Cranfield is an exclusively postgraduate university specialising in technology and management. Cranfield Campus has a number of industry-scale facilities: lecture theatres, laboratories, libraries and numerous halls of residence. It’s also home to an onsite bank, convenience store, sports centre, bar and restaurant, bookshop and religious facilities. A total of 4,500 students use or reside on the campus daily.
The university was experiencing a number of issues with their security provider. Issues included a high turnover of officers and sickness, a lack of officer training and motivation in addition to issues with pay, which ultimately led to unreliability in service. The university went out to tender to remedy these issues.
Securitas deployed SIA licensed security officers to manage the security, risk, loss and protection of property, people and assets across the busy campus and business park. Services include perimeter protection, foot and vehicle patrolling, alarm response, CCTV surveillance, gates, barriers and access control. To support existing CCTV across the campus, the university installed surveillance in the library towards the end of 2017 – a decision supported by Securitas. The installation will result in a saving of £25,000 a year.
As the current contract comes to an end, Cranfield has chosen to extend the contract with Securitas for a further two years. The officers assigned to the university will shortly begin their City & Guilds accreditation to a Protective Services Officer (PSO) level – a training and development programme offered by Securitas.
Maxine Gore, Site Services Manager, at Cranfield said: “I work closely with the Securitas team on a daily basis, and the relationship has gone from strength-to-strength since the contract first commenced in 2014. We meet on a monthly basis to review and discuss agreed KPIs, and to address any concerns relating to the campus. We also use the time to explore potential changes that would offer further protection and enhanced security for all individuals on-site.
“Securitas recently had a presence at our ‘Welcome Week for Students’ – to share the importance of the work they undertake across campus and to provide students with general advice on matters of security and safety. Their active involvement in this event is a reflection of the collaborative relationship we have developed and I look forward to continuing this, as the campus grows in size and offered facilities.”
Securitas’ Education Team has protective service contracts with the University of Bedfordshire, University of Hertfordshire, University of Gloucestershire, Leeds Metropolitan University and the University of West Scotland.
