“Groundbreaking” security research project progressed by IFPO

In essence, the project aims to provide comprehensive data on the roles and responsibilities of today’s security officers, including key insight into their ever-evolving role. The underpinning premise is that the research will create a vital body of work and a legacy that will see it assist in closing the knowledge gap that has otherwise been ignored or misunderstood across the globe.  

Commenting on the new project, Professor Gill informed Security Matters: “The pandemic has helped to highlight the crucial role played by front line security workers. This project will provide insights into their views and experiences on their competence for the job and their perceived skills gaps. This is a much-neglected area of study to date and, indeed, a hugely important one that demands to be tackled.”

Sandi Davies, executive director at the IFPO, responded: “This research is long overdue. The roles and responsibilities of security officers have changed drastically. In order for us to develop and deliver the educational programmes that reflect the needs of the security industry, this research is critical when it comes to the development of security officers both today and into the future.” 

Sponsors of the project include CriticalArc, Doyle Security Services, the Friends of Chuck, GardaWorld, Orion Entrance Control Inc and SecurAmerica. 

The project is slated to be completed and the results released by the end of September this year. For more information visit the IFPO website at www.ifpo.org 

Access to ACT App

The majority of individual members of IFPO’s UK and Ireland branch are practising front line security officers, supervisors and managers and, while IFPO as an organisation always determinedly supports them through their education and career development programmes, it’s clear that they also need up-to-date information for successfully transacting their roles.

IFPO UK and Ireland is already an associate industry sector lead for the Cross-Sector Safety and Security Communications messaging campaign that began in tandem with the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, but has now taken that role further still by dint of establishing a special arrangement with the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) App team whereby all IFPO UK and Ireland members can enjoy access to that vital platform which outlines the latest Counter-Terrorism Policing information and guidance.

They can respond to and report on suspicious activity with direct contact to Counter-Terrorism Policing, as well as develop and implement their own incident response plans (for example, those involving evacuation, invacuation and lockdown procedures) using the assured advice contained within.

Further, front line security personnel are able to access accurate and trustworthy alerts and information directly from Counter-Terrorism Policing, while also benefiting from instant messaging should a major incident occur.

UK Protect Bulletins outline the latest counter-terrorism news and campaigns to support security personnel and overall organisational resilience. Operatives can sign up for Counter-Terrorism Policing-focused training (eg ACT Corporate or the ACT e-Learning options) and also help to shape the future content of the digital information tool by submitting feedback directly via the ACT App.

In reaching this agreement with the ACT App team, IFPO is able to offer this as another member benefit. Initially, at least, this benefit is being made available for IFPO members in the UK and Ireland, but given the fact that security is very much a global issue, there are plans to roll-out this access to IFPO members on the international stage.

Corporate members

Of late, IFPO UK and Ireland has also welcomed some new corporate members to the organisation, including G4S Security Solutions (UK), the Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Barnsley Facilities Services.

Commenting on this latest development, Mike Hurst CPP (director of IFPO UK and Ireland and head of its Advisory Board) explained: “We’re delighted to welcome G4S as a corporate member of the organisation. Since establishing IFPO in the UK back in August last year, we’ve steadily increased our footprint among the profession, at least in part by becoming a member of The Security Commonwealth. Attracting corporate members of the stature of G4S is another key move in the right direction. We’re in discussions with many other organisations with a view towards IFPO playing a significant role in the sector.”

The Barnsley Hospital security team is led by certified risk manager Mike Lees CSyP FSyI FBCI and Lisa Corbridge MSyI and, in recent years, has won numerous awards for its innovative security programmes. The team is very much on the front line in terms of the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

Mike Hurst stated: “We’re honoured to have Mike, Lisa and the award-winning Barnsley team as members of IFPO UK and Ireland. IFPO is pleased to have individual security practitioners, security companies and end users as members, all of whom can access our range of member benefits and security education programmes. Indeed, we’re currently developing some new programmes specifically designed to support front line officers, supervisors and managers.” 

Mike Lees commented: “Both the Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Barnsley Facilities Services consider the development of our front line staff as being of paramount importance. Going forward, membership of IFPO UK and Ireland will be key to ensuring that our patients and staff are protected by professional teams who have the opportunity to continue progressing their skills and competences.”

Advisory Board

Recently, IFPO UK and Ireland welcomed both Lees and Lynda Moore MSyI RISC to its Advisory Board. The latter – which also includes Security Matters’ Editor Brian Sims Hon FSyI – is made up of highly experienced security professionals drawn from across the sector. The Advisory Board plays a vital role in determining the direction that IFPO UK and Ireland will be taking over the coming months and years in terms of its governance and in its overriding mission to support the education and career development of front line security officers, supervisors and managers.

Lees served with the South Yorkshire Police for 30 years prior to his appointment as a management trainer with Link Associates International. In 2007, he joined the British Transport Police as North East area contingency planning and business continuity manager working from its Leeds headquarters.  Lees’ policing experience included posts in community liaison, area communications, contingency planning and aviation. 

Lees initially joined the Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the role of security and resilience manager. He’s now head of business security. He holds an MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management from the University of Leicester and is an accredited healthcare security and counter fraud specialist.

A registered independent security consultant, Lynda Moore is an experienced security sector professional with over 40 years’ service in the industry. She spent 30 years with a regional contract security company, 20 of them as a Board director and the last decade of that spell in the role of managing director.

Currently, Moore is the owner of a security consultancy providing a range of services (including penetration testing and customer service audits of on-site security) covering the whole of the UK. Moore also runs ACS Pacesetters (an association for Security Industry Authority Approved Contractor Scheme-registered security businesses which runs its own annual Security Officer of Distinction Awards). Both the Silver Fox Audit Scheme and the ACS Pacesetters recognise and reward the good work transacted on an ongoing basis by today’s front line security officers.