Why choose approved

by Mark Rowe

UKAS-accredited NSI is the UK’s independent third party certification body within the security systems, guarding services and fire safety sectors, helping to protect home-owners, businesses, public bodies and the general public through audit of more than 1800 fire safety and security providers, writes Richard Jenkins, Chief Executive of the National Security Inspectorate (NSI).

Delivering an effective security solution is increasingly reliant on an evolving and diverse set of technical and business skills. Clients are more aware than ever before of the need to protect people, properties and assets and are keen to understand how this can best be achieved. Buyers should be confident that companies delivering security services are working to the highest standards.

Government guidance
Useful guidance documents are available from government: the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, NaCTSO publication of 2016 on options for the private sector to enhance security at times of raised threat levels; and the Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC) scheme for operating CCTV in public places. Yet guidance is not sufficient as a ‘standard’ for providers to work to. Maintaining and showing professionalism across the sector requires a set of recognised standards as a benchmark for working practice. Codes of practice, international and British standards govern installation of intruder and hold-up alarms, fire safety systems, CCTV systems, access control as well as operations such as alarm receiving centres, key holding, and guarding services. Defining and agreeing such standards in expert committee takes input from certification bodies such as the NSI.

Why choose approved?
Independently assessed organisations hold certificates of approval, giving buyers a ready means of checking capability against standards. The main reason for selecting an organisation holding relevant approvals is the confidence of knowing it is routinely audited by a certification body – and maintains compliance.

What buyers to consider
1) Relevant approval. Competencies are very specific. It sounds obvious; but, door supervision is not event stewarding, alarms not CCTV.
2) Independent approval. This is a far stronger endorsement than self-certification. Improvement notices issued in audit, where processes, training or customer service procedures are considered questionable or non-compliant, must be subjected to root cause analysis and effective correction declared.
3) UKAS accredited certification. The UK accreditation service gives additional oversight.
4) Individual licensing. ‘People’ related services such as key holding or close protection, require providers to adhere to SIA licensing. Approvals bodies will scrutinise approved businesses for their adherence to mandatory licensing, and their use of sub-contractors.

NSI approval: criteria
NSI Gold and Silver approved companies undergo annual independent, expert compliance audit against relevant British Standards for services they deliver, and for Gold approval, the international ISO 9001 standard for quality management systems and NSI’s own quality schedule. Services covered include access control, CCTV, security intruder and hold-up alarm installation and maintenance, key-holding, canine services, door supervision, close protection, alarm receiving centres and CCTV operations. Tailored audits assess front-line services, technical competence, management systems, support infrastructure, staff welfare and benefits, and people development. Industry specialist auditors spend time at approved firms’ head office, other offices, and critically on customer sites inspecting security installations and/or interviewing technicians and security officers before completing their findings. A minority of cases may require mandatory corrective action, or even result in withdrawal of approval.

Food for thought
Standards for security services are key, yet as important is the role of management systems, and culture in the provider’s business. This includes quality management, environmental management and health and safety systems and standards; ISO 9001 for quality management is probably the most commonly recognised. NSI has long realised the value of joined-up assessment of management systems alongside technical standards. This has significant advantages: for buyers, the reassurance that audit programmes are not merely tick-box exercises; for approved companies, an integrated audit delivered by a multi-skilled auditor expert in identifying improvement needs and opportunities. When effective, formally recognised standards raise and maintain levels of professionalism. Verification of compliance through impartial, competent audit and assessment programming means service providers readily assure their clients and their wider community of their openness to independent scrutiny, their professionalism and their trustworthiness.

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