The magazine for the employees and clients of Northern Security
The
Watch
Summer 2016
Welcome!
This edition of The Watch holds some pretty significant news for our business. After
months of planning, Northern Security has now embarked on an important growth
plan which will see our business double in size over the next three years.
The expansion will enable us to create over 100 new jobs; with the relocation of our Head Office
to bigger premises in Carlisle providing the additional office space we need to grow and take
the business forward.
The future success of Northern Security will involve every single person across the business and
will create even greater opportunities for career progression as we expand. We will also invest
in our employees, ensuring we have the correct skills and robust management team in place to
drive growth.
We’ve already been working closely with the Government’s Growth Accelerator scheme and have
received advice and guidance to help us formulate a strategy for growth. This initiative will help
ensure we have the necessary skills and expertise to fuel our expansion,
our management team has also been receiving business mentoring
and participating in management training workshops.
It’s an extremely exciting period for Northern Security. Our
new Head Office will allow us to offer a broader range
of services and we’ll have a dedicated Training Centre
for Apprentices... So it’s good news for our customers
and great news for our employees!
Alongside our future growth, we also want to get
closer to our staff. The Employee Gateway, our
new online portal for information, learning and
news, will form a key strand of our internal
communications going forward. So, if you feel
there’s a certain area we can improve upon, or
know of a business opportunity to run with, please
DO let us know!
I hope you all enjoy this edition of The Watch.
PaulHopper
Managing Director, Northern Security
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The Watch, Summer 2016
Northern Security
to create 100 new jobs
Northern Security has promised a significant jobs boost for the Carlisle
and Middlesbrough areas with plans to create up to 100 new positions.
With the help of the ‘Growth Accelerator’, a government-backed
service offering support to companies with the potential to grow,
Northern Security is set to double the size of its business over the
next three years.
The Company currently employs 150 people from bases in Carlisle
and Middlesbrough and has already started recruiting to fill the new
job positions it’s creating. Positions are currently available for security
officers, control room operators and systems engineers.
The business has now completed work on new headquarters in
Kingstown, allowing its office space to more than treble in size and
providing a platform for growth.
“In partnership with the Growth Accelerator, we’re developing a
growth strategy which will allow us to double in size over the next
three years,” explained Northern Security Managing Director, Paul
Hopper.
Northern Security is aiming to expand by providing new services to
clients which are currently outsourced. This forms one strand of the
Company’s high growth strategy, which has been built in
partnership with the Growth Accelerator.
Business mentors from the programme have also examined the
Company’s management structure and delivered training to staff
through management and skills workshops.
“The first step, a move to bigger headquarters, has been completed
and now the focus is on boosting our management team and
ensuring we have the right people and skills to reach our ambitious
targets” he continued.
Adding; “Our planned alarm receiving centre is an important step
and will allow us to take control of services we currently outsource.
We anticipate much of our growth will be organic across the north
of England, putting us in a position to offer more high-quality
services in a seamless and cost-effective way – with the back-up of
a strong customer service and operations team.”
we’re developing a growth
strategy which will allow us
to double in size
Northern Security
3
National Living Wage
changes will create
business opportunities
The new National Living Wage will create opportunities for
Northern Security to secure additional new contracts as
local businesses look to make savings.
Paid to over-25s, the Living Wage will start at £7.20 and rise
to £9 an hour by 2020 – it’s estimated to add around 14 per
cent to the wage bill of service professions, such as security
guarding.
But, while other companies may struggle with rising costs,
Northern Security believes its integrated business model,
combining guarding, alarm response, key-holding, mobile
patrols and CCTV monitoring, will help deliver cost savings.
The company is in a unique position locally where it can
offer a complete range of security, surveillance and alarm
response solutions under one roof – backed up by its own
in-house Control Centre.
“Northern Security has a unique offering which I believe
gives us an edge over our competitors,” said managing
director Paul Hopper. “By combining a full range of security
and response services, we can offer a cost-effective solution
while other companies may struggle to absorb the rising
costs expected under the Living Wage scheme.
“Forward thinking local organisations are already taking
advantage of cost saving opportunities by introducing
much closer integration between electronic security systems
and targeted professional response. Improved technology
and communications in the last few years has enabled
remote security to be incredibly reliable and convenient.
“Because we have dedicated response teams and operate
our own Control Centre and CCTV monitoring station, we
can offer affordable services and bespoke options tailored
towards a client’s specific needs.
“I firmly believe this unique position gives us an advantage
when it comes to both absorbing any increased costs and
offering a more attractive solution to local businesses.”
With a team of local highly-skilled and experienced
engineers complemented by a team of security response
officers all operating under one roof, Northern Security is
ideally positioned to offer clients a fully integrated security
solution.
4
The Watch, Summer 2016
You’re Hired!
New Northern Security Apprentices focus on the future
Northern Security is looking to the future, having recently taken
on two new Apprentices. Jack Lennon (above, left) and
Matthew Pugh (right), who are both from the Carlisle area, have
joined the workforce at the Company’s new Kingstown base.
Their duties include installation services and maintenance to
intruder alarms, CCTV and access controls. In addition, Jack
and Matthew are spending one day a week at college in
Newcastle studying security and fire engineering.
Northern Security Sales Director, Peter Smith said “We believe
that the future of the Company is important and we need to
take on trainees to guarantee our future going forward.
Apprenticeships offer a ‘neat’ solution; combining classroom
learning with on-the-job skills learned from highly
experienced staff; giving employers the opportunity to mould
apprentices from the start of their career.”
Senior Staff take
the lead with NSL
Training Workshops
Directors & Senior Managers at Northern
Security fine-tuned their skills recently by
attending a training and leadership course
to help ensure they are fully prepared to
take the Company forward into the future.
Six separate training sessions were delivered over a
number of weeks by Michael McGrath, an
independent business coach who runs Matrix
Management Solutions. His work with Northern
Security’s senior staff from both the Carlisle and
Middlesbrough bases was carried out under the
umbrella of the Government’s much-praised ‘Growth
Accelerator’ programme as the Company prepares to enter
a period of significant business expansion. The Growth
Accelerator is now part of the Business Growth Service, a
government-backed scheme which helps businesses with
the right levels of ambition, capability and capacity to
further improve and grow.
Over several weeks, Michael offered expert advice and
guidance to Northern Security management on a range of
topics. These included:
O
O
O
O
Leadership characteristics and styles.
Roles and responsibilities, and effective supervision;
Problem solving and decision making;
Self-motivating and motivating a team.
“It was an opportunity for the Northern Security Managers to
focus and become more aware of how they go about their dayto-day work and how effectively they can do it” said Matrix
Management Solutions’ Michael McGrath. He continued “I got
very good feedback from everybody. I think broadly the training
was very well received and we had 100 per cent attendance at
the sessions. With their future growth aspirations, I’m sure this
training will be beneficial for the organisation.”
Michael was also full of praise for Northern Security and its
employees, adding “I think they are brilliant, really creative
people and really helpful. There was a good atmosphere and
they were all extremely professional.” He continued “In terms
of the way they carry out their work Northern Security is one
of the best service providers in its field.”
Northern Security
5
6
The Watch, Summer 2016
New HQ enhances services
and facilitates expansion
Northern Security’s new purpose-developed headquarters will not only create the extra
space the Company needs to meet its growth plans, but it will allow the Company to offer
enhanced security products and services to customers.
Tripling the Facilities
Growth Strategy
Northern Security’s new purpose-designed headquarters located at
Peterfield Road, Kingstown will not only create the extra space the
Company needs to meet its growth plans, but it will allow the business
to offer enhanced security products and services to customers.
“We’ve been working hard to develop a growth strategy which will
see the business double over the next three years,” said company
Sales Director Peter Smith.
The Company moved into the new building on Kingstown Industrial
Estate in Carlisle in December 2015, with the move seeing its main
offices more than treble in size.
“The first stage was the move to bigger premises which provides the
extra space we require but also give us the opportunity to design the
new headquarters with the features we need to expand” he added.
Importantly, the new building will house a dedicated alarm receiving
centre, the only one of its kind in the area, along with CCTV
monitoring stations, and admin offices.
Northern Security has historically embraced Apprenticeships to
provide vocational training for young people. The new headquarters
will also house a technical training centre where it plans to skill
apprentices in intruder and fire alarm systems.
Developing Services
The new facilities will ensure customers across the north of England
and southern Scotland will receive the greatest levels of customer
care and security service. Remote monitoring will become more
convenient and cost-effective, while alarm response is also set to be
improved even further.
the new building will not only help fuel expansion, but will give us
the opportunity to invest in new staff and train apprentices. We’ve
taken on a number of new apprentices this year and are currently
recruiting for a number of roles throughout the business
Northern Security 7
Security Revolution
Peter continued; “The security industry has evolved over the
last few years and we’ve focused on remaining at the
forefront of innovation by offering clients the latest security
technology, CCTV systems and a seamless service... All this
alongside traditional security guarding and the expansion of
remote monitoring; an important innovation which allows us
to cut down on cost and reduce on-site risks to personnel.”
In summary Peter rounded off by saying; “The new building
will not only help fuel expansion but give us the opportunity
to invest in new staff and train apprentices. We’ve taken on a
number of new apprentices this year and are currently
recruiting for a number of roles throughout the business.”
Northern Security’s sister company Northern Vehicle Hire,
which operates a fleet of 15 vans and commercial vehicles,
will also move to the new Kingstown site, taking advantage
of the ample secure parking the location provides.
Pictured above: The new Headquarters at Kingstown offers premium quality office
space in close proximity to many of Northern Security’s key Carlisle customers and
easy access to the nearby M6 and A69 trunk road to the North East.
Pictured opposite: The substantial new building houses not only Northern
Security, but also Northern Vehicle Hire and Stacy Hopper’s Glo & Go business.
8
The Watch, Summer 2016
The ‘Vertual’
Security Solution
Northern Security is delighted to have carried out an important
installation at the Workington base of Vertellus Speciality Chemicals,
which has been a Northern Security customer for several years. A stateof-the-art security system is now in place at Vertellus’s Northside facility
in West Cumbria.
The new system comprises large electronic gates, complete with access
control and intercom. Northern Security is an officially registered installer
of the equipment which was provided by top access control technology
manufacturer, Paxton Access.
The security control at Vertellus is now fully integrated into the Paxton
system, allowing gates to be automatically opened in the event of a fire
alarm at the site being activated.
“This noteworthy installation demonstrates the depth of capability we
offer” said Northern Security Sales Director, Peter Smith. “In addition to
traditional Security Patrols, we can offer many state-of-the-art solutions for
access control for a broad spectrum of applications and covering a wide
range of industries” he continued.
Northern Security’s Vertellus project was delivered in partnership with
leading security gate and fencing specialist, Alternative Systems Protection.
Dumbarton-based, Alternative provided the high security gates, motors and
fabrication, while Northern Security was responsible for the operating
software, intercoms and access control readers.
Northern Security
9
Stress
‘Stress’ is not an illness itself, but it certainly can cause serious illness if it
isn’t addressed. It’s important to recognise the signs early, Health & Safety
Manager Lyn Skelton gives us some handy tips on dealing with stress.
Stress in Daily Life
Managing Stress
“Learn to recognise the physical effects of stress and do
something about it before it makes you really ill, beware of
work stress spilling over into other areas of your life,” explains
Lyn Skelton.
Recognising the signs and symptoms of stress will help you
figure out ways of coping and save you from adopting
unhealthy coping methods, such as excessive drinking or
smoking. Spotting the early signs of stress will also help
prevent it getting worse and potentially causing serious
complications, such as high blood pressure.
Stress can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body
works. In fact, common signs of stress include sleeping problems,
sweating, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating. You may
feel anxious, irritable or low in self esteem, and you may have
racing thoughts, worry constantly or go over things in your
head. You may notice that you lose your temper more easily,
drink/smoke more or act unreasonably. You may also experience
headaches, muscle tension or pain, and dizziness.
Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body. These stress
hormones are released to enable you to deal with pressures
or threats – the so-called “fight or flight” response. Once the
pressure or threat has passed, your stress hormone levels will
usually return to normal. However, if you’re constantly under
stress, these hormones will remain in your body, leading to
the symptoms of stress.
Recognising Stress Triggers
If you’re not sure what’s causing your stress, keep a diary and
make a note of stressful episodes for two-to-four weeks. Then
review it to spot the triggers.
Things you might want to write down include:
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O
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The date, time and place of a stressful episode.
What you were doing, who you were with.
How you felt emotionally, what you were thinking.
What you started doing, how you felt physically.
You can use your Stress Diary to:
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Identify just what triggers your stress.
Work out how you operate under pressure.
Develop better coping mechanisms.
“As employers, Northern Security have a duty to ensure the
health, safety and welfare of our employees - so whatever the
source of your stress, speak to your manager or someone else
within the organisation that you feel comfortable talking to”
added Lyn.
She continued”We take employee Health & Safety very
seriously and strive to help and support you as best we can
even if the problem is not work-related, we may be able to
support you in some way or help to take some pressure off
you at work while you resolve the stress in your personal life.”
10
The Watch, Summer 2016
Northern Security
retains major
University contract
Having come up trumps yet again in a recent
stringent competitive tender process, Northern
Security will be providing services to the University
of Cumbria for a further three years, extending its
contract and partnership with the organisation.
The agreement sees Northern Security deliver a number of services,
including Security Guards, Alarm Response and Mobile Patrol Vehicles,
across SIX University residential and educational sites based in Carlisle,
Ambleside and Lancaster. A state-of-the-art data transfer system,
incorporating wireless technology, will also be introduced to provide
live reporting and enhance safety.
In line with the University of Cumbria’s requirements to engage with
local responsible employers, the tender demanded the successful
supplier pay staff the Living Wage. Northern Security has committed
to the Living Wage Foundation rate of £8.25 for its staff at these sites,
a rate substantially higher than the Government’s National Living Wage
of £7.20.
Paul Hopper, Northern Security Managing Director, said; “We are
pleased to extend our relationship with the University and this is a
prime example of the significance of our added value services. Our
security provision is industry-leading, but we also create efficiencies to
help our clients reduce costs. It really is refreshing to work with an
organisation focused on incorporating the Living Wage Foundation
rate of £8.25, enabling us to pass that benefit onto staff working at
the University.”
Northern Security staff have also assisted in exceptional circumstances,
such as the major Carlisle flooding in December which affected the
Fusehill Street campus. Stuart Davison, Northern Security Head of
Operations, said: “The team did amazingly well during the floods,
assisting in both Ambleside and Carlisle, when the Sports Hall was used
as a Rescue Centre. It’s great to see our teams working closely with our
customers; they’ve really become part of the University team.”
Mark Atkinson, University of Cumbria Building Services Manager,
added “Where possible, we aim to engage local suppliers and
Northern Security is a trusted and experienced company. They continue
to offer a professional service and have worked closely with us to
ensure their staff operate seamlessly across our range of sites and with
our students.”
Northern Security 11
Movers &
Shakers
As part of it’s continuing sustained growth Northern
Security has recently appointed a number of key new
personnel to help manage and steer the Company as
it develops towards the goal of becoming THE regional
security company for the North of England and the
Borders. Among these key new players is our new
Commercial Manager for North Yorkshire and the
North East, David Burrow.
Based at Middlesbrough, Commercial Manager, David Burrow has
responsibility for Operations, Business Management and Business
Development covering both the North East and North Yorkshire areas.
"My new appointment is an exciting development for our future
business strategy across the region and its encouraging that Northern
Security is aiming to create a significant number of new positions in
Middlesbrough", explained David.
"In addition to managing current client relationships and overseeing
the smooth running of operations, my focus will also be on
developing business growth opportunities".
12
The Watch, Summer 2016
Leading the way in
Security Technology
Northern Security is constantly investigating ways to further improve the quality of services it
offers to customers. Technology plays a big part in this drive. The Company is currently testing
‘Patrol Manager’, a new mobile patrol system which combines NFC-enabled mobile
phones with RFID tags, providing precise data on a particular location and any important
information transmitted straight to the phone. It is an ideal tool for lone working officers,
as it makes it easy for employees to instantly transmit a signal they are in danger.
Automation of Operations
When the officer touches the tag with their mobile
phone it instantly sends a signal to control showing that
they are on patrol. This also replaces the need for check
calls and booking on/off, as the patrol is evidence that
the officer is mobile and carry out their duties.
O
Ease use for the Security Officer.
Simple, Accurate Real Time Reporting
The phone also enables the officer to produce reports
with pictures, should an incident occur. When fully
operational, the phone can also show an officer’s
working pattern and any holidays they have booked.
Extremely Positive Field Tests
George Scott has been trialing the new system on our
Fusehill Street Campus patrols. He has been very
impressed, commenting “I was a little bit apprehensive
about the system at first, but actually it has been easy
to pick up and improved the way I do my patrols... And
that’s saying something, because I class myself as pretty
much technology illiterate.”
Key benefits of the Patrol Manager system include:
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O
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Accurate readings of patrols in real time.
Instant alert to Control if there is an issue. Helping
secure the safety of Northern Security’s officers.
Improved communication for the Officer, Control
and the Customer.
The SMS system with its picture facility enables
more accurate reports.
The ability to produce more detailed patrol reports,
which can be viewed by the customer to view
upon request in real time.
The system is web-based, providing secure access
to the information, anytime and anywhere.
Northern Security 13
Sarah Caulfield
Human Resources Advisor
Sarah, who is currently off on
maternity leave, joined Northern
Security in January 2012. She was
recently promoted to the position of
Human Resources Advisor from the
role of HR Administrator. The HR team
is responsible for the delivery of a
broad range of day-to-day activities.
“Although my job role hasn’t
necessarily changed and I am still
completing general HR tasks, my job
title has changed in line with the work
I am doing and with the expansion of
the business” said Sarah.
Northern Security continue to invest in people development
with the appointment of a new Operations Supervisor, Sue
Howarth who will now oversee workplace operations and
be active in further supporting employee development.
“This is a key role within Northern
Security, providing support and
advice to colleagues on employment
matters as well as employees. I really
enjoy working in HR and I have
worked in HR roles since leaving
university. Every day is different and
something unexpected might arise
that you have never dealt with
before - so I’m always learning” she
added.
A Fresh Approach
Mike Glaister Retires
Investing in People Development
Sue Howarth is completely new to the security industry, but brings a wealth of experience
as former Customer Experience Manager for Virgin Trains. She now plans to use that
expertise to help develop personal skills and attributes of the Company’s 150 security staff
on the ground.
Sue will focus on developing staff and ensuring seamless delivery of workplace operations,
Sue will also focus on developing new skills and helping employees excel in their current
roles and forge long-term careers in the security industry.
Looking Forward to New Challenges
Sue, said “I’m excited with my new role at Northern Security and genuinely looking forward
to the challenge. The Company supplies security services to a diverse range of business
and industries, each with their own specific demands for guards and personnel on the
ground. I’m passionate about helping those staff do the best job possible while helping
them develop existing and new skills.”
Stuart Davison, Head of Operations at Northern Security, added; “Sue’s appointment is a
key role which will see her delivering frontline engagement, including development and
mentoring of our teams across Cumbria. This also cements our commitment to existing
customers where we aim to deliver the highest standards of personnel in our sector.”
14
The Watch, Summer 2016
Popular Northern Security Business
Development Manager, Mike Glaister
retired on 4 March after a three and
a half year spell with Northern
Security.
As a member of the Border City
Wheelers, Mike was a keen cyclist
and a fully certified British Cycling
Commissaire.
He spearheaded Northern Security’s
sponsorship of the popular Hadrian’s
Wall Stage Race over the past few
years. Mike was presented with a
framed cycling-themed picture of the
Lake District.
We would like to wish Mike the very
best for his retirement.
New Head
of Operations
Northern Security has appointed 39 yearold Stuart Davison to the newly-created
position of Head of Operations, helping
to facilitate its plans for growth and
business expansion. A move to larger
headquarters in Kingstown, trebling
available office space, has already
provided a platform for growth, now
Stuart will ensure operational efficiency,
target business development and
enhance customer relations even further.
Stuart is joining Northern Security after an 18year spell with Virgin Trains, most recently in the
key role of Customer Experience Manager based
at Preston. His expertise will be put to good use
within Northern Security as the Company pushes
forward with ambitious plans to double the size
of the business within three years.
Northern Security Managing Director Paul
Hopper believes Stuart will bring a fresh
approach and crucial skills to help attract and
develop important client relationships.
“Stuart’s appointment is an important move for
Northern Security,” explained Paul. “We’ve
targeted significant growth and it’s vital we
have the correct people and resource in place to
deliver that growth. Stuart is a key addition to
our already robust management team. In
addition to his management and operational
skills, we’re also finding it a real benefit to have
someone from outside the security industry: His
fresh perspective is creating new ideas and
initiatives, helping to set us apart from our
competitors and pushing the business forward.”
Stuart was keen to make a move back to a local
business and says it’s the perfect time in his
career; “I’ve worked in a very corporate world
for the last few years and I was keen to move to
a position which gave me greater opportunities
to make a real difference,” adding “It’s great to
work alongside Paul and the Management Team
and really play a part in the exciting future that
Northern Security has. I’m also really enjoying
being back in Carlisle, working closely with a
broad range of the region’s prominent
organisations, and helping to mould those
important business relationships.”
Northern Security 15
Northern Security Staff News
Northern Security has made a number of new additions to staff and has invested extensively
in targeted training, helping deliver an even better service to the Company’s customers.
Cody Barker
Laura Wanley
Nicola Morris
Carlisle-based Office Administrator Cody Barker,
has just completed an NVQ Level 2 in Business
Admin.
Laura Wanley has joined the Middlesbrough team
as an Office Administrator.
Nicola comes to Northern Security after a spell
as a receptionist in the construction industry.
Her new role is as Operations Administrator at
our Middlesbrough office.
Twenty-year-old Cody, who joined the Company
in June 2014, said she was ‘proud’ to have
earned a new qualification, commenting “At
first I found it hard to find time to complete my
coursework. However, working at Northern
Security taught me how to organise and
prioritise my workload correctly”.
Adding “After completing my qualification i
was offered a permanent contract as Office
Administrator and given more responsibility. It
shows the Company has trust and faith in
allowing me to carry out these tasks and is
looking to expand my knowledge by training
me further on a variety of upcoming skills.”
“My role involves all aspects of administration and
dealing with any queries from customers and from
our security guards,” she said. “It is a very varied
role and includes anything from dealing with shifts
and paperwork to issues with the vans.”
Laura’s enjoying her new role; “I have never
worked in security before so it’s interesting learning
new things and there’s always lots to do to keep
me busy,” she said. “I like working with a very
friendly team. I have been made to feel welcome
and always have someone there to help if I need
it,” adding; “Before joining Northern Security, I had
a short break from working after having my third
little boy. The children were keeping me very busy
so now I like to come to work for the two days to
have a break!”
“My job involves a broad range of admin
duties. No two days are the same and it’s great
to be kept busy every day with a variety of
different tasks,” explained Nicola.
She continued “In addition to dealing with
both clients and security guards, I collect the
data that is used to measure the company
against set performance indicators to ensure
we are providing the best possible levels of
service across the business.”
CCTV Best Practice:
Ensure that your CCTV is always set at the correct
time, especially when the clocks change
for ‘British Summer Time’ and when the clocks
go back in Autumn.
If you have any comments or suggestions for stories for the next edition of ‘The Watch’, we would
be delighted to hear from you! Please email or write to ‘The Watch’ at the address below.
Published by Northern Security: 17 Peterfield Road, Kingstown Ind. Estate, Carlisle CA3 0EY.
T: 01228 547 662 W: www.northernsecurityltd.co.uk E: [email protected]
©2016 Northern Security. Design by Carne Whitney.com/01228 596 895. Copywriting Really Clever PR [email protected]/07872 470 115