THE FUTURE OF UK SECURITY

Article from Security Watchdog magazine

Overview

This article details how we have invested in employee training and our commitment to industry standards. Peter Quinlivan, MD of Crime Management Services.

THIS progressive and proactive company is based in Liverpool and is determined to get it right; so much so that they recently held meetings with their local council and company solicitors to licence their entire workforce along with directors.

The end result is that all Crime Management Services (CMS) staff have been vetted by Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council. The company has also invested heavily in training with all staff having completed courses in First Aid, Fire Fighting and Evacuation Procedures, on top of that the company has had a makeover with new style uniforms.

You might argue that it is easier to implement such measures when a company is small. But CMS management recognise that by introducing welfare policies such as 'Employee of the Month' (the winner is rewarded with a weekend break for two at a 5 star hotel and a certificate of merit) the seeds of a well balanced and caring organisation are sown, with a firm foundation to build on It is no wonder then that CMS is currently working towards the Investors in People Award.

The investment into quality has been financially onerous, but Peter Quinlivan, senior consultant, is intent on differentiating CMS from the run of the mill low margin contract companies which are, it appears, prevalent in Liverpool. He, like many expanding companies trying to get it right, is frustrated by the pace of the Private Security Industry Act which he hopes will drum out the companies which give the industry a bad name. “The problem is ”, says Quinlivan, “surviving in this competitive market until the SIA is established enough to allow the quality companies to trade freely”