fairly difficult to get a security job in London. Once you go complete the training, you will get your certificate and more employers will be likely to hire you because they see you have that on your resume. A lot of businesses are starting to implement and even require this training for their employees, simply because it is valuable in terms of the knowledge and skills it gives you for when you are working on the job. Professionals will train you in how to go about handling a variety of scenarios.

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Technorati Tags: Nightclubs, Position, Secured, training

Tele of the Two Security Industries

Tale of the two security industries

On the 9th of October 09, I spoke at the SIA Small Business Forum in London. At the start of my presentation, I projected the image of a door supervisor, Mohamed Kaleem Rafek. Mohammed was brutally murdered in Manchester in March of this year. I asked my audience if anyone had heard about this high profile murder investigation, to my utmost shock and dismay not a single soul in the audience had heard about Mohammed’s untimely demise.

Bearing in mind that my audience was made up of security managers, senior executives of the SIA and many of the trade organisations that purport to represent our security industry. It dawned upon me that ‘not all security professionals are created equal’. The underclass is made up of the hardworking men and women like myself who have to work nightshifts in the rain and sub zero temperature whilst the ‘elite’ members, so far removed from the everyday frontline issues, milk us like dairy cows whilst still demonstrating the utmost contempt for our wellbeing.

In the November 09 issue of the Professional Security Magazine, many commentators were incensed at my willingness to hold the SIA accountable. A number of subscribers even made  strides to emphasise how improved the security industry has become since the introduction of the 2001 Security Industry Act. May I first express my sincere gratitude to all those who read my articles and took the time to comment. Whether those views were supportive of my position or not, I do respect your point of view as a fellow professional  

To those who disagree I offer the following. There is no doubt that the regulation process has indeed made an enormous difference to the security industry. The public perception of the security industry has been changed for the better.  This in itself must be seen as a positive step. But I am still searching for answers to the questions posed in my articles: Who has benefited from the regulation? What is the meaning of the word ‘professionalism’ or phrase ‘Best practices?’ What will a professionalised security industry look like in ten or twenty year’s time?

One of the core justifications levelled for the introduction of the SIA was the unchecked expansion of the private security industry. Security was seen as a lucrative industry, not only from the man guarding but also from the other criminal activities that were being committed at the time.  An increasing number of these so called companies were fronts for organised crime and were responsible in the mid eighties for the explosion within pubs & clubs of recreational drugs. Alongside the drugs came the violence, convicted criminals were not only controlling the doors of venues, they owned the security companies and employed their friends and infamous colleagues to enforce their unchecked authority on the doors. With security becoming an essential service that provides protection to so many industries the government could not stand by and allow these rogue elements to take control of an industry that is considered the 2nd police force. However, whether those allegations were justified or prompted by greed from those who want to milk the security industry dry, can only be assessed by the performance of the SIA. For anyone to suggest that scrutinising the SIA is wrong demonstrates the level of disconnect between hardworking security officers like myself and those who have no understanding of our plights but purport to represent us.

In the words of John W, Gardner “A society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water”.

The aim of the regulation was to establish excellence within the security industry as a whole not to create a two tier security industry with an upper echelon of executives who outsource all their responsibilities to a bunch of mercenaries with no interest in the security industry and a lower echelon of hardworking men and women like myself who have to brave the elements day and night for minimum wage.

During the forum it was suggested that maybe the financial position of a company has to be used as a criteria for gaining the approved contractor stators. If the same criteria were applied to the SIA, would it pass the test? The SIA has more customers than all security companies combined- more than half a million- it receives government funding yet it has never managed to balance its budget. Is there a better example of financial misappropriation elsewhere?    

I am not saying all of this to have a go at the SIA, all I want to point out here is that, in the spirit of fairness which is what this country is built upon, the SIA has to put its own house in order before it starts telling others how to run their household. It needs to get its’ own finances in order and ‘rein-in’ partners such as the auditing bodies, its call centre and license processing company. The same standard that is expected of security officers and companies must apply to those who regulate the industry. A brilliant idea would be for the SIA to send SLAs along with each license to see how it stacks up.

As for those who claim to represent us, the BSIA, The Security Institute and all the rest, I have a message for you from a security officer who I always notice during my night patrols. He is stood at the same corner of an apartment block almost every night I drive by… In sub-zero degree temperature, in the rain or snow, he is stood there. One will imagine with all this talk about professionalism his manager would have had the decency to at least provide him with a security lodge. Security officers like this and hundreds of thousands of us on the frontline are looking up to you to ensure we are not left at the mercy of the elements while doing our jobs. The professionalization talks have not worked for us and with the way things are going there is no chance that things will ever improve. For good measures, I’ll throw in a prayer for him that with luck, in twenty years time, maybe just maybe the minimum wages would have risen to £9.99 per hour and with this global warming stuff he will no longer need to worry about the cold.   

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Technorati Tags: Industries, Security, Tele

by beezly

Benefits Of Ncplh Training

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Taking an NCPLH course is highly recommended, and even required for many service establishments. This will help to prepare you for the exam that is associated with this course, and the ongoing certification. The course covers all of the basics of responsible alcohol retailing, which is vital for the success of a drinking establishment or restaurant that serves alcohol.

There are numerous benefits to taking the NCPLH course. To make it even easier these days, many people are taking this training session online, which is more cost-effective and less time-consuming. The course itself only takes a few hours to complete, and you can then feel prepared for the exam, which will give you your certification and make you stand out to potential employers. This is a great resource for those who want to boost their attractiveness in an unstable job market.

Overall taking the NCPLH course makes a great deal of sense if you are looking for any sort of job in this service industry. Even if you are not planning on being a bartender, if you are serving patrons you will come face to face with the challenges of alcohol consumption, and learn how to best deal with these clients in an appropriate and sympathetic manner.

The NCPLH training is very helpful to the pub workers and owners. It basically provides a foundation for pub owners to gain the knowledge and responsibility that they need to be a business owner, as well as teaching rules and regulations of responsible serving and retailing of alcohol. Whether you decide to enter into a tenancy agreement with a pub company, or to open your very own pub, having the right training is the first step to successful operation in the pub industry.

Finding the right program makes all the difference in how much you enjoy your NCPLH course. You need to make sure that you choose a reputable provider that can offer you what you need. Inn Dispensable, UK’s largest independent NCPLH training [a1] provider offers a number of NCPLH courses including food hygiene courses, door supervisor courses, SIA training courses and designated premises supervisor courses. If you are interested in any of the courses mentioned above, please visit the site http://www.inn-dispensable.com[a2] 

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Technorati Tags: Benefits, ncplh, training

by s0ggy lettuce

About SIA License Training

Facts on SIA License Training

The security business authority (SIA) is the organization which regulates the exclusive security sector. The exclusive security sector is vast and wide spread.
It covers security for concerts, games, and higher profile folks as properly as security for houses and offices.

The SIA is an independent system which directly reports to the household secretary. The firm was established in the year 2003 under the terms of the exclusive security business act of 2001. The business fundamentally performs two duties, 1 it gets compulsory licensing of people who are functioning in some distinct sectors and the second is to handle the approve contractor scheme. SIA license training is a must for the private security sector.

For a particular person to function legally in the private security sector, it is advantageous to have the SIA licenses.
It is unlawful to work with out a SIA licenses.

Employers who are hiring security personnel with out checking for the licenses are truly breaking the law. It is critical for the employers to verify the license of security personnel they wish to employ. SIA license training is given at a lot of recognized centers.
A man or woman who wishes to be a component of the exclusive security industry must enroll for the course and get the licenses.
People who function as door supervisors, security guards training, CCTV operator’s and automobile immobilizers need to have a SIA licenses compulsorily.

These are the folks responsible for the security of the lives and property of many people at any granted point of time. Therefore possessing the SIA license is obligatory for each and every a single of them.

There are 3 simple measures to the SIA licenses.
The 1st step to acquire the licenses is to get the SIA license training.
The course details of the training varies in accordance with the filed of function you pick at the SIA course.
The training offered to CCTV operator is different from that provided to the door supervisors. Following you have taken training, you get certified. For the certifications there are several tests and assessments which are completed by the course providers.

The benefits of the check are determined and reported. Based on the achievement, the SIA license is offered to the trainee.
Getting a SIA licensed staff gives you much more authority to operate at esteemed places.

To be a component of the personal security industry and safeguarding hundreds and thousands of lives it is mandatory to have the SIA licenses. SIA licenses training provides a man or woman a excellent opportunity to work professionally and make funds.
SIA licence training

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Technorati Tags: about, License, training

by beezly

How To Sell Security Services

How To Sell Security Services

As with many businesses within the service industry, the provision of security is perceived as an intangible commodity in that there is no physical product when purchased. We therefore rely on the clients own perception of the security industry to switch what may be perceived as a grudge purchase into an investment. I use the word perceive because that’s what it is… perception. The person on the other side of the table has to believe that what we are offering will make a positive difference to their profit margins.

How do we measure the effectiveness of a security protection? How do we know that placing security officers at exit points and throughout a retail store will result in increased profits? Do the advantages outweigh the costs? All we can do is provide a proof positive manner to deal with and minimize the impact of many of the scenarios that come together to underpin the need for security.

I work as a door supervisor and see myself as the first and last line of defence for the venues I work. It is my responsibility to assess the risk of patrons whether they are intoxicated or not, and depending on my risk assessment I will either allow or refuse them entry.

 An effective door policy ensures that potential incidents are dealt with at the entrance. But a club owner who does not see his door supervisor physically ejecting people from the venue, breaking up fights and the like, might not attribute that to the effectiveness of the door team. Instead, he might think the venue has become easy to manage and may even consider reducing his team’s coverage.

The challenge for us as security professionals is to be able to make security buyers understand the added value that we bring to their business. The big question now is…. how do we do that?

For some security organisations, acquiring numerous industry accreditations is the answer. Some security organisations have ACS, Safe Contractors, ISO, NSI, Skills for Security, BSIA, Investor in People and heaven knows what else. There are even security organisations lobbying the SIA to create a two tier accreditation system for the ASC, in other words the elite and the rest. The SIA to their credit have so far rejected this idea.

If security organisations believe that applying for numerous so called ‘professional’ accreditations will transform them into a lean mean professional machine, then they are in for an expensive wake up call. What does accreditation mean for your client and what’s in it for them? That is the question security organisations need to address. Will having a NSI Gold or ACS effect or motivate a security officer to reduce shrinkage in a retail store, or assist the licensee in upholding the main licensing objectives?

Selling security 101 is this: people do not buy your organisation, they buy a desired outcome. It would be true to say that it doesn’t matter how many accreditations a company has, the bottom line is; can they produce the client’s desired outcome within their budget?

Security organisations need to understand two major points:

Security has always been perceived as a grudge purchase even by those organisations with bad experiences that really need it. The cost of controlling any risk should never exceed the maximum loss associated with that risk.

Whenever, security organisations are asked for a quotation, especially ‘Man’ guarding services, the first calculation they make is the labour cost, followed by statutory obligations and overheads. Based upon those figures, they add a percentage for profit and arrive at a rate. Most companies never sit to consider the benefit of their service to the prospect – in other words what will be the return on investment (ROI) for the prospect.

In order to sell any product or service effectively, one must first consider the expected outcome for the buyer. For example retail organisations buy security to reduce shrinkage. Therefore, any security organisation wishing to sell security to a retail organisation has to focus on the question – by what percentage can we reduce the buyer’s shrinkage and what will be the monetary value of that percentage.  Subtract the security cost and you have the prospect’s ROI.

Instead of telling prospects how good our officers are, reeling out a long list of accreditations or how long the organisation has been trading, we should be telling them how we can help them make profit.

My advice, Research your client/prospects industry, their competition and if they are a LTD company check their annual accounts to determine how they make profit. What changes are taking place in their industry, how will that affect their profit and show them ways of dealing with those changes. In this recession instead of trying to save them money or show them how to beat the recession, show them how they can be profitable and how they can beat their competition. Instead of sending them your brochure which they may throw away anyway, why not write a whitepaper on their industry and give it to them free, produce newsletters and blogs that will help them.

If you had a retail client and you compiled a whitepaper that stated: 10 ways of making profit in retail, and sent it to them, I promise you it would be more valuable to them than your brochure, and they will keep it. In short, think of ways that your service can help your prospects profit and they will more readily purchase from you rather than your competitors.  

Just one more piece of advice, maybe the money spent on acquiring all those accreditations could be used to top up the wages of your staff, you can imagine the level of service your clients will receive from motivated staff. Next time you visit a prospect, just say we pay above industry wages to all our staff. I guarantee you that will be a stronger sales message than going on about accreditations. Who take that to the bank?

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Technorati Tags: Security, Sell, Services

by s0ggy lettuce

Professional Training and Career Advancement in the UK

In any professional field the road to success involves a lot of training, this is highly relevant in industries which are highly competitive and are currently in demand, having a professional certificate is a very important tool which will enable you to acquire a stable job you can be proud of. In the UK, professional training is essential in order to succeed and become a useful individual to society, this is something that companies such as AAB training understand very well. The following are some of the courses which are provided to individuals who are interested in getting professional training tailored towards a specific industry.

The SIA License Training Course:

This particular certification offers a rewarding career advancement opportunity to individuals who are capable of taking the responsibilities of door supervisors or security guards. Awarding bodies such as: ASET, BIIAB, City&Guilds and Edexcel are able to provide security industry qualifications which are specified by the SIA.

First Aid Training:

This particular course offers an introduction to CPR, unconsciousness treatment, poisoning treatment, head injuries, epilepsy and many other conditions which may affect the health of individuals in the UK, this training is mainly offered an employers venues to training companies such as AAB.

The NCPLH Personal License Course:

Individuals who hold the particular license have the responsibility of authorizing and supervising all retail sales of alcoholic beverages, according to the licensing act of 2003 which regulates the sales and supply of alcohol, each retail location should have a designated premises supervisor in compliance with the law.

City and Guilds Teacher Training Course 7303 and 1886:

This particular certification enables individuals to teach in the life long learning sector, though city and guilds 7303 also referred to as C&G 7303 is considered to be a stepping stone which replaces the 7302 and old micro teaching element of the previous certificate in further an adult education teaching (7307 stage 1). This certification enables individuals to deliver training, it is also designed to contribute towards the understanding forethought and further Education National Training Organization also known as FENTO or the Employment National Training Organisation (EMPNTO) occupational standards.

City and Guilds 1886 (C&G 1886) Level 3 Certificate in Conflict Management Training:

This certification focuses on face-to-face interaction with individuals in order to prevent and handle violence in the workplace, those who acquire the certification will be qualified to train a wide range of workers, security operators and even door supervisors.

The CARE Industry Training:

To work in the care industry you need to be trained to the right standard. Occupational care training with can provide a great progression route to employment in a very rewarding field.

Security Management Training:

This training focuses on providing national level 4 standards to individuals or qualified to perform in the private security management industry. The UK has progressed from the stage which adopted ex-military personnel in order to perform such tasks, by acquiring the certificate individuals can be part of a special staff which is held to high standards, this training is offered to post graduate sector competent lectures.

Food and Hygiene:

throughout this training individuals will acquire knowledge about pest control, bacteriology, personal hygiene, physical contamination, food storage — temperature and control preservation, legislation — Haccp and much more. The certificate is highly relevant in the food industry because it provides training to level 2 and level 3 for restaurants.

Individuals who are highly qualified to perform in these sectors are always highly regarded by society and have the satisfaction of having the right knowledge which will be useful when it comes to career advancement and job opportunities.

Yet another gentleman taking on the world, a little ‘how to’ solve this
Video Rating: 3 / 5

Technorati Tags: Advancement, Career, Professional, training

by s0ggy lettuce

Re-thinking Door Supervision – Eulogy to Kaleem

Re-thinking Door Supervision – Eulogy to Kaleem

In the early hours of the morning of Sunday 29th March 2009, 21-year-old Mohamed Kaleem Rafeek affectionately known to friends as ‘Kaleem’ was brutally murdered in what Police described as a frenzied stabbing in Rusholme Manchester. Indications are that he may have refused entry to an individual or group at the establishment that he was working that night. 

Kaleem’s death yet again outlines the dangers that door supervisors are facing whilst working on the door. Despite the introduction of the licensing regulation, the public perception of door supervisors still remains that of thugs and brutes. We have to ask ourselves a number of questions: why does the public hold this perception of door supervisors and what can be done to change this perception of our industry?

What is the role of a door supervisor? A door supervisor is responsible for ensuring compliance with the four licensing objectives:

the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm

In addition to these legal statutes, we are also tasked with implementing Health and Safety regulations of preventing overcrowding and ensuring fire exits are free of obstructions. Bearing these points in mind and our importance in providing the city with a safe nighttime culture, why does the public still perceive us as thugs & brutes? 

The man in the mirror

Before the introduction of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, pubs/clubs were indeed serviced by dubious characters who believed that aggression and brute force was part and parcel of their job description. The introduction of the SIA license has in general been a positive step in removing these rogue elements from our industry but it has also denied us the experience and leadership of ‘good’ professional door supervisors with unspent criminal convictions. Therefore, instead of professionalizing the industry as was the primary objective of the licensing acts, pubs/clubs are now policed by young and inexperienced door supervisors, whose main qualification is their lack of a criminal record. The emphasis on a clean criminal record as the main criteria for obtaining a license has diverted attention from the other personal attributes that are essential to ensuring door safety. The majority of door supervisors through no fault of their own have no understanding of the licensing acts and their legal duties to the general public. Training providers are continually providing mediocre training that in my opinion, as a security professional, is not fit for purpose.

Unlike many reputable security companies that have in place internal training mechanism, the majority of door supervision companies have no accredited training programs in place that ensures new recruits receive adequate training before being deployed. As long as someone has a license they are recruited and deployed, sometimes even without site specific training. Consequently, many door supervisors are not fully aware of the law, the licensing objectives, Health and Safety regulations, which ID card is acceptable or whether or not someone is allowed to take water or sealed drinks off  the premises.

On the 4th of April, many door supervisors withheld their services to attend a candle light vigil in a mark of respect for Kaleem. Understandably many of us within the industry are angry at the lack of respect that we receive from the Police, pub/club owners and public. We are an essential element in every cities nighttime culture and without our services the numerous pubs and clubs that we supervise could not operate safely. However, should we be looking externally for respect and recognition without demanding it from ourselves first. Let’s be honest, this can be a dangerous industry in which we work especially when companies employ inexperienced staff without providing any additional in-house training. It’s the bosses who negotiate ridiculous rates with the pub/club owners which they then justify by paying below the industry standard to these inexperienced door supervisors that are undermining the sustainability of reputable door supervision companies. We as door supervisors should be calling first and foremost for internal reform. We need to prevail upon our bosses to ensure that we are properly trained before being deployed, paid an industry standard wage for our services and not put in harm’s way  through the under manning of sites to lower costs.   

Made in China

A year ago whilst I was supervising a venue in Fallowfield Manchester, an apparently underage youngster, about the age of fifteen, showed up with a lady who I later discovered was his mother. When he approached the door I requested a form of ID to establish his date of birth. He informed me that he did not have one, I said I was not going to grant him entry until I had seen some form of valid ID card to verify his age, as I suspected that he was underage .He stated that he was 18 to which I stated that I still wanted to see his ID card to verify his age.  His mother became upset, she fled past me to the manager who requested that I let the boy in even though he could see himself that the boy was under age. Before starting work at the pub, we conducted a risk assessment. During the risk assessment, we asked the owner the capacity of the venue, he told us seventy-five. Based upon that information, we quoted him for two door supervisors. However, during the night we noticed that he had opened a lower level which he had not shown us when we conducted the risk assessment. When I went down to the lower level, I noticed there was no fire exit. I informed him that because there was no fire exit downstairs it was too risky to let people down there if there was an incident, it could be fatal. He ignored my advice and continued to allow people down into the basement. We had over three hundred people crammed into a venue that was only licensed for seventy-five. Furthermore, we were gravely outnumbered by the pressing crowd making it impossible for us to be able to effectively deal with any issue that might have arisen. At the end of that night, we decided we were no longer prepared to work under such conditions. He later found another company.

The story recounted above is the typical relationship between door supervisors and many pub/club owners or managers. In their attempt to save money, many managers demonstrate rampant disregard for the law and safety of both the door supervisors and their customers. Furthermore, pub/club owners, while expecting expert services from the door supervisors, are prepared to pay as little as possible for their services. While this might serve them well in the short-term, it always turns out to be false economy. Door supervisors are representatives of their business, we are always the first point of contact to the public therefore if a customer’s experience at the entrance isn’t positive and welcoming, pubs/clubs will lose patronage. As the adage goes “you get what you pay for”.

Police Security relationship

The private security industry has grown in status and numbers undertaking many duties that were once carried out by the Police. Private security officers ferry millions of pounds from banks to cash machine and businesses all around the country daily. We also transport prisoners, manage detention centres, protect businesses and even invent security devices that are used by the Police. Yet the relationship between the Police and private security industry can best be characterized as that between Henry the 8th and his wives.  Private security officers outnumber Police almost 3-1 and we are on the frontline of fighting crime just the same as the Police.

Each year more cash-in-transit officers then Police are attacked and door supervisors deal with more drunken people than the Police. Privet security officers play very crucial rolls in protecting businesses around the country. There are many businesses that will literally shut down if they did not have security officers.  Despite these facts research reveals that the Police perceive private security officers as unprofessional and unequal partners in crime prevention. In some states in the United States, private security officers carry arms, handcuffs and are allowed to make arrest and search. This is because US Police understands the important role private security officers play in crime prevention. Europe especially UK is yet to realize the value of private security officers to law and order. Except a pub/club owners had a friends in the local Police station or a door company is ran by an ex-Police officer, the possibility of receiving Police cooperation on many issues is almost nil. The Police will only show up after an incident has become combustible. Nine out of ten of the times, serious incidents at night clubs could be stopped at the entrance easily with the help of Police. A typical example of this is gang-related violence at many night clubs that could be reduced if the Police work hand in hand with the door staff at those clubs.

Conclusion

At around 3 am on Saturday 29th March, Kaleem died from multiple stab wounds inflicted on him for doing his job. He was a student and a young ambitious man who never had the chance to achieve his full potential. His death was a tragedy that should never have happened. I cannot imagine the pain his parent will be going through. We should use his death as a catalyst that will sway us into action to ensure that it never happens again. What is required is a complete overall of the entire security industry. The current SIA framework, while laudable still leaves a lot to be desired. There is a design fault that goes to the very heart of the system and until we redesign the current framework, there is no telling that this might happen again. Every profession has certain amount of standardized measures, assessment, performance and qualification framework to be considered a professional body. Three days training and a badge around our neck does not make door supervisors professionals.  

Security companies have to ensure that before they deploy door supervisors we are properly trained. We need to know the law, the licensing objectives and customer service skills. On numerous occasions the door supervisors themselves are responsible for the escalation of conflict at their place of work. We need the skills to defuse volatile situations that we are dealing with on a daily basis. If door supervisors want respect we should first give respect. The SIA needs to share some responsibility for this short-fall in the quality of training. It created the rules without building the requisite infrastructure with which  to support its main aims. We have many door supervisors whose’ first language is not English. One wonders how they were able to pass the assessment for the license if they were unable to speak or read English to a standard that allows them to carry out their duties. Communication is essential in our industry, talking and listening are the two most important tools that we have at our disposal. Employing door supervisors without these skills makes a complete mockery of the basic tenet of the licensing acts. The SIA needs to monitor the training regimes to ensure compliance with its stated objectives. It should be made mandatory that all door supervision companies have an in-house training programme that will guarantee continuous training and development   Pub/club owners must realize that door supervisors represent their business. We add value to their business, therefore, if they require the best out of us, they will have to start treating us in a professional manner, we are not cheap goods made in China. We have to be properly deployed, too often managers and pub/club owners request inadequate manning levels just to minimize their costs This not only limits the ability of the door supervisors to perform their duties effectively,  it also places us at serious risk. Finally, the Police need to understand that door supervisors play an important part in upholding the licensing objectives. We are the ones who usually have to handle the difficult situations before they are called in, which is normally as a last resort. The SIA must play their role by highlighting to the police and general public the value of all private security personnel in assisting the Police in crime prevention. Surely more cooperation would be beneficial to both parties.

If we are to prevent another tragedy like that of Kaleem, we will need to take steps to overhaul the training and license system so that never again will any parent have to live with the pain of their 21 years old son losing his life needlessly. If we do, we would have paid a great tribute to Kaleem and given his parents the encouragement that their son did not die in vain.   

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Technorati Tags: Door, Eulogy, Kaleem, Rethinking, Supervision

Door Supervisors

Door supervisors and other forms of static security guards are Golden Shield’s specialty. With all forms of security that are provided by Golden Shield, you can be sure that the work will be carried out with the upmost professionalism and efficiency. We provide a huge range of security even apart from our door security and static guard services such as CCTV monitoring and Retail Guards. Having been in operation since 1989, we have accumulated a vast amount of experience in the field of security and have become one the leading firms specializing in security to be found in London and in fact the whole of the UK.

The quality of our personnel is extremely high. We only provide the very best personnel and all of our retail guards, door supervisors and static security guards are SIA licensed and fully trained as standard. Always willing to go the extra mile you can be sure you have only the very best working with you and taking care of all your security needs. As leaders in a variety of security measures, if it is CCTV monitoring you require at your place of work, a mobile security unit to watch over a site or business or any other form of security you can think of, this is definitely not a problem for Golden Shield. We provide a range of security to businesses and institutions throughout the UK, such as construction or industrial site security, hospital and bank security, colleges, universities and school security to name just a few.

Here at Golden Shield we understand the importance of reliable and thorough security and strive to meet this need on a daily basis. We are pleased with the level of repeat business we receive and believe that our customers should be at the centre of any project we undertake. We are delighted to have provided retail guards to a number of major high street outlets on an ongoing basis. There really is no job too big nor too small with Golden Shield and so contracts with security personnel such as door supervisors can be one-off jobs to more long term projects. Why don’t you give us a call today to see if we have the perfect security solution just waiting for you?

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