http://vsg.co.uk/modules/rss/index.php The latest news from VSG en-gb VSG has joined Compass Group UK & Ireland in a move which is set to underpin the continued growth and development of the business as the UK's premier provider of security services. The partnership reinforces the Compass strategy to establish itself as a leading presence in the support services industry. Ian Sarson, Group Managing Director of Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: "I am delighted to bring VSG into the Compass portfolio. Its strong organic sales, market leading client retention and organisational culture are an ideal match for our Compass business. The VSG business will materially enhance the security element of our offering and provide a huge opportunity to sell these services to our existing clients. In addition, this will greatly enhance the security part of our 'bundled' offer of soft services across all sectors." Compass Group UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group plc, the world's leading foodservice company. It specialises in providing food, vending and an increasing array of related FM services to support its core business. Compass is a FTSE top 40 company with annual revenues of over £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009. The company operates across the core sectors of Business & Industry, Defence, Offshore & Remote Sites, Healthcare, Education, Sports & Leisure and Vending.Keith Francis, Managing Director of VSG, said: "We are delighted to be working as part of Compass who, as a global support services company, will give us the ideal platform to accelerate our growth. We believe this combination will enable us to build on VSG's success to date and give us an exciting future. The Compass business and culture are 2010-08-25 17:17:16 VSG are proud to announce the launch of the Talent Management Programme for 2010. The Talent Management Programme (TMP) is designed to develop and mentor candidates to become the Managers of the future for VSG. The Talent Management Programme ran very successfully in 2009 and was integral in developing and appointing several Management positions. Sandra Warren, Head of Training and Development says"We see the development of our internal talent pool as one of our key resourcing strategies for our future operational management requirements and just as important, a way of recognising and nurturing the talent we all know exists within our business.The primary aim of the TMP is to identify individuals who are ripe for further development and give them the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to operate and succeed at the next level. On the back of last years' success, we look forward to receiving a record number of applications."The Talent Management Programme is made up of 9 modules spaced over a period of 9 months with several course work elements that are also required to be completed. As a result the candidates are then rewarded upon successful completion, a Level 3 Award in First Line Management accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management.The Talent Management Programme application process is open to any employee who has previous or current supervisory or management experience. Any employee who is interested in applying for the Talent Management Programme should speak to their Area Manager initially. The Area Manager will be able to provide the application form and also some frequently asked questions that should answer any queries.Any employees who want to apply will need to complete the application form as quickly as possible as there are several stages involving the Area Manager and also Operations Directors following the submission of the application f 2010-07-09 17:48:55 Even for experienced facilities managers, procuring security services can be quite a challenge, says Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG, one of the UK's fastest growing providers of security services.The main problem that facilities managers face when selecting suppliers of security services is easy to state - at present, there is no reliable indicator to help them differentiate between the many companies that currently offer such services. One possible solution is for FMs to contact existing clients of the suppliers they are considering, and ask for comments and endorsements. However, that's a very time consuming process, especially when you remember that there are hundreds of companies from which to choose.What's needed is some form of quality mark or certification that would show immediately which are the best security suppliers. This is by no means a new idea. As long ago as 2003, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) started work on developing a new operating standard called ‘Towards the Future'. This was to have been a voluntary scheme that would highlight the best security providers within the BSIA.Work on this project was stopped when the Security Industries Authority (SIA) announced plans for its own Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) which the BSIA expected to do a similar job. Unfortunately, it doesn't. The ACS scheme is certainly a step in the right direction, but the reality is that it indicates only that a security provider has met what can best be described as "entry level" requirements.It's not hard to provide evidence to support this point of view. There are currently around 650 ACS accredited suppliers of security services in the UK, yet there can be very few informed people who believe that there are 650 top-flight companies in the security industry. Put simply, the conclusion has to be that ACS accreditation does not provide the much-needed clear differentiation between the best 2010-05-10 11:23:08 In recognition of the courage of servicemen and servicewomen in the Middle East and of the sacrifices they are making, VSG, Britain's most dynamic and innovative provider of security services, has made a donation of £10,000 to Help for Heroes, a charity devoted to supporting those who have been wounded in the current Afghan and Iraqi conflicts. VSG employees across the UK, of which there are more than 5,000, raised money for the donation over the past year by means of a series of activities that included a charity golf day, dress-down days, and a payroll lottery that reserves half of its proceeds for charitable purposes. The employees had previously chosen Help for Heroes as the charity they most wanted to support from a long list of possible options. Simon Reeves, VSG's Human Resources Director, presented the £10,000 cheque to Jane Bowley, Northamptonshire County Co-ordinator of Help for Heroes, at a ceremony held recently at VSG's Northampton headquarters. "We are absolutely delighted to receive this donation from VSG," said Jane Bowley, "and we'd like thank both the staff and the management at the company for the hard work they have put into raising the money, and for their generosity. It is, in fact, the largest single donation that we've ever received in this region, and we are going to put the money to very good use - it will be used to help fund the building of four Personnel Recovery Centres." "These Centres will help wounded personnel to recover from their experiences and the trauma they have suffered in conflict zones. The Centres will be open to members of all three Services, with eligibility decided on a case-by-case basis. Help for Heroes is providing funds to build the Centres, Army staff will run them, and the Royal British Legion will maintain them for at least ten years." "VSG takes its responsibility to the community very serio 2010-05-16 09:17:04 The excellence and exceptional performance of the staff at VSG, Britain's most dynamic and innovative provider of security services, was once again recognised in the regional round of the BSIA Annual Security Personnel Awards 2010, when the company won no fewer than 10 out of the 30 awards - more than any other participating company.Organised by the British Security Industry Association, these prestigious awards are widely regarded as the epitome of achievement for security personnel and, as such, they are fiercely contested. This year individual VSG employees won four Service to the Customer Awards, two Outstanding Act Awards and a Best Newcomer Award. In addition, VSG teams in three regions won Best Team Awards. All of these regional winners will be entered into the judging for the BSIA National Awards, which will be presented in July.At an awards ceremony held at VSG's Northampton HQ, James Kelly, Chief Executive of the BSIA presented the awards to the winning VSG personnel and said: "Winning 10 out of 30 awards is a truly impressive achievement for VSG. The BSIA Awards recognise excellence within the security industry, and also the contribution that security personnel make to the safety and well being of their customers and of the community as a whole. We always receive a large number of entrants and this year was no exception. The winners should, therefore, be very proud of what they've achieved." "I'm very proud of our success at the BSIA Awards," said Bill Muskin, Chairman of VSG. "It confirms what our customers already know - that our officers on the ground consistently deliver services of the highest standard. Customers come to VSG because they can see that it is a quality operation where the staff are highly motivated. These awards confirm and reinforce this deservedly positive perception of our business."Service to the Customer Awards went to Mark Donald in Scotland, for his efforts in creating 2010-04-07 18:06:52 As VSG's City of London office celebrates its first birthday, the company - which is now the UK's fourth largest provider of security services - reports that its strong London presence has helped it to generate new business worth in excess of £15 million from clients in the Capital over the last year. Among the prestigious London-based organisations that have recently awarded VSG multi-million pound contracts are Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BNY Mellon, Cushman & Wakefield, London South Bank University and Broadgate Estates."Our London office in High Holborn is proving to be an invaluable asset," said Leon Barwell, Commercial Director of VSG. "Our operations there provide the clearest possible confirmation for existing and potential clients of our commitment to delivering outstanding security services that are closely focussed on the needs of organisations that operate in and around London.""The office has, without doubt, been a major factor in our success in the capital," he continued, "but we are by no means resting on our laurels. We are continuing to invest in our London-based infrastructure, so that we can improve even further the service we give to our valued clients in the area. We have, for example, recently created the new role of City of London Operations Director and appointed Chris Cray, who is a dynamic and very experienced VSG team member, to this important post."While VSG's London office provides a local point of contact and support for clients in the area and a base for the company's 1000+ London-based staff, it is much more than just an operational support centre. It has its own management team and operates its own in-house services such as human resources management and staff training. The London office also offers an extensive and growing range of services for VSG clients. These services have, for example, recently been extended to include key holding, alarm management and the provision of train 2010-03-30 13:17:59 VSG Verify, a new service now being offered by VSG, one the UK's most successful suppliers of security services, now makes it easy and inexpensive to carry out effective screening and vetting checks on existing and prospective employees, whatever their level or role in an organisation. To underpin the service, VSG has made a large investment in the latest software and technology. These automate the routine parts of the screening and vetting processes, thereby ensuring thoroughness and consistency, as well as saving time and money.VSG has appointed Nick Palmer to head up VSG Verify. Nick brings a wealth of relevant experience to his new role, his previous post having been with a major UK bank where he was responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and compliance of checks made on agency staff. Prior to that, he managed the vetting operations of candidates seeking work in the financial sector for the screening division of a nationwide employment agency."Screening and vetting of employees is becoming increasingly important" said Nick Palmer, "since businesses not only face heavy fines if, for example, they employ staff who are not entitled to work in the UK, but also because an unverified employee at any level, from an office cleaner to a board member, pose significant commercial and financial risks to an organisation.""For these reasons and also because of the growing legislative requirements for authorities such as the FSA and BSIA, many companies now offer screening and vetting services. But VSG Verify is different from the others. It draws on VSG's vast experience in the security industry and of vetting its own staff. It also uses the latest technology and, perhaps most important of all, the VSG Verify service is tailored to meet the exact needs of every client."All checks are performed according to the role of the candidate and the type of employer. These could include packages made up from ID checks, CRB c 2010-03-30 13:20:34 VSG Systems, one of Britain's fastest growing providers of security services, has broadened its product portfolio and laid the foundations for even greater future success by gaining accreditation from Honeywell as an installer of the highly regarded Pro-Watch® range of access control, CCTV and video analytics systems.The new accreditation builds on VSG's existing close relationship with Honeywell as a Select Systems Integrator, and reflects the exceptional levels of customer support, technical knowledge and systems expertise that VSG has demonstrated in this role. In spite of this previous experience, however, members of the VSG team were required to undergo extensive training and evaluation on Pro-Watch products and systems before the accreditation was finalised.Nick Reed, Managing Director of VSG, commented: "There's no doubt that Pro-Watch is one of the industry's premier integration solutions for access control, intruder, CCTV and video analytics systems, so we are delighted that we can now supply these powerful and innovative systems. We already had one of the UK's most comprehensive portfolios of security products and services, and now it's even stronger. This is a big benefit, not just for us as a company, but also for our clients, present and future."Honeywell is very selective about the companies it accredits as Pro-Watch suppliers, as it has to be sure that those suppliers can design, implement and support even the most complex of systems, such as those that involve security installations at multiple high-sensitivity sites. After training was complete, the VSG team was able to demonstrate that it could fully satisfy these requirements.For further information please telephone VSG on 01604 744014 or E: sales@vsg.co.uk 2010-02-08 16:43:40 Effective security is at least as important in a recession as it is at any other time, yet Facilities Managers are more likely to find that their budget for security has been cut rather than increased. Fortunately there are ways of getting more for less, as Leon Barwell, Commercial Director of VSG, explains.There's no doubt that in recent years facilities managers have seen a general upward trend in the cost of providing security, driven by influences such as the Working Time Directive, increases in the minimum wage and the introduction of compulsory licensing for all security staff. Now the recession is compounding the problem by making it harder than ever to secure the budget needed to meet security costs.At the same time, threat levels - both from common criminals and from terrorists - remain high, so relaxing security as a means of saving money is most definitely not a viable option. What is the solution? The answer is to adopt a holistic approach to security for a site or building, and to carry out a detailed risk assessment so that security measures can be tailored to match the real risk factors.Let's take a look at the core elements in the process of developing cost-effective security on this basis. The first step is cost benchmarking, where the present costs at the site under consideration are compared with the costs at other similar sites. This provides a good indication of the level of savings that might be possible, as well as allowing targets to be set by referring to industry-best figures.For sites where staffed security measures are in use, it is important to ensure that staff time is utilised effectively throughout the whole of the day and night. To achieve this, resource mapping - which plots the utilisation of staff hours at each location against time - is used.It is equally important, of course, to ensure that the best use is being made of electronic and physical security measur 2010-02-08 16:58:34 Following its appointment as sole provider of security services for the 20 shopping centres around the UK owned and operated by The Mall, VSG is working in partnership with its client to deliver MallSecure, an innovative approach to shopping centre security that is already setting new standards.Committed to delivering the best possible security for its shoppers and those working in its shopping centres, while also providing retailers with cost-effective services, the management team at The Mall formulated the MallSecure concept. Its central ideas were that it would lead to a uniform approach to security across all 20 Mall locations, and that it would also offer a platform for continuous improvement.In order to find the right partner for MallSecure, The Mall FM team undertook a rigorous and extensive tender process with seven potential suppliers. After careful analysis involving representative Mall Operations and General Managers the contract was finally awarded to VSG earlier this year.“VSG was already providing security services at seven of our locations, so we knew the company well,” said Alan Wiggan, National Facilities Manager for The Mall. “The main reason for our decision, however, were the enthusiasm, ideas and commitment VSG demonstrated to working in partnership with the Mall to develop and deliver MallSecure. It was clear from the outset that VSG has an in-depth understanding of the specific requirements relating to shopping centre security. We were also very impressed by VSG’s training proposals, which would provide ongoing development opportunities for everyone involved with MallSecure.” When VSG started work on MallSecure, the company took on security staff who were, at that time, working directly for The Mall, as well as those employed by other incumbent companies at various Mall locations. All security officers are undergoing training to refresh and update their knowledge, and to ensure the uniformity of app 2009-12-14 16:24:30