Almost a third of the BSIA regional awards were picked up by VSG at the regional Security Personnel Awards from the British Security Industry Association (BSIA). Out of all the winning companies, VSG collected the most at this regional level; the 10 awards were presented to outstanding employees at a special award ceremony to celebrate the achievements at VSG head office in Northampton on 7th March 2013.

The BSIA's Security Personnel Awards, now in their fifteenth year, recognise security personnel who demonstrate dedication, loyalty, teamwork, customer service skills, use of technology and bravery on a daily basis. Regional winners are put forward for the BSIA national awards, which will be announced at the BSIA’s Annual Luncheon on 16th July 2013.

The VSG regional BSIA winners are:

London

Ali Hussein – Vision Security Group – Service to the Customer
Ethan Hanley – Vision Security Group – Best Newcomer

Midlands

Simon Webber and Mark Curtis – Vision Security Group – Service to the Customer
Kayleigh Weaver and Justin White – Vision Security Group – Best Use of Technology

North West

The Mobile Support Team – Vision Security Group – Best Team
Gareth Stead-Clark – Vision Security Group  - Best Use of Technology

Scotland

Silverburn Shopping Centre Team – Vision Security Group – Best Team

South East

Volkswagen Group Team – Vision Security Group – Best Team
Michael Smyth – Vision Security Group – Outstanding Act
Murshed Mohammed – Vision Security Group – Best Use of Technology

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Great news – VSG, working with Argos, have won the Loss Prevention and Online Security Solution of the Year award at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2012. The awards celebrate innovation in retail, new technology and adapting to changing consumer behaviour.

The VSG Systems team, in partnership with Argos, won the category for Project Synergies, which reduced ongoing security costs through the installation of innovative electronic security systems, monitored at VSG’s Alarm Receiving Centre. A combination of Video Analytics ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) Automated Barrier controls and Intruder alarms were installed across the Argos distribution estate reducing annualised security costs by over £2m.

Nick Reed, VSG Systems Division Director, was delighted to collect the award with Argos at the awards ceremony, held at the luxurious Lancaster London hotel near Hyde Park in London.

Now in their fourteenth year, the Security Excellence Awards will once again provide a superb platform for the security profession to join forces in October at London's famous Hilton Hotel on Park Lane and honour the many (and fabulous) achievements of those operating in the security management, installation/integration, consultancy and manufacturing sub-sectors (among many others).

Following the rigorous and detailed shortlisting process, the VSG finalists for the 2012 SEAs are as follows:

IT Initiative of the Year

• VSG – VSG Assure: ‘Project Hot Rod’
• VSG – The Heat Map

Security Partnering Initiative of the Year

• VSG and Westfield London

Large Security Installer of the Year

• VSG Systems

Event Security Team of the Year

• VSG – Lloyd’s of London Security Team

Security Training Initiative of the Year

• VSG – Bank of America Merrill Lynch e-Learning Portal

Contract Security Manager of the Year

• Nicky Stokes (VSG)

Contribution to Standards in the Security Sector

• VSG

The 2012 Security Excellence Awards Ceremony takes place on Wednesday 17 October.

7 dedicated security professionals out of the 15 who triumphed in the national round of this year’s British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Security Personnel Awards were from VSG!

The awards, which showcase excellence and outstanding performance by security employees across the industry, were presented by Sir Hugh Orde OBE QPM, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), on 27th June at the Association’s exclusive annual lunch at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

Service to the customer

Simon Sherwell
Susan Willis

Outstanding Act

Ben Munton and Sam Holliday
Lee Tooey

Best Newcomer

Parvinder ‘Parvy’ Harrar

Best use of technology

Simon Webber and Chris Prince

Best team

The team at Lloyds Banking Group, Lovell Park

BSIA Chief Executive, James Kelly, comments: “Private security companies play an essential role in protecting the UK’s national infrastructure, which is why the BSIA is always keen to make sure that the many talented personnel that contribute towards maintaining high standards in our industry are appropriately recognised and rewarded.”

For the full story go to the BSIA’s website:

http://www.bsia.co.uk/home/Security-Personnel-Award-winners-2012-announced?backlinktype=home&src=in_t

VSG named as one of Britain’s top employers

Leading security specialist VSG was awarded a Britain’s Top Employer 2012 certification at Britain’s Top Employers 2012 awards dinner for offering its employees exceptional working conditions.

VSG, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, was one of 67 companies to receive the accreditation, which recognises excellence in HR and HR offerings, based on independent research conducted by the Corporate Research Foundation (CRF) Institute.

The CRF Institute, a specialist in the field of international research into HR management and working conditions, has just completed this year’s research into the HR practices and employee offerings of a large number of employers in the UK.

The organisations examined were assessed based on the following criteria: Primary and Secondary Benefits and Working Conditions, Training and Development, Career Development, and Company Culture. Only those organisations that met the stringent research criteria received the Top Employers certification.

VSG scored highest in the area of Training & Development, and this is the first time that it has been certified as one of Britain’s Top Employers.

Simon Reeves, HR Director at VSG said; “People are at the heart of our business and we are absolutely delighted to receive a certification as one of Britain’s top employers. VSG is passionately committed to training and we will continue to invest in our people, providing them with the best possible working conditions and learning and development opportunities.”

Eleanor Nickerson, Country Manager, Britain’s Top Employers said: “This year we’re proud to certify our strongest group of Top Employers to date. Increasingly we’re seeing creative and intelligent HR practices and employee offerings that ensure the working experience is positive, and that employee groups get what they want from their employment. We’re seeing a heavy emphasis on flexible benefits, on segmented employee offerings and on career development that ensures employee growth and good succession planning.”

VSG had cause to celebrate in February after winning a fantastic 12 regional Security Personnel Awards from the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).

The BSIA's Security Personnel Awards, now in their fourteenth year, recognise security personnel who demonstrate dedication, loyalty, teamwork, customer service skills, use of technology and bravery on a daily basis.

The VSG winners were:

Midlands
Susan Willis –Service to the Customer
Ben Munton & Sam Holliday  – Outstanding Act
Parvinder Harrar – Best Newcomer
Simon Webber & Chris Prince – Best Use of Technology

Northern Ireland
Barry McCahey & Jason Clark - Service to the Customer
The Team at IKEA Belfast - Best Team

Scotland
Alexander Findlay  – Service to the Customer
Alan Stirling – Best Newcomer
The team at The Thistles, Stirling – Best Team

South East
Lee Tooey - Outstanding Act

South West
Simon Sherwell - Service to the Customer

Yorkshire
The Team at Lloyds Banking Group - Best Team

Regional winners are now up for national awards, which will be announced at the BSIA’s Annual Luncheon on 27 June at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

Bungle, Zippy and George came along to VSG head office in Northampton to help celebrate the Trust's success at being voted the charity of choice by VSG colleagues.

VSG aim to raise £12,000 for the charity through the company Payroll Lottery and various fundraising activites - over £195 was collected on the day which is a great start!


‘Our vision is that, one day, every family facing this devastating reality will have access to a Rainbow Family Support Worker. Currently, we are caring for 1100 families through 8 care teams - only 10% of those who need us. With the help of companies like VSG we hope to gradually increase our reach and accessibility – thank you so much for your support!’
Nicola O’Donnell, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager at Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity.

VSG are proud to announce the launch of the Talent Management Programme for 2011.  The Talent Management Programme (TMP) is designed to develop and mentor candidates to become the Managers of the future for VSG.  

To date, the TMP has been an invaluable tool in developing our internal talent and has proved to be integral to several management appointments.

The Talent Management Programme application process is open to any employee who has previous or current, supervisory or management experience.

Those applicants who successfully make it through the assessment centre process, will be rewarded with a coveted place on the programme.  

As well as receiving training to learn new knowledge, skills and techniques, each participant will be assigned a Mentor to enable learning to take place outside of the classroom to ‘learn the ropes’ of being an Operations Manager.

This is not just an in-house development programme; upon successful completion of the TMP, candidates are awarded the Level 3 Award in First Line Management, accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).  This means that you will gain a recognised higher level qualification which demonstrates your skill and knowledge attainment.

Could you be part of the next programme?  Do you have the commitment and enthusiasm to go through an intensive application process? Are you prepared to commit to a further 9 months of contextual classroom based learning, work based projects and off line mentoring?  Do you want a pathway that leads to the possibility of a more senior management role?

If the answer to all of these questions is yes, talk to your Area Manager who will be able to provide you with more in-depth information and details of how to apply.

Should you decide to apply, remember to submit your application form as quickly as possible to your Area Manager as there are several approval stages which must be completed by the 27th June 2011.  In the interests of fairness, any applications received after this date will not be accepted.

We hope you embrace this fantastic opportunity and wish you the very best of luck with your application!

The VSG Training Team 

VSG are excited to announce that in April 2011 we will launch the first of our new apprenticeship frameworks, the Security Excellence Qualification (SEQ).

For the past few years VSG has been working closely with the National Employer Service, Awarding Organisations and Skills for Security to develop learning and development qualifications that are directly relevant to your role, provide real learning and career development opportunities that are specifically designed to meet the needs of the security sector and in particular, our business.

The Q&A below has been designed to give you all the information you need to understand what this new qualification is all about and to highlight the benefits it will bring to you.


What are Apprenticeships?
They are work based training programmes contained within a structured framework.  They are designed with assistance from employers and are based around their needs.  They give staff the skills to do a job well and lead to the achievement of nationally recognised qualifications.

What is an Apprenticeship Framework?
There are a number of different elements to each Apprenticeship; a competency based element, a technical element and a skills element. This is called a Framework.  This Framework provides the opportunity for you to achieve a range of qualifications, each individually certificated, as you progress through your training.

How has the SEQ been specifically designed for VSG?
We have written and produced the content ourselves based on the framework criteria. This makes it both relevant and specific for our business and our staff. 


What level of qualification will this programme give me?
It is a full Level 2 qualification and is broadly equivalent to 5 GCSE’s grade A – C.  In the future we will be introducing further frameworks which will sit at Level 3 (A Level standard).


Who is this qualification for?
It is for everyone who wants a professional security career and opportunities for learning and progression.  Subject to meeting set eligibility criteria, it is open to all VSG employees.


Am I too old to do an Apprenticeship?
No. You are never too old to learn and gain new qualifications!   Apprenticeships are no longer only associated with young people joining a business to learn a new trade from the bottom up. The term ‘Apprenticeship’ is the one that has been adopted by the government to drive through its learning and skills agenda.

What do I get out of it?
• Recognition, through formal qualifications, of your existing knowledge and skill.
• The opportunity to enhance both job related and transferable skills.
• A structured, professional learning path.
• Through achievement, opportunities to join other learning programmes, leading to higher level qualifications.
• With new skills and qualifications comes the opportunity for career development.


What are Transferable Skills?
These are core skills, for example problem solving and working with others, which are transferable across all sectors to maximise flexibility and choice.


What is involved in undertaking the SEQ?
You will need to commit to a learning programme that lasts up to 9 months.  The learning content will be a mixture of on the job competency assessment, personal learning and training workshops.

What support will I get?
We have selected and trained a number of existing operational staff to personally assist you and help you through your learning journey.  We also have a dedicated central team to support everyone involved.


Am I guaranteed a place?
Unfortunately not.  At this time the apprenticeship framework only operates in England. Also, VSG may be limited to the number of places we are given. All applicants will need to meet the eligibility criteria.  However, our aim is to offer places to as many people as possible.  The earlier you apply the more chance you will have of securing a place.  Further information on eligibility will be given to you on application.


How do I apply?
In the first instance, please contact the Training Team, preferably by email at Qualify@vsg.co.uk or call us on 01604 744024.

The inaugural training day of the Talent Management Programme (TMP) took place on 21st September 2010.   The day was kicked off by Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG.   Bill addressed the 11 TMP candidates and explained how the TMP came to be and how it has developed over the years.  He also talked about his personal commitment to training and development and his hopes for this year’s Talent Management Programme.

The day also included the first training session of the programme and also gave the candidates an opportunity to meet and get to know their mentors.

The final 11 that were selected to be 2010 TMP candidates are:

Steven Mansfield
Martin Burgess
Harvey Simpson
Andy Irving
Evelyn McDonagh
Claire Johns
Mark Walters
Ashley Hames
Alex Bowler
John Webb
Dan Bennett

Rebecca Clake, Management Development Manager who is responsible for overseeing the Talent Management Programme commented “The standard of the applicants who attended the Assessment Centres was high and the final decision on who was selected for inclusion on the Talent Management Programme was by no means easy. I am confident that those individuals chosen have the potential and personal drive to ensure that they best use both the Talent Management Programme and the Mentoring Programme to ensure that they are the Managers of tomorrow.”

The Mentor Programme has been specifically developed for this years’ TMP to ensure that the mentors received more formal training on the expectations associated with their role and also to instil and reaffirm the basic skills that a mentor requires. The mentors that have been selected to support our TMP candidates are already Operational Managers who have the skill, knowledge and experience which can be passed on to further develop the candidates outside of the formal development training

Sandra Warren, Head of Training and Development says “The Mentors will play a pivotal role in ensuring that there is appropriate business knowledge transfer.  Their contribution will be fundamental to the success of each candidate.  We recognise that this will place extra demand and responsibility on these Managers but I am confident that they will all rise to the occasion and for this, we offer our thanks and gratitude”.   

When asked for their thoughts about being selected for the Talent Management Programme some of the candidates comments included:

“Considering the high calibre of candidates, I was highly delighted to be selected for the Talent Management Programme; with a real opportunity of developing within a dynamic company”. - Harvey Simpson

“It soon became apparent during the application process that I faced some strong competition to get a place on the scheme and this has made me appreciate the chance I have been given”. – Martin Burgess

“As a result of the programme I hope and intend to learn a great deal more in management, develop the skills I already have and come closer to my next step on the career ladder as an Area/Contracts Manager.” – Dan Bennett

VSG has joined Compass Group UK & Ireland in a move which is set to underpin the continued growth and development of the business as the UK’s premier provider of security services.  The partnership reinforces the Compass strategy to establish itself as a leading presence in the support services industry.

Ian Sarson, Group Managing Director of Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: "I am delighted to bring VSG into the Compass portfolio. Its strong organic sales, market leading client retention and organisational culture are an ideal match for our Compass business. The VSG business will materially enhance the security element of our offering and provide a huge opportunity to sell these services to our existing clients. In addition, this will greatly enhance the security part of our 'bundled' offer of soft services across all sectors."

Compass Group UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group plc, the world's leading foodservice company. It specialises in providing food, vending and an increasing array of related FM services to support its core business. Compass is a FTSE top 40 company with annual revenues of over £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009. The company operates across the core sectors of Business & Industry, Defence, Offshore & Remote Sites, Healthcare, Education, Sports & Leisure and Vending.

Keith Francis, Managing Director of VSG, said: "We are delighted to be working as part of Compass who, as a global support services company, will give us the ideal platform to accelerate our growth. We believe this combination will enable us to build on VSG’s success to date and give us an exciting future. The Compass business and culture are an exceptional fit for the VSG team, thereby strengthening both new opportunities and existing relationships. This reaffirms our commitment to unparalleled levels of service and standards for VSG’s clients."

VSG are proud to announce the launch of the Talent Management Programme for 2010.  The Talent Management Programme (TMP) is designed to develop and mentor candidates to become the Managers of the future for VSG.

The Talent Management Programme ran very successfully in 2009 and was integral in developing and appointing several Management positions.

Sandra Warren, Head of Training and Development says

“We see the development of our internal talent pool as one of our key resourcing strategies for our future operational management requirements and just as important, a way of recognising and nurturing the talent we all know exists within our business.

The primary aim of the TMP is to identify individuals who are ripe for further development and give them the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to operate and succeed at the next level. 

On the back of last years’ success, we look forward to receiving a record number of applications.”

The Talent Management Programme is made up of 9 modules spaced over a period of 9 months with several course work elements that are also required to be completed. As a result the candidates are then rewarded upon successful completion, a Level 3 Award in First Line Management accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management.

The Talent Management Programme application process is open to any employee who has previous or current supervisory or management experience. Any employee who is interested in applying for the Talent Management Programme should speak to their Area Manager initially. The Area Manager will be able to provide the application form and also some frequently asked questions that should answer any queries.

Any employees who want to apply will need to complete the application form as quickly as possible as there are several stages involving the Area Manager and also Operations Directors following the submission of the application form.

All these stages must be completed and the application forwarded to the Training Department prior to 1st August. Any submissions after this date will not be accepted.

Even for experienced facilities managers, procuring security services can be quite a challenge, says Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG, one of the UK’s fastest growing providers of security services.

The main problem that facilities managers face when selecting suppliers of security services is easy to state – at present, there is no reliable indicator to help them differentiate between the many companies that currently offer such services.
One possible solution is for FMs to contact existing clients of the suppliers they are considering, and ask for comments and endorsements. However, that’s a very time consuming process, especially when you remember that there are hundreds of companies from which to choose.

What’s needed is some form of quality mark or certification that would show immediately which are the best security suppliers. This is by no means a new idea. As long ago as 2003, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) started work on developing a new operating standard called ‘Towards the Future’. This was to have been a voluntary scheme that would highlight the best security providers within the BSIA.

Work on this project was stopped when the Security Industries Authority (SIA) announced plans for its own Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) which the BSIA expected to do a similar job. Unfortunately, it does n’t. The ACS scheme is certainly a step in the right direction, but the reality is that it indicates only that a security provider has met what can best be described as “entry level” requirements.

It’s not hard to provide evidence to support this point of view. There are currently around 650 ACS accredited suppliers of security services in the UK, yet there can be very few informed people who believe that there are 650 top-flight companies in the security industry. Put simply, the conclusion has to be that ACS accreditation does not provide the much-needed clear differentiation between the best and the rest.

But, for an FM selecting a new supplier of security services, does this really matter? After all, surely any ACS accredited company is going to fulfil the role demanded of it? In truth, such a company may do an “adequate job”, but that’s not at all the same thing as a “good job”.

The best providers bring real insight, knowhow and enthusiasm to their work, which ultimately translates into better security, the delivery of a solutions-led approach, and ultimately lower costs. And, on the subject of costs, it’s worth noting that lesser providers may initially appear cheaper but, because they do not or cannot deliver the benefits mentioned, they invariably end up costing more.

If the limitations of the ACS scheme mean that it doesn’t help with supplier differentiation, what alternatives are available to FMs? One possibility is the Contract Quality Marque that was recently introduced by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). This is intended to acknowledge high service standards at contract level and is likely to be successful in doing so, but it is not likely to be particularly useful in guiding FMs in their choice of supplier.

The reason is apparent from the name. ‘The Contract Quality Marque’ is not about the service suppliers themselves. In fact, Dai Pritchard, the leader of the working group that developed the Marque, said, “The scheme is all about the contract, not the company. It certificates the partnership between the customer and the service provider.” But, of course, at the selection stage, that partnership doesn’t exist. The Contract Quality Marque can therefore only serve, at best, as a very indirect indicator in the selection process.

So how should FMs set about selecting suppliers of security services? For the time being, the only real answer is to do things the hard way. They should look for endorsements from satisfied customers, even though we have already mentioned how time consuming this can be. And, once a short list has been developed, it is essential that they have in depth discussions and visits to  the suppliers on that list.

In such a process, the standard questions are easily deflected, so it pays to dig a little deeper. What is the candidate company’s record like on training? Has it received any form of industry recognition for its training achievements? Likewise, has it been recognised as an innovator within the industry? Can it offer a full range of services, human-based and electronic, so that it can advise on the best solutions without being biased because of the limits of its own capabilities?

Other specific areas worthy of attention include the number of portfolios handled by front line managers, as overloaded managers invariably means poor client service; the level of out-of-hours supervision and support; and the clarity of escalation procedures for incidents of all types, in particular how their 24 hour Control Room operates.

Searching questions along the lines suggested will help to sort the wheat from the chaff but having to go to this level of detail makes procuring effective security services a time consuming and costly process. Fortunately, there’s a better solution on the horizon.

The BSIA, supported by the NSI and Skills for Industry, has once again started work on a new standard that will provide real and reliable differentiation among security service providers. The objective is to produce a standard that will be universally recognised as a credible and reliable indicator of true quality.

There will be no restrictions on who can apply – award of the standard will NOT be restricted to BSIA members; accreditation will be based only on a thorough assessment of business ethics, practices and performance. The assessors will look for best practice in areas such as corporate governance, terms and conditions of employment, employee welfare and training. Service delivery will, of course, also be evaluated in detail, with particular attention given to the areas mentioned earlier in this article.
Finding an efficient and cost-effective supplier of security services is not an easy task for FMs, although things will become much easier in the future when the new  quality standard currently under development is launched. Until then, however, the only solution is to put in the time and effort, drawing on the information and guidelines provided in this article.

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

In recognition of the coura ge of servicemen and servicewomen in the Middle East and of the sacrifices they are making, VSG, Britain’s most dynamic and innovative provider of security services, has made a donation of £10,000 to Help for Heroes, a charity devoted to supporting those who have been wounded in the current Afghan and Iraqi conflicts.

VSG employees across the UK, of which there are more than 5,000, raised money for the donation over the past year by means of a series of activities that included a charity golf day, dress-down days, and a payroll lottery that reserves half of its proceeds for charitable purposes. The employees had previously chosen Help for Heroes as the charity they most wanted to support from a long list of possible options.

Simon Reeves, VSG’s Human Resources Director, presented the £10,000 cheque to Jane Bowley, Northamptonshire County Co-ordinator of Help for Heroes, at a ceremony held recently at VSG’s Northampton headquarters.

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this donation from VSG,” said Jane Bowley, “and we’d like thank both the staff and the management at the company for the hard work they have put into raising the money, and for their generosity. It is, in fact, the largest single donation that we’ve ever received in this region, and we are going to put the money to very good use – it will be used to help fund the building of four Personnel Recovery Centres.”

“These Centres will help wounded personnel to recover from their experiences and the trauma they have suffered in conflict zones. The Centres will be open to members of all three Services, with eligibility decided on a case-by-case basis. Help for Heroes is providing funds to build the Centres, Army staff will run them, and the Royal British Legion will maintain them for at least ten years.”

“VSG takes its responsibility to the community very seriously,” said Simon Reeves, “and we believe that supporting charities is an important part of that responsibility. We are, therefore, very pleased to be able to make this donation to what is a very worthwhile and necessary cause. As always, our staff were very keen to participate in the fund-raising activities, and they have been unfailingly generous with both time and money.”

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

The excellence and exceptional performance of the staff at VSG, Britain’s most dynamic and innovative provider of security services, was once again recognised in the regional round of the BSIA Annual Security Personnel Awards 2010, when the company won no fewer than 10 out of the 30 awards – more than any other participating company.

Organised by the British Security Industry Association, these prestigious awards are widely regarded as the epitome of achievement for security personnel and, as such, they are fiercely contested.

This year individual VSG employees won four Service to the Customer Awards, two Outstanding Act Awards and a Best Newcomer Award. In addition, VSG teams in three regions won Best Team Awards. All of these regional winners will be entered into the judging for the BSIA National Awards, which will be presented in July.

At an awards ceremony held at VSG’s Northampton HQ, James Kelly, Chief Executive of the BSIA presented the awards to the winning VSG personnel and said:  “Winning 10 out of 30 awards is a truly impressive achievement for VSG.  The BSIA Awards recognise excellence within the security industry, and also the contribution that security personnel make to the safety and well being of their customers and of the community as a whole. We always receive a large number of entrants and this year was no exception. The winners should, therefore, be very proud of what they’ve achieved.”

“I’m very proud of our success at the BSIA Awards,” said Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG. “It confirms what our customers already know – that our officers on the ground consistently deliver services of the highest standard. Customers come to VSG because they can see that it is a quality operation where the staff are highly motivated. These awards confirm and reinforce this deservedly positive perception of our business.”

Service to the Customer Awards went to Mark Donald in Scotland, for his efforts in creating an innovative database of shoplifters and offenders at Fort Kinnaird Shopping Park in Edinburgh; and to Vicky Tilbrook in the Midlands, for her pro-active approach to training and development at Argos in Wincanton Corby which has helped to reduce losses by over 99%.
In Yorkshire, the Service to the Customer Award went to John Waggitt for the crucial role he played in raising the profile of his team and reducing criminal activity at Argos in Castleford; and in the South East the Award went to John Webb who, over more than 12 years as VSG team leader at the Argos Distribution Centre in Basildon, has played a key role in promoting the Business Watch and Town Link Radio s chemes.

Qadim Hussain in Yorkshire won an Outstanding Act Award for the second time, after successfully tackling an aggressive intruder, who was armed with a knife, at the Carlsberg Brewery in Leeds. Paul Taylor also won the Outstanding Act Award for the North East in recognition of his bravery while dealing with a shoplifter who became violent and attacked him with a screwdriver at the B&Q store in North Shields.

This year’s Best Newcomer award in the North West went to Munib Zaman, who works for VSG at BNY Mellon in Manchester. In the twelve months since he joined the security industry, he has shown outstanding performance and has progressed from his initial temporary post to become a security supervisor.

The Best Team Award in the Midlands went for the second successive year to the VSG team at the Westfield Derby Shopping Centre, which has been particularly praised for the way it has handled a number of serious incidents. The Best Team Award in the South East was won by the team at Westfield Friary Shopping Centre in Guildford, which was nominated for the excellence of its customer service, and its on-going high standards of performance.

In Scotland, the Best Team award went to the VSG team at The Mall in Aberdeen, for its dedication to improving services in the shopping centre and for its success in tackling major incidents while avoiding injuries and loss of shopping hours.
For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

VSG Verify, a new service now being offered by VSG, one the UK’s most successful suppliers of security services, now makes it easy and inexpensive to carry out effective screening and vetting checks on existing and prospective employees, whatever their level or role in an organisation.

To underpin the service, VSG has made a large investment in the latest software and technology. These automate the routine parts of the screening and vetting processes, thereby ensuring thoroughness and consistency, as well as saving time and money.

VSG has appointed Nick Palmer to head up VSG Verify. Nick brings a wealth of relevant experience to his new role, his previous post having been with a major UK bank where he was responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and compliance of checks made on agency staff. Prior to that, he managed the vetting operations of candidates seeking work in the financial sector for the screening division of a nationwide employment agency.

“Screening and vetting of employees is becoming increasingly important” said Nick Palmer, “since businesses not only face heavy fines if, for example, they employ staff who are not entitled to work in the UK, but also because an unverified employee at any level, from an office cleaner to a board member, pose significant commercial and financial risks to an organisation.”
“For these reasons and also because of the growing legislative requirements for authorities such as the FSA and BSIA, many companies now offer screening and vetting services. But VSG Verify is different from the others. It draws on VSG’s vast experience in the security industry and of vetting its own staff. It also uses the latest technology and, perhaps most important of all, the VSG Verify service is tailored to meet the exact needs of every client.”

All checks are performed according to the role of the candidate and the type of employer.  These could include packages made up from ID checks, CRB checks, employment and educational record confirmation, credit checks, address verification and many others.

At the same time, unnecessary checks are eliminated. VSG Verify has found, for example, that although the thorough vetting of office cleaning staff is essential, the emphasis is put on verifying identity, whereas seeking references and details of their work experience is costly, time consuming and ultimately unproductive in mitigating risks to the employer.

“We are aiming with VSG Verify to set new standards for screening and vetting services,” said Nick. “And we are confident that we have put in place the right methodology, the right technology and the right team to do just that.”

For further information please go on-line to http://www.vsg.co.uk/verify/ or telephone VSG on 01604 744014,
or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

Friday September 25th was Green Awareness Day at VSG to support our recent environmental accreditation of ISO 14001.

To mark the occasion we asked for all staff members to introduce green into their dress down day outfits – the results of which can be seen below!

However, it's not just about looking the part. At VSG we want everyone to embrace the Green principle on an ongoing basis and, to this end, we have introduced some environmental objectives for the year ending July 2010 that EVERYONE can easily achieve with just a little consideration and effort.

These are:-

1. Reduce energy use by 5%. The last person leaving a room can help by switching off the lights and the air conditioning. Also remember to switch off your computers and monitors in the evening.
2. Reduce the amount of water used by 5% by ensuring that all taps are turned off and not left dripping.
3. Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 2%. Please ensure that all waste that can be recycled is put into the correct recycling bins.
4. Reduce the amount of resources we use as a company by 10% (eg paper, toner etc) by thinking about what you print off. Do you really need to print it? Can it be printed double sided?

Our Green Awareness Day was organised to give our environmental policy a bit of a kick start and it certainly did that, thanks to the great efforts of Carolyn Murdin, our Recruitment and Quality Manager.

Outlining her plans for the day she said: “Instead of asking everyone to donate £1 to charity for dress down day, as we usually do, we asked people to save a Green £1. There were various ways these Green £ls could be achieved – for instance by walking to work instead of using the car, sharing a car with a colleague, or cycling to work. Not printing any emails off during the day could also earn them another Green £1.

“In addition we asked people to bring in any of their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs, clothes and textiles from home for our special Green Recycling Room. These items could be swapped for other offerings, recycled, or donated to the local charity shop, all of which earned valuable Green points”.



And if the Green Awareness Day is anything to go by, VSG staff will have no problem in meeting the objectives. According to MD, Keith Francis: “A very healthy 63 Green £s were saved on the day, which is a fantastic start to our campaign. Congratulations to Carolyn and everyone in the Green Team who helped make this such a success. Please remember that we all benefit in the long term, and this whole exercise should encourage us to examine our individual carbon footprints, not just here in the office, but throughout our lives”.

VSG'S GREEN CREDENTIALS ENDORSED

Minimising the environmental impact of its operations has always been a high priority for VSG, one of the UK’s fastest growing providers of security services. Now the company’s efforts in this field have been granted formal recognition in the form of certification in line with ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems as well as achieving a higher than average score for an independent industry audit.

Certification was granted only after VSG’s environmental policies and practices had been subjected to an in-depth evaluation and audit by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI), the leading UKAS-accredited approvals and certification body for the security sector. The evaluation covered all aspects of VSG’s environmental performance including, for example, ensuring that the company has formulated and implemented effective measures to minimise energy and vehicle usage.

“We’re delighted to have achieved ISO 14001 approval,” said Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG, “not only because we believe that it’s essential for all businesses and, indeed, all of us as individuals to protect the environment, but also because our staff has shown such dedication in developing and optimising our environmental policies, and in making sure that they work.”

“I’d like to thank them all for their efforts, and, of course, encourage them to keep up the good work. We’re already acknowledged as one of the fastest growing companies in the business, and now we’re very happy to be confirmed as one of the greenest.”

In addition to ISO 14001, VSG has also been audited by Achilles for its H&S, Quality and Environmental Management Systems. Achilles works to identify, qualify, evaluate and monitor suppliers on behalf of major organisations worldwide and accreditation is a pre-requisite when tendering for very large contracts. Achilles indicated that anything above a 75% should be seen as a very good assessment score, but VSG achieved an average of 82%.

Bearing firmly in mind that environmental protection is an on-going process, VSG is not just maintaining but increasing its efforts in this area following these two laudable achievements. The company is, for example, planning to further increase the understanding of environmental issues among its staff at all levels with a series of events and activities, commencing with a company Green Awareness Day to be held in September.

Already renowned for its commitment to offering the very best in training, VSG, one of the UK’s fastest growing providers of security services, has accepted the opportunity to play host to, and provide specialised training for two German students who are participating in the Leonardo Scheme. This scheme is part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme.

While they are with the company, VSG will help the students, who are from Berufskolleg West in Essen, to learn about UK security techniques, systems and regulations, as well as to improve their grasp of English and, in particular, idiomatic English. It is anticipated that the knowledge they acquire during their time with VSG will prove particularly useful to the students when, after they have completed their training, they are called upon to help provide security at international events.

“Initially it wasn’t easy for us to find a Leonardo Scheme partner to host our students,” said Andrea Metschke of Berufskolleg West. “At first, we tried contacting security companies direct with very little success, so then we talked to Bob Doyle, Director of Commercial Services at Skills for Security Limited. He forwarded our request to a large number of companies, and we were particularly interested by the response we got from VSG.”

“Straightaway we got the impression that VSG could and would provide the opportunities our students were looking for, and this impression was amply confirmed when we made a preparatory visit early in the year. VSG’s commitment to excellence in training is clear, and the company’s overall reputation is outstanding. In spite of our initial problems we have, therefore, ended up with the ideal Leonardo Scheme partner.”

“We’re delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to our German friends,” said Leon Barwell, VSG’s Commercial Director. “Not only do we believe that sound training is the essential foundation for our industry’s future success, we are also very conscious that security is now an international issue. For security operatives to have practical experience of techniques used in a range of countries is, therefore, exceptionally useful, and that’s just what the Leonardo Scheme is providing.”

The Lifelong Learning Programme, of which the Leonardo Scheme is just one element, is a European funding programme that supports education and training across Europe. The programme’s mobility projects allow organisations to work with a partner is another country to organise work experience for trainees or employees and to increase staff skills through short-term placements.

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

Photograph shows (left to right): Student Tatjana Herdt, VSG’s training Paul Enright-King and student Clemens Werner.

VSG, one of the UK's fastest growing providers of security services, has once again achieved outstanding success at the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Annual Security Officer Awards. This year, VSG employees gained awards in no fewer than five categories, increasing the company’s successes of previous years even more, and elevating VSG to the coveted position of the company that has, in total, won the most BSIA awards.

The individual VSG employees who succeeded in winning these prestigious national awards in the face of exceptionally tough competition were Paul Malcolm, who was recognised as the Best Newcomer, Gary Dowse who won in the Best Use of Technology category and John Robinson who won the Service to the Customer Award. In addition, the VSG security officers working at Westfield Derby Shopping Centre were the winners in the Best Team category and VSG’s HR Department were presented with the Inspiration in HR award.

“As always, we are delighted by the success of our employees at these awards,” said Leon Barwell, VSG’s Commercial Director. “We never lose sight of the fact that people are the foundation stone of the services we offer so we recruit only the best and support them with what we believe to be the finest training in the industry. Their consistent achievement in the BSIA awards year after year is clear confirmation of the effectiveness of this approach.”

Best Newcomer Paul Malcolm joined the security industry from the army just 18 months ago. He received his award for the work he has carried out for Jones Lang LaSalle at the Grange and Pyramid shopping centres in Birkenhead, where one of his most outstanding achievements has been the successful integration of two sets of shopping centre evacuation procedures to produce a single procedure that is coherent and effective. Paul is currently also developing new training programmes for staff at the shopping centres.

His extraordinary knowledge of high-technology security solutions helped Gary Dowse to win the award for the Best Use of Technology. Gary provides security services to Argos and has not only introduced the first biometric access control system to be used by Argos, but has also implemented a computerised visitor management system that covers all Argos sites.

In the hotly contested Service to the Customer category, John Robinson, who works at DHL (B&Q) Scunthorpe, achieved success by consistently delivering outstanding performance in every aspect of his role over a period of many years. Among the most notable of his recent achievements is the restructuring of sign-in procedures to take into account the needs of the many visitors to the site who do not have English as a first language, and the instigation, in conjunction with the local police, of a crime prevention policy for the whole site.

The effective and efficient response of the VSG team at Westfield Derby Shopping Centre to some very demanding situations, including an attempted suicide and an arson attempt, were key factors in helping it win the Best Team award. The team has also been praised for the exceptional services it provides for shoppers, and the way it continually adapts its operations to handle the unique and diverse challenges it meets at the centre.

Finally, VSG was also recognised with the Inspiration in HR award for the work that it has done in the last year in further developing its training and development programmes for personnel and the HR support for its 5,000 strong workforce. This was a great accolade for the company and particularly for Simon Reeves, HR Director, and his team.

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

The Swine Flu virus has now been upgraded from the containment to the treatment phase. As more people catch the virus in their communities rather than from abroad, it has become less effective to try and contain Swine Flu.
To allow health services to spend more time and energy treating the increasing numbers who have the virus, the government has decided to move from containment and outbreak management policies to the treatment phase. The move from containment to treatment will apply in all four nations of the UK- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This means that:
• GPs will be able to diagnose swine flu on the basis of symptoms rather than waiting for laboratory testing
• All tracing of people who have been in contact with a sufferer will stop
• People who may have been exposed to the virus will not be given anti-viral drugs
• Anyone who is diagnosed with swine flu will continue to be offered anti-virals until further notice

To reduce the risk of catching or spreading the virus you should:
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, using a tissue
• Throw the tissue away quickly and carefully
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
• Clean hard surfaces (like door handles and remote controls) frequently with a normal cleaning product

Although symptoms of swine flu have generally been mild, a small number of patients will develop more serious illness. Certain groups of people, and people with other health conditions, such as heart or lung disease, are at increased risk.

If you suspect you may have swine flu, you can call the NHS Direct line, or visit the web site by clicking here which has a Q & A section to help you identity the symptoms.

Links and Numbers
Department of Health - www.dh.gov.uk
World Health Organisation - www.who.int
National Health Service - www.nhs.uk

Pandemic Flu Infoline
0800 1513 513 - www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk

Further documents available here include:

Pandemic Flu Frequently Asked Questions	Pandemic Flu Virus Hygeine Guidance	Swine Flu NHS Advice	VSG BCP Pandemic Flu Policy
Swine Flu Risk Assessment	Hear4u Winter Holidays

VSG, the fastest growing supplier of manned guarding services in the UK, has won a major contract to deliver MallSecure, a national branded security service, at all 20 of the shopping centres operated by The Mall, which span the country from Aberdeen to Southampton. VSG had previously provided security for The Mall at seven of its shopping centres.

MallSecure will focus on providing a safe and secure shopping environment for its shoppers and retailers in a best value format.

"After a rigorous tender process VSG came out on top. We were impressed with their professionalism, high standard of operation and their strong pedigree in the shopping centre sector ,” said Alan Wiggan, National Facilities Manager at The Mall. “As a key provider of security services to The Mall, VSG has steadily increased the number of shopping centres under contract with The Mall over the last four years, building up a thorough understanding of The Mall business. This, coupled with their solid commitment to long term investment in customer service perfectly complemented the MallSecure objective to deliver a forward thinking approach to security.”

Other factors that helped VSG to secure this important contract include the company’s innovative commercial proposals, the introduction of fresh ideas for staff training and de velopment, new thinking about ways to enhance security and safety at The Mall shopping centres, and enthusiastic support for the MallSecure programme. It was also readily apparent that VSG had capacity and resources that would easily meet the needs of the contract.

VSG has wide experience of providing effective and efficient security solutions for shopping centres, and prides itself on helping to provide a retail environment that is not only secure but also safe and comfortable for workers and customers alike. In some centres, including The Mall Bristol, VSG security officers have achieved accreditation under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS), which gives them enhanced powers to assist in their work, and also facilitates closer liaison with the local police.

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

To provide its staff with unpara lleled opportunities for career development, VSG, the UK’s leading independent provider of security services, has introduced an innovative Talent Management programme.

Designed to help high performing employees develop the skills needed to progress to management posts, the programme incorporates a full nine months of training. During this period the trainees, under the guidance of the Training Department and their line managers, are also required to prepare a project that demonstrates both theoretical and practical skills.

Successful assessment at the end of the course leads to a prestigious and nationally recognised Level 3 qualification accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management.

"Even in the present tough economic climate, we are as committed as ever to investing in the development of our staff and our business,” said Simon Reeves, HR Director of VSG, “which is why we have pushed ahead with the introduction of the Talent Management programme.

“Our philosophy is that those companies that continue to invest during the recession will be those that will be best placed to go forward when the recovery comes. The launch of the Talent Management programme is just one of the ways in which we’re translating that philosophy into action”.

Applications to take part in VSG’s Talent Management programme are accepted from all of the company’s employees in the UK and Ireland who have a supervisory role or supervisory experience. All applications are subjected to careful scrutiny, and the most promising candidates – the company’s future stars – are invited to participate in the programme.

This year, 54 applications were received from staff competing for 11 programme placements.

“Our Talent Management programme provides immediate benefits for our clients,” said Simon, “since our staff gain additional skills and are able to put these to use straightaway to enhance the service they provide. And, if proof is needed of the benefits for the employees themselves, it’s worth mentioning that one of our current regional directors joined us as a site supervisor and achieved promotion via a training route that was the forerunner of our new Talent Management programme”.

As part of its continuing strategy to maintain and enhance its already exceptional rate of business growth, security services expert VSG has appointed Martin Wainman to the newly created post of Business Development Director. Martin joins VSG from Reed Managed Services, where he worked for sixteen years, most recently holding the position of Strategic Development Director.
"Although the businesses of VSG and Reed may at first sight appear to be very different there is, in fact, a lot of synergy between the services provided by the two organisations,” said Martin, “which means that my skills and experience will be directly relevant and immediately useful in my new role.

“Both organisations, for example, provide people-based services, supported by state of the art technology and solutions led services that add real value and tangible benefit to our customers. Both are also heavily involved with companies that are looking to drive quality and performance by outsourcing non-core business as a key part of their strategy”.

In his new role, Martin will be responsible for augmenting and implementing VSG’s ambitious growth plans and, in particular, taking the company’s existing services into new markets. He will be placing special emphasis on strengthening and promoting the company’s holistic approach to security, which offers major client benefits in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and economy.

“We are really excited about having Martin on board,” said Leon Barwell, VSG’s Commercial Director. “The skills that he brings to this role complement perfectly those of the existing members of our management team, and we are confident that Martin will help us to achieve great things in the future, both for our business and for our clients.”

“With VSG I see nothing but opportunities,” said Martin. “The company is at a very exciting stage in its development – it has already achieved so much, including a listing in the recent Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100 league table for 2009. Given the company’s expertise, experience and strong foundations and the market demand for a high quality total security solutions provider, there is enormous potential for further success”.

Martin sees the current economic climate as a business opportunity for VSG, rather than a problem. He notes that recessionary times invariably result in increased levels of crime, so the need for security is greater than ever. He also believes that VSG is exceptionally well placed to meet this need, as its wide range of bespoke services and the proven efficiency o f its operations enable it to deliver world class security programs, even when client budgets are tight.

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

Northampton-based VSG, one of the most successful companies in the UK security sector, has achieved the accolade of inclusion in the annual Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100 league table. Published on Sunday 19th April, this prestigious table lists the 100 private companies with the fastest growth in profits over the last three years of available audited accounts.

VSG's profits grew from £999,000 in 2005 to £4.2 million in 2008 – an annual rate of 61% – putting the company at 61st position in the league table. The company was the largest employer in the Midlands to be listed, having created 1,980 jobs over the last three years.

“We’re proud and honoured to be listed in the Profit Track 100 league table,” said Rob Jones, VSG Finance Director, “and we are especially proud that the growth in our profits is, for the most part, the result of business expansion. Other factors have, of course, contributed and these include economies of scale as our business grows, high contract retention and our efficient management approach.”

“We know that some companies boost profits by aggressively trimming costs to the detriment of the services they provide, and others see raising prices as an easy path to profit, but our philosophy is different. We believe that the route to success and profitability is to provide all of our clients with the best possible service at a fair price. And, as our inclusion in Profit Track 100 clearly shows, this philosophy works.”

VSG consistently invests a large proportion of its profits in enhancing the range and quality of the services it provides to its clients, and in developing the infrastructure of the business to provide a platform for strong future growth.

During the last three years, the company has opened new offices in the City of London and Dublin, and has acquired Rampart Security, a specialist in electronic security systems. It has also made large investments in staff training, which led to it winning the coveted Contribution to Skills Development & Training Award at the 2008 Skills for Security Awards.

“Our Profit Track 100 listing is a wonderful accolade and we’re delighted to have achieved it,” said Rob Jones, “but we know that we can’t afford to rest on our laurels.”

“The present economic conditions are as tough for us as for everyone else, but our response is to work harder than ever to give our customers the support and service they need. These efforts, complemented by our sound business infrastructure, give us confidence that we will be at least as successful in the future as we have been in the past.”

A commodious and well-equipped new Training Academy is the centrepiece of the massive office extension recently completed by VSG, the UK’s fastest growing provider of security services, at its headquarters in Northampton.
Implemented in response to the rapidly increasing demand for the company’s services in both the manned guarding and electronic security sectors, the extension provides VSG with an additional 7,500 sq ft of floor space in Northampton, making a total of 22,500 sq ft.

"As a company, we have an absolute commitment to providing the best in training for our staff,” said VSG’s Financial Director, Rob Jones, “and our success in meeting this commitment was clearly demonstrated when we won the top award at the 2008 Skills for Security Awards. That’s why we’ve put a lot of thought, care and investment into the facilities at our new Training Academy, and we honestly believe that, as a result, they are the best in the industry.”

VSG’s Training Academy will be used to deliver courses for the company’s own staff covering not only standard security skills, but also topics such as health and safety, first aid and conflict resolution. In addition, facilities within the Academy are available for hire by external organisations that wish to use them to present their own training sessions.

VSG’s extended premises include a fully equipped showroom where customers can see live demonstrations of the latest electronic security products. A new manned guarding control room has also been created, allowing the manned guarding controllers to relocate out of the existing remote monitoring centre (RMC), thus giving the RMC further capacity for growth. Also provided is a suite of prestigious meeting rooms that, like the Training Academy, are available for external organisations to hire, and a new staff canteen.

“The new premises are bright and airy, providing a superb environment for our staff to work in,” said Rob, “but there are also benefits for our customers. For example, the Training Academy will help us to maintain and even enhance our performance in every area, while the new control room will ensure that we can respond effectively to the ever-changing needs of our rapidly expanding client base.”

“And, of course, the availability of our facilities to our customers means that they have access to superb resources,” he continued. “We are delighted with our new premises in Northampton, and we truly believe that they represent the best that our industry has to offer.”

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

With tens of millions of customers in more than 150 countries, Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions. Small wonder that when the Bank reviewed its security requirements for all regions outside of the USA, it was looking for a security partner capable of providing much more than basic everyday services.

After an exhaustive market evaluation, it found that VSG, the UK's fastest growing company in the security sector, was an ideal match for its needs. Key to the decision to appoint VSG was the company’s proven experience with blue-chip clients in providing a very wide range of services. Accordingly, the security contract for UK and Ireland was awarded to VSG in June 2006.

The scope of the work has expanded almost continuously over the intervening period and, at the time of writing, VSG has 160 dedicated employees working on the contract. A significant recent development that typifies the growing breadth of VSG’s services for the Bank is the addition of Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM or, as it is sometimes known, electronic counter surveillance) to its remit.

With evidence of electronic crime in the financial world increasing daily, the VSG team has now started routinely carrying out TSCM activities that include bug sweeping, checking for the presence of phone taps and remote monitoring devices, and other counter-espionage measures. Should a problem be detected, VSG calls on its own TSCM specialists to implement a fast and effective solution.

As might be expected, in addition to these new services that offer an effective response to emerging threats, the VSG contract with Bank of America has, from the outset, included standard security services. Typical of these are front-of-house operations, which involve monitoring and controlling access to the bank’s premises, manning and operating security control rooms, and patrolling the sites.

Also provided by the VSG team are close protection security services for the Bank’s executives when they are travelling, especially if their itinerary involves any of the world’s many less secure locations.

Even the control room staffing services provided by VSG are out of the ordinary. In addition to closely monitoring UK sites, the three UK control rooms also handle alarms for the Bank’s operations in no fewer than 57 other countries. In many of these countries, English is not widely spoken so, to ensure fast accurate communication, VSG has implemented a translation service.

This means that, in the event of an alarm being received from an overseas location, the VSG control room operator can have a skilled interpreter on the line in less than 30 seconds.

Some of the services provided by VSG are well outside the remit of normal security operators but, nevertheless, are an invaluable aid to the smooth running of the Bank’s business. An excellent example is healthcare support.

The Bank has a large number of employees, and it also receives a high volume of visitors. It’s not surprising, therefore, that from time to time medical emergencies – anything from a simple trip or fall to a full-blown heart attack – occur. When they do, a member of the VSG security team is invariably one of the first on the scene.

For this reason, VSG has invested in providing all members of its team comprehensive training as Emergency Medical Care Practitioners (EMCP). They are, therefore, able to deal with medical crises efficiently, confidently and safely. In fact, their abilities in this area are widely acknowledged and respected by the ambulance crews that serve the Bank of America sites.

“Though we’re nominally a third-party security service provider, we are, for all practical purposes, a totally integrated part of the Bank’s organisation,” said Philip Jones, VSG’s Account Director for the Bank of America contract. “That gives us a huge amount of flexibility, and means that we can provide almost any service that’s useful to the Bank, provided that it doesn’t interfere with our core operations.”

“In line with this philosophy, we’ve recently extended our healthcare services beyond dealing with emergencies,” he continued. “We now routinely assist staff who need regular healthcare provision, such as daily blood pressure checks. Without doubt, our primary role is to maintain security at every level, but we also see ourselves as an organisation that’s in place to assist our clients in every way possible to run their businesses efficiently and profitably.”

Among the many other specialised behind-the-scenes services provided by VSG is IT support for the Bank’s international security systems. Three full-time systems analysts from VSG are permanently on-site at the Bank’s UK data centre in London.

Their role is not only to maintain the powerful servers used to underpin access control, CCTV and intruder detection systems, but also to balance the data load so that they always operate at peak efficiency, as well as to develop and implement new software solutions to enhance security operations.

“The real key to the success of operations for the Bank of America and, indeed, for all of our other clients is the qualit y and flexibility of our staff,” said Philip. “To ensure this, we make very large investments in training, we select our staff very carefully, and we reward their efforts with excellent salaries and benefits. This pays off – our staff turnover is negligible.”

This low staff turnover is an important benefit as it means that VSG employees always have time to get to know the client operations well and can, therefore, identify and address their needs quickly and efficiently. It also means that the staff can recognise the difference between a normal and abnormal occurrence on a site, which is a valuable aid in identifying potential security threats.

Paul Jackson, Regional Security Manager, Bank of America International Services, said, “When it comes to security service providers, I think it would be fair to say that we’re one of the world’s most demanding clients. Nevertheless, VSG has not only measured up to our expectations, but exceeded them in almost every area.”
“We are delighted with the quality of the service VSG provides, and with the company’s flexibility in adapting its range of services to suit our evolving needs. We need the best in security and with VSG, I believe we’ve got it.”

For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

At an event with enough pomp and ceremony to shame the Golden Globes, leading security provider VSG took over 200 of its employees to the Heritage Motor Museum near Warwick recently, for its annual 'One Vision' Awards luncheon.

Open to all of the company's 4,500 employees, 'One Vision' is an internal incentive programme conceived originally in 2002 by Managing Director, Keith Francis, to recognise and reward outstanding customer service. The Programme seeks to engage officers up and down the country to ensure that customer expectations are both met and exceeded through continuous improvement of staff and commitment to quality.

"Retention of security staff in the field has always been a problem for this industry, which is why this scheme is so important. At VSG we create opportunities for our staff which mean they don't just have a job with us, but a career path", said Keith Francis.

David Greer, Chief Executive of Skills for Security, the Skills and Standards Setting Body for the Security Business Sector, was on hand to present the prizes. He said: "In difficult economic times, customer service and quality of staff is what differentiates the good from the mediocre and smart companies invest in their people, particularly in these times. When a company invests in the skills of its staff it should expect to see better quality of work, happy customers, employee satisfaction and higher profits. No company exemplifies this philosophy better than VSG".

Trophies, certificates and monetary prizes were awarded in five different categories � the top prize being a �5000 holiday of a lifetime which was awarded to Ben Dawson, Abbey Account Manager operating at 5 key locations, in the Operations Manager of the Year category.

Ben is one of 80 VSG Front Line Managers, all of whom have defined objectives as part of the 'One Vision' programme, many of which are based on maximising staff potential through mentoring, training, and appraisals.

Since winning his magnificent prize, Ben and his partner, Gill, have decided on a luxury holiday in an exotic location where they will also take the opportunity to get married.

Other winners included the team of officers at Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre in the National Site category; the B&Q Gateshead team in the National Retail Site category; David Lane won the National Relief Officers category and, finally, the Training Department won best Head Office Team category.

ify" height="150">For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

Photograph shows: (left to right) VSG's Chairman, Bill Muskin; top prize winner Ben Dawson; and Chief Executive of Skills for Security, David Greer.

During the recent £24 million refurbishment at Fortnum & Mason, one of the UK’s most prestigious retail stores, security service provider VSG doubled the size of its in-store security team. The role of the additional officers was, however, not just to handle the additional security issues arising out of the work, but also to ensure that the quality of the customer experience offered in the store was not adversely affected during the refurbishment period.

Concern for the quality of customer experience is no new thing for the VSG team at Fortnum & Mason, where the company has been the sole provider of security services for more than eight years.

"Naturally, as a security services provider, our key role in the store is to protect customers and staff as well as the premises and stock,” said Dave Fussey, VSG’s National Retail Manager for the Fortnum & Mason contract. “But most of the work is, in fact, related to customer service, and all of our team members see positive customer interaction as an essential part of their work.”

“For example, our staff are usually the first point of contact for customers coming into the store, so they effectively act as meeters and greeters. They have extensive product training so that they can assist customers to find exactly what they’re looking for.”

Security Officers at the store also wear dark suits rather than uniforms to reinforce their customer-friendly approach. The result of these measures is that, to customers and staff alike, the members of the VSG team very much appear as an integral part of the Fortnum & Mason team, rather than being employees of a separate security organisation.

The high profile nature of the store and its central London location give rise to many special challenges for the VSG security team. They must be prepared, for example, to handle VIP and royal visits, often at short notice. Yet they must also be able to respond immediately and effectively to events such as public demonstrations.

Furthermore, though the store is by no means a regular target for shoplifters, when incidents do occur they almost always involve miscreants who are sophisticated in their approach and methods. Since there are many physically small items of high value on sale, it is particularly important that their attempts at theft are thwarted effectively.

In order to meet these challenges and to fulfil its unique customer-facing role, VSG gives special attention to the selection, training and presentation of the staff working on the contract. Only candidates of the highest calibre are recruited, and then they are provided with comprehensive training that covers not only standard security procedures, but also fire marshal duties and first aid – The VSG training programme also includes product knowledge covering all of the store’s many lines.

The latter in particular is greatly appreciated by customers. For example, in a recent incident, a customer collapsed while shopping in the store. Not only were the VSG team able to come to her immediate assistance, they were also able to determine that her condition was not serious, and accompany her to a taxi. For this prompt and efficient action, the team members involved have been recommended for an award.

Another important facet of VSG’s work is close co-operation with the local police. This allows, for example, potential miscreants to be identified as soon as they enter the premises, making use of the store’s extensive and highly sophisticated CCTV installation. The security team can then monitor their activities, and be ready to take immediate action, should this prove necessary.

So successful is this co-operation with the police, and the other security activities implemented by VSG, that Fortnum & Mason experiences a gratifyingly low incidence of crime, especially when compared with other central London retail outlets.

“Our objective is always to give our customers the best possible shopping experience in a safe, comfortable and enjoyable environment,” said Frank Feltham of Fortnum & Mason, “and there’s no doubt that the services provided by VSG play a big part in helping us to achieve this. The company has tailored its services so that they exactly match our sometimes unusual needs, and it always delivers those services efficiently and with the highest level of professionalism.”

Four security officers employed at The Mall Bristol by VSG, the UK’s fastest growing provider of security services, have received the accolade of accreditation in line with the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) operated by the Chief Constable of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
The achievement of the officers was recognised at a ceremony held in Bristol early on 11th February, where Superintendent, Julian Moss, presented the security officers with their awards. Supt. Moss is the Lead for Citizen Focus Policing for the Bristol District and he not only confirmed the officers’ accreditation, but also praised their commitment to maintaining a safe, comfortable and secure environment at The Mall Bristol.
He said: "Policing is too important to be left to the police alone. Through accreditation, and as our partner, VSG has a big part to play in driving down crime and disorder in the heart of Bristol”.

As a result of gaining CSAS accreditation, which followed a period of intensive training and evaluation by the police, the VSG security officers now have enhanced powers to assist them in their work within The Mall. These powers include the ability to confiscate alcohol and tobacco and to issue fixed penalty notices for antisocial behaviour, as well as the right to require persons suspected of committing an offence to provide their names and addresses.
In addition, the accreditation of the officers means that the police are now free to share intelligence in more detail with the security team at The Mall Bristol, which is an important aid to crime control and prevention.
"We’re absolutely delighted with the success of the VSG security officers in gaining CSAS accreditation,” said Keith Randall, Operations Manager of The Mall Bristol, “and we applaud the hard work they’ve put in to make their accreditation possible. The VSG team is already playing the key role in helping us to ensure that shoppers and employees at The Mall Bristol always enjoy a safe, comfortable environment,” he continued, “and we are convinced that the CSAS accreditation will give the team members the powers they need to be even more effective”.
“We too are very pleased with the achievements of our officers at The Mall Bristol,” said VSG’s Chairman, Bill Muskin. “We pride ourselves on always delivering the highest possible standard of service for our clients, and the CSAS accreditation of officers is an important aid in helping us to do this. The accreditation also recognises the commitment, performance and quality of our staff.”
Community Safety Accreditation Schemes were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002, which enabled Chief Constables to accredit employees of organisations that contribute to community safety. The schemes make it possible for Chief Constables to give accredited persons limited powers to carry out certain functions that are normally reserved for police officers.

Thanks to the outstanding performance and dedication of its staff, VSG, the UK's fastest growing provider of security services, was a winner seven times over in the regional round of the BSIA Security Officer Awards for 2009. These prestigious and keenly contested awards recognise excellence within the guarding sector of the security industry, as well as highlighting the vital and challenging work performed by security officers.

VSG employees won two Service to the Customer Awards, two Best Team Awards, an Outstanding Act Award, a Best Newcomer Award and a Best Use of Technology Award. Presentations were made to the winners by John Bates, Chief Executive of the BSIA, during a ceremony held on 2nd February at VSG’s headquarters in Northampton. All of the winners will be entered for the BSIA National Awards, which will be decided later in the year.

"Once again, officers from VSG have demonstrated the exceptional levels of performance, commitment and courage that it takes to win our awards,” said John Bates. “I am delighted that the BSIA is able to reward their efforts and to recognise the excellent example that they have set, which demonstrates perfectly the high standards we expect from officers, and from the industry as a whole.”

“We too are delighted that our officers have won these awards,” said Keith Francis, Managing Director of VSG, “and that their outstanding work, often well beyond the call of duty, has been acknowledged by the BSIA. A hallmark of our company – and the foundation stone of our success – is that we always strive for excellence. Nevertheless, it’s gratifying when the major industry body confirms that we’re actually achieving it!”

The Customer Service Awards went to Tommy Crofton in Scotland, for devising new and more secure packaging methods for jewellery at an Argos distribution centre, and to John Robinson in the Midlands, after he introduced multilingual sign-in procedures and instigated a very successful crime prevention scheme on the industrial estate in Scunthorpe where he works with DHL

The Best Team Award for the North West was won by the VSG team at The Mall, Blackburn for maximising the potential of a new CCTV installation and for working with the local police to achieve a large reduction in crime. In the Midlands, the VSG team at the Westfield Derby Shopping Centre received its Best Team Award for showing continuing commitment in dealing with over 1,400 reported incidents since 2007, including five suicide attempts.The Outstanding Act Award for the South West was made to Jacqueline Hutchins for her courageous and efficient evacuation of buildings in Exe ter town centre following a nail bomb attack in a restaurant near to where she was working

The Best Newcomer in the North West was Paul Malcolm, who works for VSG at JLL Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre. Paul amalgamated the emergency evacuation procedures for two shopping centres to produce one cohesive plan, and instigated extra training for all site security staff.

The efforts of Gary Dowse in implementing the first biometric access control systems to be used in the Argos distribution network were recognised with the Best Use of Technology Award for the South East. The new system has reduced stock losses, and the incidence of goods ‘disappearing’ in transit between areas.

Photograph shows John Andrew Robinson accepting his award for Best Service to the Customer - Midlands Region

To support its expanding customer base in the City of London, VSG has opened a new fully operational office in High Holborn, a stone’s throw from the City.

On Wednesday 11th December, Andrew Drane, Deputy Chief Executive for the Security Industry Authority (SIA), was guest of honour and officially opened the office with the cutting of a ribbon. He said: "VSG has always been a great champion for the security industry in terms of supporting regulation and standards. It is a company that I know prides itself on providing a quality service and complete security solutions. I am myself aware of VSG operations that are held in very high regard by the public and the police."

The opening of these prestigious new offices is the latest stage of the company’s ambitious growth plans, which have already seen it achieve recognition in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 index as the fastest growing independent company in the UK manned guarding sector. Just eight years after it was founded, the company has a staff of 4,200 and an annual turnover in excess of £100 million.

The new London office complements VSG’s headquarters operation in Northampton and its existing support offices in Belfast and Dublin.

"The City of London is home to many high profile organisations, including banks and financial institutions, that place a very high value on security for their staff, clients and associates,” said Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG. “These organisations are, quite rightly, some of the most demanding in the world when it comes to their dealings with security service providers.”

“VSG has always recognised and addressed the need to invest in staff and facilities to meet these demands, and the opening of our new London office will allow us to further enhance our already exceptional services for existing and future clients in the City and throughout the London area. Our declared aim is to ensure safety and business continuity for all of our clients, and the new office will undoubtedly help us to achieve this.”

VSG’s new High Holborn office will not only house a sophisticated operations room which is linked to its headquarters in Northampton, but also a dedicated training facility. For the company’s 700 staff in the London area, this facility will be used to provide the in-depth training that is a key factor to VSG’s success.

This goes far beyond the basics, and includes specialised training tailored to the specific risks associated with the environment in which the staff are working. Topics covered typically include counter terrorism and hostile reconnaissance. Special emphasis is also given to close and effective liaison with the police, taking full advantage of initiatives such as Project Griffin.

VSG, one of the UK’s fastest growing providers of security services, has appointed Nick Reed as Managing Director of VSG Systems, which incorporates the operations of both VSG’s NSI Gold Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and the NACOSS accredited Rampart Security Limited, which was acquired by VSG in October 2008.

With a brief to drive the growth of VSG Systems and to develop new services for VSG clients, Reed brings to his new role more than 16 years of experience in the security industry, the last five of which he has spent working in a number of senior roles within VSG.Nick is looking to develop seamless solutions that feature close integration between electronic security and manned guarding.

"I believe there is a big opportunity for cross-fertilisation between VSG’s traditional areas of operation and the new areas opened up by the acquisition of Rampart Security. The result will be hugely beneficial for our customers, not least because they will now have access to a comprehensive range of security services delivered seamlessly by a single provider that they know will deliver on its promises”.

VSG Systems will continue and enhance the strong traditions of innovation and outstanding customer service that were the hallmarks of Rampart Security.

To support its highly successful and rapidly expanding operations in the Republic of Ireland, VSG, one of Europe’s fastest growing providers of guarding and security services, has opened a new office in Dublin.

The office, in a prestigious new building at Blanchardstown Corporate Park, will not only provide a convenient base for the VSG staff already working in Eire, but will also operate as a staff training centre, as well as furnishing a springboard for the company’s future growth.

VSG commenced operations in Eire only two years ago in support of a key financial customer and has developed a strong portfolio which now includes retail and corporate customers. Further development is expected throughout 2009.

"Many factors have contributed to our success in Eire,” said Andrew Fielding, VSG’s General Manager “not the least of these being that we have, from the outset, been careful to understand and respond to the specific needs of our Irish customers. To help us achieve this objective, we have always operated a policy of recruiting managers, supervisors and operatives locally.”

“Another big factor in our success is undoubtedly our commitment to providing and developing our own training programmes. This goes far beyond minimum requirements. It includes, for example, Supervisory Development, Customer Care and Distance Learning modules. Our clients recognise that this means that our staff offer a premium quality service that will bring major benefits for their businesses.”

From its new Dublin offices, VSG will service existing clients that already include major banking, retail and corporate organisations in the Republic, and is developing new opportunities across the Shopping Centre and Distribution sectors.

VSG, the UK’s fastest growing provider of security services, has achieved another major accolade by winning the prestigious and coveted Contribution to Skills Development & Training Award at the 2008 Skills for Security Awards. Sponsored by NOCN, the National Open College Network, this was the only award presented at this year’s ceremony – held at the Williams F1 Headquarters in Oxford – and was won by VSG in the face of intense competition.

Winning this award is recognition of VSG’s commitment to excellence in training, and in particular the company’s development of a novel and innovative training programme for security staff in shopping centres.

"This is a fantastic achievement for us,” said Sandra Warren, VSG’s Training Manager, “and we are especially thrilled that Skills for Security – the skills and standards setting body for the security business sector – has recognised the effort and commitment that VSG puts into its training operations.”
“Our success is very much the result of teamwork within our organisation. Our training staff are dedicated to the achievement of excellence, and have contributed

magnificently to every stage of our new programme for shopping centres, from initial concept, through development to the final roll out and delivery.”
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David Greer, Chief Executive at Skills for Security, said: “VSG is a very worthy winner of this high profile award. There were a large number of highly commendable entries, but the judging panel, which consisted of experts who are independent of Skills for Security, felt that VSG’s work on its training programme for security staff in shopping centres is not only unique, but also demonstrably effective - a true example of using training as a bridge into career development progression.

“We are delighted to have been able to highlight this superb example of best practice to our colleagues within the industry, and to provide public recognition for VSG’s efforts and achievements”.

VSG developed its ground-breaking Shopping Centre Portfolio (SCP) training programme after recognising that the knowledge and skills required of a security team operating in a shopping centre were different from those required in other retail and corporate environments.

The SCP programme has been carefully formulated to provide staff with the full range of skills needed for their role including response skills, such as counter-terrorism and first aid, as well as softer skills, such as customer service and people awareness. The programme, which forms part of the VSG tender process for all new shopping centre opportunities, and which is also being rolled out across the company’s existing contracts, has proved extremely popular with clients. VSG believes that SCP has been

a major factor in the 18% increase in shopping centre assignments that the company has achieved since its introduction.

2008 is proving to be one the most successful in VSG’s 8 year history, as this is the 7 th nationally acclaimed honour it has achieved this year, across all areas of the business. These include four accolades from the BSIA (British Security Industry Association ) and two from Security Industry’s “Oscars”, the Security Excellence Awards, including Security Guarding Company of the Year.

For further information, please contact VSG’s Training Manager, Sandra Warren, on 01604 744000.
For further information please te lephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk

The top 5 UK security services provider, VSG, has acquired Oxfordshire-based electronic security specialist, Rampart Security, in a move that will deliver significant benefits for present and future customers of both companies.

Customers of Rampart Security, will benefit from the broad range of security services currently offered by VSG. In addition the backing of VSG, with its extensive resources and expertise, will allow Rampart to develop new and enhanced services that will provide further customer benefits in the future.

For VSG customers, the acquisition will mean that the organisation now has NACOSS Gold accredited in-house capabilities and expertise for the provision of comprehensive electronic security solutions including, CCTV, access control and intruder detection systems.

Following the acquisition, all customers will enjoy the important benefit of a completely seamless service delivery covering all aspects of security, from manned guarding through to the design and installation of sophisticated electronic monitoring systems, and the provision of cost-effective remote monitoring.

"An important factor in our decision to acquire Rampart Security was our previous experience of working closely with the company over the two years," said Keith Francis, Group Managing Director of VSG. "During this time, we were not only impressed by Rampart's expertise, but also by the company's commitment to innovation and customer service. In short, Rampart's philosophy closely matches our own and we firmly believe that the acquisition will be an important step forward for all concerned."

"We are equally enthusiastic about joining VSG," said Rampart Security Managing Director, Peter Rutt. "For some time, we've been looking for ways to make our services available to a wider customer base, and we also have many innovative ideas that it would be difficult for us to develop on our own. Our new status in the VSG organisation provides the perfect solution!"

For further information please contact Nick Reed, 0845 8387625 or Peter Rutt, 0870 8032474

Visit Rampart Security Website http://www.rampartsecurity.com

After two years of intensive fund-raising efforts, staff at VSG, the UK’s fastest growing provider of security services, have donated £50,000 to the Motor Neuron Disease Association (MNDA). The Association has yet to decide how the money will be spent, but possibilities include funding a care centre, providing customised wheelchairs and speech synthesisers, or making a major contribution toward a research grant.

 "MNDA is the first charity VSG has sponsored, but after this achievement we will certainly go on to select a different charity and start over,” said VSG Managing Director, Keith Francis. “We are a company with a culture where welfare and care are important, and this naturally leads to a desire to help look after those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Our staff were very keen to participate, and they genuinely enjoyed taking part in the events.”

 “MNDA is the first charity VSG has sponsored, but after this achievement we will certainly go on to select a different charity and start over,” said VSG Managing Director, Keith Francis. “We are a company with a culture where welfare and care are important, and this naturally leads to a desire to help look after those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Our staff were very keen to participate, and they genuinely enjoyed taking part in the events.”

VSG also operates a monthly payroll lottery, which has been very successful in raising funds and which, the company notes, offers entrants much better odds on winning than the National Lottery!

“This is a very significant donation for us,” said Douglas Graham, Director of Fundraising at MNDA. “To put it into perspective, we have set up care centres within hospitals around the country, which bring together the professionals, such as occupational therapists, that are needed to help treat sufferers. The donation from VSG would be enough to cover the operating costs of one of these centres for a whole year!”

“£50,000 would also make up a significant proportion of one of our research grants looking at the causes of the disease and the effects of treatment,” he continued. “This is a terrible disease – it locks able-minded people inside failing bodies, and it affects people from all walks of life. Around 1,500 people are diagnosed each year, and the average time between diagnosis and death is just 14 months. We are, however, researching a new treatment that appears to slow down the disease’s progress.”

“We are truly grateful for the efforts and generosity of VSG’s staff – and of course, of those who sponsored them. We are absolutely delighted to have been VSG’s designated charity for the last two years, and we wish the company every success in its next charity venture.”VSG selected MNDA as its first charity partner for many reasons. The first was that the company felt it to be a charity that would benefit from greater public awareness, and from additional funding for research, as there is no known cure for motor neuron disease. The second reason for choosing MNDA was that it is a national charity, but its headquarters are in Northampton, as are VSG’s own. This made it a natural fit.
The company also had existing personal connections with the charity, as some of its staff members have families that have been affected by the disease.

Now that its relationship with MNDA has reached its very successful conclusion, VSG is in the process of choosing a new charity partner. The company’s charity committee will shortly be asking staff to nominate another worthwhile cause to which staff members throughout the company can relate. 

When the selection process is complete, the committee will then take up the challenges of enthusing the participants in new fundraising ventures, maintaining the fundraising momentum built up over the last two years, and engaging VSG staff who work in the field so that they too can take part and feel involved

At the prestigious 2008 Security Excellence Awards which, after ten years are now widely acknowledged as the security industry "Oscars”, Britain’s fastest growing provider of security services, VSG, scooped the night’s premier award to become Security Guarding Company of the Year.

In an outstandingly successful evening, VSG also overcame strong competition to win the award for Security Training Initiative of the Year. For this award, VSG was jointly nominated with Bank of America, one of its many blue-chip clients.

The award was made on the basis of the innovative security specialist training programme that VSG has developed and implemented for the Bank, and which covers a diverse range of skills including, for example, emergency medical care provision (EMCP), and counter terrorism measures.

This is the third time in the past four years that VSG has been recognised by its industry peers as Security Guarding Company of the Year – an accolade that is universally seen as the top award in the sector – and the first time that it has won the Security Training Initiative of the Year award.
“At VSG, we pride ourselves on having staff who continuously strive for excellence in every aspect of their work, and who routinely go beyond the ordinary in the services they provide,” said VSG Managing Director, K eith Francis. “So we’re delighted that their hard work, innovation and enthusiasm has been publicly acknowledged with these awards.”

“We’re particularly pleased to have been successful this year because it has already been a landmark year for the company. We’ve opened a new office in Ireland and another in the City of London will open shortly. And, for the first time, our turnover will this year exceed £100 million.”

“Clearly, VSG is doing well, but the real winners are our customers. Our continued growth and our successes at the awards confirm what we hope and believe they’ve always known – that when they work with VSG, they’re getting security services that are simply second to none.”