Trealaw Primary School, Keyholding and alarm response, keyholding, alarm response, Security Services

Trealaw Primary School – Keyholding and alarm response Case Study

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With schools becoming increasing targets for theft and vandalism, it is important for them to be vigilant and have the right security measures in place such keyholding services and alarm response.

So, when an alarm is sounded, it important to have a security provider that can quickly respond and deal with the situation (even if it’s a false alarm).

One school in Rhondda Cynon Taff were having their keyholding services provided by the local authority. Although Trealaw Primary was being provided with keyholding and alarm response services from the local authority, they wanted to see if they could find a security provider that could provide them with an even better service.

As Trealaw primary school were already being provided professional cleaning services from our sister company A&R Cleaning Services, they approached A&R Security Services for a quotation and to find out what other services we provided.

They found our security services to be competitive, but Trealaw Primary also loved the incident reports that they would receive and having the ability to access the client part of our systems.

Within the first week of us taking over the keyholding services, the alarm was sounded, and we attended the site within 30 minutes to find that a pigeon had gotten into the school and had set off the security alarm.

We were able to safely remove the pigeon from the building and provide the school with a full incident report and secured the window in which the pigeon had gotten in. After the incident, Trealaw primary were very impressed with our response time and how we dealt with the incident and look forward to working with us going forward in both cleaning and security.

To find out more about our professional Keyholding and alarm response services take a look at our website or to arrange a free quotation call us on 01656 713950

 

Taxis and Private Hire vehicle, taxi, PHV, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Security, Personal Security, Security Services, A&R Security Services

Staying safe in Taxis and private hire vehicles

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Whether it’s travelling to the airport or getting home from a night out in Cardiff, Swansea or Newport, you will most likely hire a taxi. With private hire vehicles such as uber, it is easy to make bookings.

Since 2017 the number of taxis and private hire vehicles increased by 1.7% in England and Wales, which is quite a large increase, as it’s the highest since they were first recorded in 2005.

But like any industry, there is a downside, with crimes in recent years committed by drivers leading to a consultation launch on the taxi and private hire industry in the hope to implement stricter rules on licensing drivers to protect vulnerable people.

If you’re planning to travel by taxi or private hire vehicle, follow some simple tips on how to stay safe.

 

Wait near well-lit areas and CCTV cameras

In the UK, only a small group of licensing authorities require taxis and private hire vehicles to have CCTV installed (however this could change to all taxi’s and PHV’s to require CCTV) Until this new law is put into effect, waiting in Taxi ranks which have CCTV installed will allow people to trace where passengers are being picked up in an event of an emergency situation. Criminals are less likely to target passengers who will have evidence of them being attacked. Also standing in well-lit areas when it is dark will make you more visible to passers-by and to taxi’s/ PHV picking you up

 

Let someone know when you are travelling

Telling someone that you are on your way to meet them, or someone who you have just left will reassure people that you are safe. When travelling, make sure that your phone has enough charge and if it hasn’t, have a portable charger so that you will be able to get in touch with someone in an emergency.

 

Plan your journey

If you are travelling to somewhere that you are unfamiliar, it is best to plan your journey. Outlining your route will give you peace of mind that you will be travelling to your destination in good time and show others that you are safe. Try and familiarise yourself with the location in advance and keep relevant information at hand, including an emergency contact.

Have find my phone installed

Having apps such as Find my phone or find my device will help locate your smartphone if it is lost or stolen. Too often, many people who go on a night out will get into a taxi and realise that their phone is missing. In the UK 183 phones were stolen with the majority being iPhones. So, it may be a good idea to install these apps to trace your phone.

 

Be alert

If you are travelling alone, stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings. If you are on your own trying to travel back at night, hail a taxi in a well-lit area where there is plenty of people and traffic. No matter what, it is important that you are visible to plenty of people so there are witnesses who can help you in an emergency.

If you are in a taxi or a Private Hire Vehicles, check that the direction you’re going in is familiar to you. If it is not, check on maps on your smartphone that you are travelling in the right direction. If you feel that you are in danger, don’t hesitate to ask the driver to stop at the nearest opportunity – if they do not stop, stay calm and call 999.

 

A&R Security Services offer comprehensive security solutions to commercial properties in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, South Wales and the South West. To find out more about our security solutions visit our website or to arrange a free quotation call us on 01656 713950

 

Christmas party, event security, event, security, security services, office christmas party, office party, christmas

Top tips on running a safe and successful Christmas Party

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With Christmas coming careering towards us, many offices in Cardiff will be organising the Office Christmas party. Celebrating everyone’s hard work is certainly a lot of fun but having everything in place for a great night of festivities is no easy task. When organising a Christmas party, there is a lot that you need to consider – and the most important one is ensuring your colleague’s safety.

When organising its important that you take precautions and stick to good event security and safety practises (especially if you want everyone to have a good night but also stay safe at the same time). By sticking to these you can keep everyone safe – except embarrassing themselves with bad dancing and some dodgy karaoke or comedy.

 

Be alcohol safe

When the bosses have a free bar going and the drink starts flowing, it can be easy to misjudge and get carried away with the festivities. However, from an organisers point of view, alcohol can cause more issues than just embarrassing incidents.

Alcohol can lower our inhibitions and alter our sense of risk meaning that people who have one too many may be tempted to do things that they wouldn’t normally do – like dance on tables, take part in drink competitions or even get into fights. If you’re trying to avoid such situations try and keep an eye on how much your guests are drinking and intervene when you think someone has had too much.

 

Keep a guest list and plan seating

When organising an event and inviting guests, it is important to have up-to-date records of who is coming and who isn’t. If you’re allocating people to tables, make sure you have thought about who is sitting where and whether the people sitting next to each other have things in common. If you have a new member of staff – sit them with someone who will be able to keep the conversation going.

For guests to know where they are sat, place guests lists at the venues entrance or the restaurants front of house so that uninvited guests are unable to enter your party. If the venue doesn’t have extra staff to monitor who is coming to the party, hire extra security staff that are able to monitor who is coming in and out of the venue and ensure that no unwanted guests try to crash the party.

 

Theft

Although thefts may seem like an unlikely thing to happen during a Christmas party, bags and coats left on chairs or at the side of the room can give opportunists the chance to swipe valuables whilst everyone is busy busting out dance moves. So when guests arrive, make sure that they know where the cloakroom is and ensure that security staff are positioned close-by.

 

Dietary requirements

When organising an event such as an office party, it is important that everyone’s dietary requirements are catered for. So, before the big event, make sure that your guests have informed you of any food allergies, intolerances and dietary requirements.

Epilepsy/Hearing/Sight impediment

For any event, it is important to heed advice from anyone suffering from Epilepsy or other impairments relating to hearing or sight. Precautions such as reduced strobe or LED lighting, considering music volume or planning for people with guide dogs can go a long way.

Here at A&R Security Services can help you run a safe Christmas office party by providing guards that are fully trained in First aid and Health & Safety. Having properly trained security at your party means that help is on hand straightaway if a situation arises.

 

Car parking

If your party is in a hotel, restaurant or club, make sure that there is a carpark close by or there are designated parking spaces for guests who want to stay sober and drive home. If you are expecting guests with mobility issues, make sure that there is disabled access such as disabled parking, lowered curbs, ramps and power-assisted doors and enough space to move around freely inside the venue.

When choosing a venue as well, it is a good idea to look at where the venue is in relation to guests – how will the get to and from homes? If you choose a venue that is quite far from work, check what public transport is available.

 

Enjoy yourself!

When you are the person organising the Christmas party you want everything to go perfectly and without a hitch but it’s important that you can ley your hair down and relax. Make sure to drink responsibly, eat well, dress to impress and give yourself a pat on the back for a successful and safe Christmas party! Just make sure that you don’t drink too much and tell your boss something that you may regret on Monday morning when you’re back in the office.

 

A&R Security Services can provide comprehensive security solutions to event organisers in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, South Wales and the South West. To find out more about our security services visit our website or call us for a free quote on 01656 713950

 

Security, Security Services, Inhouse, In-house, Outsourced, In-house v Outsourced, In-house Security, Outsourced Security, Newport

In-house vs Outsourced Security Services: What’s the difference?

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Nearly every business in Newport needs some form of security.

However, it can be a bit of a minefield to know what the best security solution for your business is – whether that is having an in-house or an outsourced security team.

Here we look at the benefits of having a professional outsourced security team over an in-house security team.

Reliability and expertise

When looking for security for your business, you want a reliable security team that can protect your business from criminals. Employing your own security team allows you to gauge if that person is best suited to your business, reliable and have the expertise that you are looking for. However, finding the right person for your business can take a lot of time and effort which could be used to run your business.

Employing an experienced and accredited security provider provides your business with more than just a security solution.  Professional Security providers such as A&R Security Services will have years of experience and knowledge and can provide advice and support for your business, ensuring that it is properly protected.

Professional Security providers will be aware of the threats that your business will face, and this allows them to input tailored security measures to your business’s requirements. This not only keeps the cost down; it guarantees your business will remain secure.

 

Time-Saving and Cost-effective

When creating and maintaining an internal security team, it can be an expensive and time-consuming process. For guards to work in the security industry, they must hold a valid SIA license – which can cost over £200. Add to this uniform, equipment, insurance and other additional costs, creating an in-house security team can quickly mount up.

Whilst having an in-house security team in your business is fine, they would need someone to manage them so hiring experienced, dependable and hardworking staff can sometimes be difficult and costly. Also finding additional staff to cover sickness absence or leave can be quite difficult.

Refresher training – especially around health and safety, first aid, fire safety – can prove to be expensive as well. However, if your staff are not properly trained in these areas, you risk exposing your business to threats.

When you choose a professional security provider, all training, management, equipment, uniform, insurance and recruitment costs are eliminated. Plus, if their staff are off sick or on annual leave, they will have the staff to cover on short notice.

 

Guaranteed quality service

The UK Security industry is tightly regulated to ensure that companies do not put their customers at risk with low-grade security solutions. However, when creating your own in-house security team, you won’t be subject to these regulations.

Unless you have previous experience or knowledge about how to implement effective security, your internal security team is unlikely to meet the standards that private security providers are expected to achieve. This can be dangerous as any security incident that occurs will be entirely your responsibility – whether that’s legal repercussions, maintenance costs or other consequences of failing to protect your business or staff.

If you chose to hire a professional security provider, you can be rest assured that the service you receive will meet all legal requirements, that all staff will be properly trained and vetted and not only would security incidents be far less likely to occur, you won’t be left to pick up the pieces on our own.

 

Flexibility and growth

Any business will eventually begin to grow and expand. As your business grows, the security measures that you have in place will change to coincide. If you have outgrown your old office and are moving to a new office space in Newport, it can throw up a whole set of new security issues.

If your business grows and you have an internal security team, it can take a long time to find extra staff and this can leave gaps within your security. Also, as your in-house security team grows, so do the costs which could result in channelled resources being moved away from core projects which could have a knock-on effect of the growth of your business.

Choosing a professional security provider allows you more room to either scale up or down your security needs. Having this ability ensures that your business is protected throughout your transition and that your resources are allocated effectively.

Also, a professional security provider will be able to cover any temporary security requirements that you may have during your growth.

 

Additional Solutions

The word ‘Security’ Covers a large range of activities. From CCTV monitoring and secure key holding to manned guarding and mobile patrols. And the list goes on.

As your business grows and changes so will your business security requirements over time. For example, if you open second office space in Newport City centre, you may require CCTV monitoring, secure key holding and alarm response. However, implementing these security measures can be difficult. Having additional security for a second location requires purchasing equipment such as alarm and CCTV systems and hiring additional guards to provide key holding services.

This often makes it difficult for businesses to implement the security solutions that they need and unfortunately results in businesses letting their security lapse as they struggle to find the right security providers, purchase new equipment, research and hire and/or train new staff.

A professional security provider will have expertise in each of these areas. This means that they can provide any additional services quickly saving you time and money, as well as ensuring that you are still receiving a high-quality service.

 

If this has changed your mind from employing an in-house security team but not sure what to look out for when hiring a professional security provider then take a look at our guide here.

A&R Security Services provide comprehensive security solutions to businesses in Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and South Wales. If you would like further information about our services, visit our website or give us a call on 01656 713950 to arrange a free quotation.

A&R Security Services, A&R Security, Security, Mobile Security, Mobile Patrols, Security Services, Cardiff, RCT, Newport, Bridgend, Swansea

SIA Accreditation: Why is it so important?

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When making the decision to invest in security for your business, you’ll want to be able to rely on a trustworthy provider and have a clear idea of what you are getting.

One way to ensure that you are getting value is to hire fully trained and vetted SIA Security Guards, like those at A&R Security Services.

But why is it so important to have SIA licensed guards?

Quality that you can trust

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) was created by the government to protect your business. It helps regulate the private security industry effectively where businesses have seen reduced criminality, raised standards in services and personal and a clear picture of a high-quality service.

When having a guard that holds an SIA license, you can be sure that they are fully trained and vetted to complete their job.

Fully licensed SIA guards will have been trained to respond to any situation that they may experience out in the field. Training for SIA licenses is broken down into three core areas. Trainees begin by learning the essentials of common security industry knowledge including awareness of the law in the private security industry, health and safety, fire awareness, emergency procedures and communication with customer care.

Following this training the SIA will develop this initial training into specialist sections where training officers have the opportunity to learn the following services in-depth: patrolling, access control, technology and systems in the security environment, security officers, the law and communication, reporting and record-keeping: all of which are essential as guards will need a basic understanding of each when they are out in the field protecting your business.

Accommodating business demands

The private Security Industry Act was brought in to regulate the private security industry in England and Wales in 2001 which was later implemented in Scotland in 2007 and Northern Ireland in 2009. Since then they have been a number of changes to the accreditation and despite scrutiny of its effectiveness it remains, and businesses can see the clear benefits of hiring security guards that are fully trained and hold an SIA license.

Here A&R Security Services we are proud to provide SIA vetted security guards to effectively protect your business from criminal activity. For more information or to arrange a free quotation call us on 01656 713950 or visit our website.