No matter how much we develop our infrastructure and hone our customer service, a security company is only as good as its security guards. That’s why we spend over half a million pounds a year providing training for our security guards above and beyond the mandatory qualifications in basic guarding and basic first aid from City and Guilds or other SIA endorsed organisations.
Every security guard in the country needs a security license from the SIA but beyond that it’s up to the person hiring them to ensure that they are properly qualified for the job. If you have additional requirements, ask to see certificates from the company providing the guards to ensure they’re living up to their promises. Of course, at Magenta, we keep all certificates on file so that you can verify the service that you’ll be receiving.
Remember that all company-side accreditation is voluntary, so there’s rogue companies out there who bend or outright break the rules to make a quick profit at the expense of the guards and the clients.
A common example of additional training is, if our guards are protecting public spaces such as parks of government buildings, we make sure they received NVQ level three in customer service, including how to deal with members of the public and defuse difficult situations. Security officers are frontline staff, so its essential they positively represent our clients if they’re in a public facing position.
We also provide additional safeguarding training for security guards that work with or around children or vulnerable adults.
Many public facing businesses will want further training so that our guards have a complete understanding of the space they’re protecting, its unique risks and how to behave “on brand” with the client. For example, our guards who work with a prestigious ballet venue needed enhanced background checks and additional on and off site training that took weeks before they were ready for the job.
We treat every customer as an individual. We discuss their unique needs and look at how we can give them an enhanced level of service and what level of training would be required for that. If we don’t have officers on hand immediately with the qualifications, we’ll train up officers so that they can meet or exceed the requirements.
Our guards are happy to put in the extra effort because they know with Magenta they have a career, not just a stop-gap job. We’re happy to invest in them too, because I can confidently say we have the most skilled and confident guards that money can buy. This is unfortunately rare in an industry still plagued with exploitative business practices caused by the lack of company-side licensing.
Much of the training we provide for our guards is recognised by the CIPD as forms of personal development with points that can go towards them receiving a better qualification. There is no ceiling to how high our guards can progress, with many receiving funding, time off and other support to help them pursue degrees and reach new heights in their careers.
The more we look after our guards, the more they can look after you.
