OWNER OF THE COMPANY / PERSONAL BACKGROUND.

Rowland A. Blake, served for 13 years in the Army, then worked for 9 years as a self employed Haulage Contractor / Owner Driver engaged in international road haulage and at the age of 40 moved into the security industry.

COMPANY ACTIVITIES historic and current.

We have been operating as Security Contractors for 27 years since 1984. Originally our operations were based at Walford Cross situated between Taunton and Bridgwater having started a security operation at the request of LANGDON INDUSTRIES Ltd to secure their Warehouse, Coldstore and Lorry Park at Walford Cross. We then expanded to provide security for all the occupants of that out of town commercial area. Continued expansion has necessitated a move to a purpose built office with control room and workshop facilities on an industrial estate in Taunton. It is from here that we provide Manned Guarding, Key Holding and Alarm Response Services for a broad range of for commercial and private clients over Somerset and East Devon. These include several large manufacturing companies, construction companies, Taunton Deane Borough Council, Primary Care and NHS trusts, Somerset County Council, Schools, Libraries, Museums and many Central Government agencies in the Taunton area. It is our intention to expand our company in the Southwest developing the core business of uniformed manned guarding and keyholding services. We do not intend to become involved in certain sectors of the industry such as street patrols, pub doors or wheel clamping.

STAFFING LEVELS

We currently employ 37 full time, 7 part time staff and have 4 people engaged on supervisory duties.

SUPERVISION

Static guards receive at least one supervisory visit per week although in some cases the frequency is on a daily basis. Regular check calls are made to our 24-hour control room to ensure the Health & Safety of solo static guards.

COMMUNICATIONS

Although we make use of mobile phones we also have our own Private Mobile Radio system licensed by the Radio Communications Agency and using our own allocated frequency. In addition solo guards carry with them on duty GPS personal tracker which locates them minute by minute within 3 meters. A similar system is fitted to all vehicles giving live/ real time location, speed etc. This information can be viewed live on any computer with broad-band connection or viewed historically and information printed off accordingly. The device has a ‘panic-attack’ facility which, when activated, allows our control room operator to obtain confirmation by listening to any disturbance or shouts for help. This system meets with the ‘Welfare of Lone Worker’ requirements of our insurers and current legislation.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CODES OF PRACTICE

We have held certification for quality assurance standard known as BS EN ISO 9001-2000 since November 1997. This is an ongoing process of quality examination that involves internal audits and independent external audits. The Private Security Industry Act of 2001 implements the Licensing of Security Guards and Keyholders by the regulatory body known as ‘The Security Industry Authority.’ To obtain ‘Approved Contractor Status’ we have in place operating and recruitment procedures in compliance with BS 7499:2002 (Static Guarding and Mobile Patrol Services), BS7858:2006 (Security Screening of personnel employed in a security environment) & BS7984:2008. (Keyholding and Response Services). These procedures meet the requirements of our Insurance Company.  It has been an criminal offence since March 2006 for anyone to supply or for you to use an unlicensed Security Guard or Keyholder

UNIFORMS & IDENTITY CARDS

Our security guards are not dressed up as Colonels in the Bolivian Air Force but are simply fitted out with a standard security uniform of blue or white shirt, tie, warm & waterproof clothing and hats as may be needed. All clothing is clearly marked with WALFORD SECURITY badges, embroidery and epaulettes as to leave no doubt who the guard is or what task they are engaged upon. Where guards need to be ‘High Profile’, involved with moving vehicles or assigned to Construction Sites the necessary BS EN 471 Class 2 Hi-Visibility Clothing and Personal Protection Equipment is issued in keeping with our Health And Safety at Work policy. Photographic I.D. Cards and S.I.A. licence badges are worn to be visible to members of the public.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

All employees are issued with a Statement of Terms of Employment pursuant to Section 26 of the Trades Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993. They are not required to work in excess of 48 hours per week, unless they wish to do so, and normally average 55. They have paid holiday entitlement at or above the current minimum entitlement and an optional Stakeholder Pension Scheme is in force. The expected higher rates of pay for working anti-social or Bank Holiday shifts are given such as double time Bank Holidays & triple time for Christmas and Boxing Day etc.

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF OPERATION

Manned Guarding contracts are undertaken anywhere in the South of England, our staff travelling or recruited locally by us to fulfil the requirements of varying contracts. An example of this is when we provide security for local construction firms working on national contracts around the country. Keyholding is restricted by the requirement for prompt attendance to the area from Minehead to Yeovil and the M5 corridor Tiverton to Weston-Super-Mare. At the outer edge of this mainly rural area 20-minute attendance is achievable in good traffic conditions and at night. Mobile Patrols are carried out in the Taunton, Wellington and Bridgwater areas. Benzing ‘Patrol Clocks’ are used to record fixed check-in points around a property, which provides us with an electronic verification of attendance to supplement the information available from vehicle and personal tracker systems.

INSURANCE COVER & REFERENCES

A Copy of an Insurance Certificate and a list of some customers that can act as referees are supplied with quotations.

LIVERIED VEHICLES

Patrolling guards use liveried vehicles, as do guards responding to a key holder call unless this is operationally impossible