Providing security in a shopping centre writes Andrew Robbins, Associate Director of Security at Incentive FM, is already a tough job even before you add pandemic risk mitigation into the mix.
With non-essential shops now starting to open, at Incentive FM we are ramping up our ‘Business Resumption Programme’ which acknowledges the increased role that the security teams will need to play in keeping members of the public and retail staff both safe and compliant.
A number of our security staff have been on furlough for much of the past year and so it is vital that we refresh their training and provide up to date guidance to ensure that they feel both safe and able to work. Mental health and well-being considerations are at the forefront of our approach as we are aware of the increased number of strains of the past few months. Communication and collaboration are key as always and we have a documented framework to ensure this approach is standard across all of our retail portfolio.
Of course, some of our staff have not been furloughed but have been working at our centres which have been partially open throughout the pandemic for essential shops and take away food outlets. We believe that they will provide additional support for their colleagues and share their experiences and learnings.
Traditionally a retail security officer’s main focus was to prevent any theft or damage from taking place. Over the years this has changed to more of an emphasis on keeping staff and customers safe but Covid has delivered further changes, not least managing people’s differing views on the restrictions that we will need to enforce within the shopping centres. Some people are simply less convinced about the need to follow the hands, face, space guidance. There is also increasing evidence that others who have had their jabs may refuse to comply altogether so it seems that our security officers are once again likely to be facing some challenging situations.
Footfall is also going to be extremely hard to predict with research suggesting that people may continue to enjoy shopping online even after lockdown. However, we feel that a lot of people will want to take advantage of the retail and leisure experience our clients offer and we will resource accordingly.
And of course, later in the year we will need to consider further changes from the outcomes from the Protect Duty which is likely to include a legal requirement for public places to ensure preparedness for and protection from terrorist attacks. It is part of a Government manifesto commitment to draw on lessons learned from previous terrorist incidents, in particular the Manchester Arena attack.
Luckily, we are in a good place. Pre-covid, the strategy for us as a company was to take security across our business to the next level, making sure we provide a best possible service to our clients as trusted advisors and ensuring their premises remain safe and secure. We have and will continue to do this and address any new challenges along the way.
