NSI targets higher guarding standards via Contract Quality Marque

04 Nov 09

The National Security Inspectorate is leading the charge on raising service provision in guarding by dint of its Contract Quality Marque. Brian Sims reports from the official launch at The RAF Club on London’s Piccadilly.

By Brian Sims

“Today represents an important step forward for the industry – a tangible movement towards raising the quality of both security contracts and, importantly, the Terms and Conditions of the security officer.”

A strong opening gambit courtesy of Sir Francis Richards, chairman of the National Security Inspectorate (NSI), who was first to the podium in launching his organisation’s all-new Contract Quality Marque (CQM) at 1.00 pm sharp yesterday afternoon.

This bold scheme is deliberately designed to show that individual contracts for security guarding have indeed achieved a far higher standard than those currently recognised in the industry as the benchmark.

According to the NSI’s highly respected chairman, the CQM is “the result of demand from the industry and its customers”.

In essence, the organisation is talking about a bottom-up approach to raising standards right across the board. “I’m sure many of you must have had a bellyful of top down regulation by now,” continued Richards.

The NSI’s approach is more akin to that championed in days of yore by the British Security Industry Association’s original Towards The Future document and the excellent Contract of Substance initiative kick-started by The Security Watchdog (and fully supported by Security Management Today) back in 2002.

This new scheme – the launch event for which was sponsored jointly by G4S and Wilson James – represents an entirely different approach for the NSI in that it’s not exclusive to NSI-approved guarding companies. It’s open to all (although of course the Inspectorate would encourage any company that’s not approved to consider “the merits and savings” to be had from joining the CQM scheme and then subsequently becoming NSI approved).

How does the scheme work?

Taking over the presentation reins, Dai Prichard (chairman of the NSI’s Manned Security Services Committee, and leader of the Working Group that developed the Marque) told us more of the nitty gritty of this scheme and how it will work in the real world.

“The key difference with what we’re proposing here is that the scheme is all about the contract, not the company.” A key difference in outlook when compared with the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), then. “It certificates the partnership between customer and service provider, and at the same time recruits the enthusiasm and partnership of that essential third player – the employee.”

The CQM is awarded for individual customer contracts with the full agreement of both the customer and the security guarding company. It’s designed to be valid for the duration of the contract concerned (subject to both the contracted security company and the contract conditions continuing to meet the qualifying criteria).

“The CQM is entirely voluntary,” stressed Prichard. “There’s no hint of compulsion for membership of anything [although there is a necessity for meeting some company-specific criteria, more of which anon]. It’s an aspirational scheme. We see it as a gentle, thin end of a wedge.”

Following the initial assessment of a contract by qualified and rigorous NSI inspectors, annual inspections will then be conducted to make absolutely sure that both the security company and contract conditions continue to meet the CQM’s criteria, and at all times.

In addition, unannounced site visits – a task to be undertaken by The Security Watchdog on a subcontracted basis – will provide reassurances that security officers are competent and completing the tasks they’re contracted to deliver.

What are the qualifying criteria?

Specific, enhanced customer contract criteria must be evidenced in order to qualify for the CQM.

For starters, working conditions (agreed with the customer in advance) must include a standard ‘on duty’ week for officers that doesn’t exceed the 48-hour mark. Shifts must not normally pass the 12-hour limitation, there must be a lunch break of 30 minutes built in and two additional 15-minute breaks.

All security officers must be fully-trained to meet the requirements of the contract, encompassing the standard induction, on-site training and paid developmental training (in the first and subsequent years) of 32 and 16 hours respectively. In tandem, there is mention of “personal development plans for security officers”. An excellent objective in its own right.

The security guarding company must also agree with the customer the frequency of check calls, supervisory and management visits to the site. Those checks must include appraisals of the officer’s alertness/awareness, appearance, the condition of the officer’s working location and other welfare issues.

Crucially, there must also be employer pension contributions on completion of any probationary period, prescribed minimum sick pay, death-in-service insurance, payment for injury on duty, an employee assistance programme and some form of legal representation.

Security guarding companies: meeting specific criteria

As stated, guarding companies wishing to achieve the CQM for their customers’ contract(s) must already meet certain criteria.

For example, they must be operating to an ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System model, and one that’s independently assessed and registered with a UKAS-accredited certification body.

They must also maintain their status on the ACS register for the relevant sectors and throughout the duration of the contract(s). Of course, there has to be ongoing compliance with the relevant British Standards. Many companies (646 in the case of the ACS) already meet these stipulations and could readily place their hat in the ring for CQM scheme inclusion.

“The CQM provides a contract of quality that can be measured,” continued Prichard, “and tested on the ground. It also accounts for process back in the office, which is sometimes a criticism levelled at ISO 9001. It’s a contract that will offer a credible justification as to why the buyers of security services should not base their decision solely on price.”

In no-nonsense language, Prichard went on to state: “By adopting a CQM-style contract, the buyer will know they’re going to be privy to a better workforce. They’ll know that the unscheduled inspections are going to occur. They’ll also know that the performance measurement of the contract will be independently audited.”

Tender document template

For Prichard, the CQM represents an extremely useful tender document template to be used by the client. “It’s an ‘I want one of those too’ type situation. Then there will be a genuinely level playing field because contractors will not be able to undercut any of the provisions stipulated and still be awarded CQM status.”

It’s absolutely fair to say that some buyers will never be prised away from the ‘lowest price wins the job’ scenario, wherein security is a grudge purchase, the National Minimum Wage is paid to officers and there are poor Terms and Conditions for the rank-and-file.

That trend has certainly continued during the recession, driven to a large extent by the move towards buying powers being placed in the hands of procurement specialists who know little or nothing about the discipline of security.

“The CQM does allow for the gradual transition of a guarding solutions provider,” added Prichard. “They’ll start off with that ‘thin end of a wedge’ I mentioned, gaining one or two contracts under the CQM, but then they can look to gradually increase their number of contracts of quality. This is all about enabling the industry to show the discerning customer why it costs more to deliver something of value.”

Prichard’s fellow Working Group members who helped devise the contract were Stuart Lowden (the head of Wilson James’s security operation), Valerie Dale (Human Resources director at G4S), Jude Brimble of the GMB Union, Skills for Security’s Bob Doyle, Mick Lee (Constant Security Services), Terry O’Neil of The Security Watchdog, Gary Ash (from Cardinal Health), Derek Smith (representing the BSIA), Nick Johnson (of Ian Johnson Associates) and the NSI’s project manager, Ian Sanderson.

Financial probity checks on contractors

As you would expect, the NSI’s excellent chief executive Andrew White had something to say about the CQM, both in open forum and then in a more private setting during the buffet luncheon.

White talked of financial probity checks being carried out on contractors applying to work with the CQM. The CQM may be withheld or withdrawn from any company if the NSI has reason to believe that the operation concerned does not have sufficient financial stability to be able to trade, the financial affairs of the company are not being (or have not been) carried on in a responsible and prudent manner or the company is not trading lawfully.

“There are three stages to attaining the CQM,” said White. “First, we verify that all of the company criteria have been met. Then we inspect on site. If all is in order, the CQM will be awarded. Last but not least, for any company to continue holding the CQM it must be subjected to ongoing inspections. This is an NSI scheme, but we’re subcontracting this last part of the process to The Security Watchdog.”

White talked of bringing together the “inherent skill” of the NSI’s inspectors with the “recognised value” of The Security Watchdog’s visits, the latter championing these over the years through The Silver Fox Audit and numerous other schemes.

Watchdog leader Terry O’Neil said that he’s “delighted to be taking part” in this new initiative. “We have long advocated better working conditions for security officers because, put simply, we’ve seen some outstanding work from them. We simply must encourage end users to buy into the CQM.”

The CQM fee schedule to March 2010

The application fee for each CQM award is £92. Company audits (for the first CQM contract only) taking in the initial certification audit (including scoping, planning, desk-top review, etc) and an on-site implementation audit to relevant British Standards costs £1,000. Additional days are charged at £752 (per man day) where the initial certification audit extends beyond one day.

Auditing of the contract for CQM purposes usually lasts one day and is conducted at the applicant’s head office. This procedure will include up to two announced site visits to local premises. Audit cost is £752, with unannounced site visits charged at £150 per site inspected.

Where more than two announced site visits are required, either due to the size of the contract (for example, a medium-to-large contract involving more than eight sites) or where the contract has changed, the cost of each additional visit will again be £752 per man day.

For more details on the Contract Quality Marque and to view the full criteria, log on to the NSI’s official website at www.nsi.org.uk/cqm (a dedicated link is provided on the right hand panel of this page) or telephone 0845 006 3003

Readers' comments

John Sullivan 04 Nov 09
For decades, BP’s Group Security Department has been writing specifications for guarding contracts, in turn selecting high quality contractors and putting quality of service first.

We firmly believe in treating people decently, whether they’re our own employees or the contractors who work for us.

We know that if people are well treated, thoughtfully managed, properly trained and invested in, and given decent Terms and Conditions of employment, they’ll duly respond by giving of their best.

That means BP receives the degree of protection for which it is paying. Value for money is in the equation. In other words, what we get for each pound we spend is very much more important than absolute cheapness (which may save a penny or two on the price but buys only a small fraction of the protection).

The NSI’s new Contract Quality Marque is a definition of Best Practice in security guarding. It defines the security officer’s working week as being 48 hours long. They must have meaningful training throughout their careers. They qualify for proper sick pay if they fall ill or are injured when on duty. They must be visited on a regular basis by their managers, and expect a programme of independently-audited, unannounced visits at all hours.

They must also be offered pensions, with contributions from their employers, and be regularly reminded and encouraged to take up this option. In short, the officers must be treated with decency and properly managed so that they can provide high quality security.

BP welcomes the publication of the NSI’s new Marque. I will certainly be asking our security contractor to apply for certification because I want it to be clear to everyone that our security operations are carried out to the highest possible standards.

At last, a standard has been created that reflects what we at BP have been doing for so long.

I hope many other clients and their guarding contractors will now aspire to show that they reach this standard, and that the existence of the Marque will lead to higher professional standards across the board.

Well done the National Security Inspectorate.

John Sullivan, Head of Group Security, BP

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