University of Sunderland receives second Secured Environments award

Originally a technical college established in 1901, with university status gained in 1992, the University of Sunderland is ranked as a Top 50 university in The Guardian’s University Guide 2024. There are two main campuses in the city of Sunderland, one of which hosts the National Glass Centre, itself a well-known cultural venue.

To achieve the Secured Environments award, the University of Sunderland underwent a thorough audit of its security processes and procedures, as well as consultation involving members of staff to verify that they’ve been following six key principles deigned to maximise the security of themselves, students and visitors alike.

The six key principles of the Secured Environments accreditation are:

*a commitment by an organisation and its leadership to create a secure environment

*an understanding of the security risks that it faces

*the development of an effective response to reduce the risks posed to the organisation

*a management plan designed to achieve its aims and objectives

*effective implementation of security and crime prevention measures

*monitoring and evaluation of the security and crime prevention measures

The University of Sunderland is actively taking steps to address and mitigate gender-based violence and sexual violence in response to increasing reports of offences affecting higher education students nationally. Further, the University of Sunderland continually works in close partnership with a number of external organisations to address and respond to local issues.

High standards

Andy Mulligan, security manager at the University of Sunderland, affirmed: “I’m delighted that the University of Sunderland has again been accredited by Secured Environments. Having initially achieved this award following an extensive restructure, it’s testament to the dedication of those involved that we continue to deliver a high standard of security for the university community. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to everyone involved in making this achievement a reality. Together, we continue to prioritise safety and security at the University of Sunderland.”

Superintendent Rob Bosson noted: “We are delighted to have presented the University of Sunderland with this well-deserved award for a second time and would like to congratulate everyone involved. We’re proud of the fantastic relationship that we have with the University of Sunderland, working together to detect and prevent crime, and we now look forward to building on this excellent collaboration in order to continue to keep students and members of the general public safe in our community.”

Guy Ferguson, CEO at Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, explained: “Many congratulations to the University of Sunderland for recognising and rising to this challenge and for meeting the high standards required to achieve the Secured Environments award. Secured Environments provides a framework for managing security, duly ensuring that it’s effective and also that members of staff at all levels are involved. The prioritisation of good security is crucial and is valued by employees, students and, indeed, their parents.”

Secured Environments

Secured Environments is a police certification scheme. It was established in 2007 and provides a framework for managing and meeting the challenges faced. Further, Secured Environments enables organisations to refine their approach and demonstrate that it’s effective. The aim is to help organisations think about the risks they face and how to make the best use of measures already in place.

Secured Environments was developed through the partnership of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives and Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International, the latter being a specialist in crime, risk and security management.

Secured Environments locations include landmark buildings, Shopping Centres, universities, halls of residence, land estates and business premises.

*Further information is available online at www.securedenvironments.com