As you know Mark Burton joined us as Commercial Director in November 2019. He brings with him a strong knowledge of the industry having been a Security Director prior to assessing the Security industry on behalf of the Security industry Authority and the British Standards Institution for 10years. Prior to his career in the Private security industry Mark spent time with the Security Services and worked in High Security prisons.
Firstly, may we take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support in 2019. Last year saw AISS continue to grow at a meteoric rate. Our hard work over the last ten years is now being recognized by buyers of security within the construction industry.
The HS2 project has seen our largest growth area. Of course, this is a sensitive project, but the professionalism of our operatives ensures we continue to excel through difficult scenarios and situations.
We will be proposing innovative service solutions to our clients in the next quarter which could see our profile rise further. We will keep you informed as and when there are further developments.
The fiscal performance of the business as muted is doing very well. However, with any significant growth comes with financial difficulties and restrictions. We are looking of growth of up to 600% since 2018 if all of our plans come to fruition. Of course, to manage this growth we need to control our cash flow and ensure we have the adequate fiscal supporting structure in place. Our people continue to be our strongest asset and salary and payments will always be our priority. You can help us to help you by doing some basic things. Such as; Requesting your holidays in good time and honouring the shifts you have requested and been allocated.
We will be re-issuing a new quality management system later this month. This will include the release of new documentation such as policies, processes, procedures and documents. James will be delivering toolbox talks to explain how the system works and how this applies to you.
We will be asking for improvements from our stakeholders in each newsletter. Newsletter will be published in February, May, August and November each year. As a management team we areaways looking for ways to improve and we welcome suggestions on how we can do this. If you do have any constructive suggestions, then please write these on stakeholder Engagement form and send it to the office. We will pick one every quarter to add to our project register for delivery.
We are due to receive our annual SIA ACS audit later this month. The assessor will be assessing a new standard with a new scoring mechanism. We are targeting a high score this year to mirror the improvements we have made in the last 12 months. The assessor will want to interview a selection of key stakeholders such as our clients, employees and end users. If you are asked any questions, then please be as open as you can better ensure we all benefit from a robust and holistic process.
The AISS training programme has been a topic for the senior management review. We have now developed a set offkey toolbox talks which will cover a large selection of topics. These will beset by the Quality Assurance Manager and delivered by both onsite and project managers.
AISS has identified a training budget for key stages in the business’s development. All operatives will shortly be receiving their annual appraisal. We ask all operatives to consider their future with AISS and the Private Security Industry. If any AISS employee wishes to be considered for promotion and additional business-related external training and qualifications, then please bring this up with your line manager.
The new process has been developed to help the company to obtain direct feedback from all people affected by the business. All employees should hand stakeholder engagement forms under confidential access to their line manager. For example; Security Officer and supervisors shall raise these to Site managers, Site managers shall raise these to Area managers, Area managers shall raise these to the Operations Manager and Senior managers shall raise these to a Director.
If any issue is directly related to an individual’s line manager, then this may be directly handled by the next tier of management. All line managers should try to address each stakeholder issue directly with the person raising prior to escalating this through the management chain. If the issue can be addressed at the first instance, then this is always the best line of action.
All line managers shall evaluate the severity of issues in order to avoid the wasting of time. If issues cannot be validated and justified the line manager shall write their response in the comments and return this to the individual. The form shall then be sent to the office via the admin email address for filing.
If the issue cannot be resolved at the first port of call this shall be escalated to the next level of management. Once the issue has been closed the closing manager shall add comments and return this to the individual copying in admin for filing.
It pays to be aware of good mental health practice in the workplace. It has been proven that employers or engagers who improve their management of mental health at work can cut staffing costs by about a third, according to figures published by the Government.
On the other hand, the cost to British business of not looking after employees’ mental health is about £26 billion, or just over £1,000 per person per year. On average, one in six UK workers has a mental health problem at any one time.
To make sure they have a mentally healthy workplace, employers can develop a strategy which will benefit all staff by tackling the causes of work-related mental ill health and supporting employees with mental health difficulties. If you are feeling low or suspect someone you work with is suffering it may be worthwhile seeking help. See the below link for more details;
http://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/
AISS also has employed the services of an occupational health company (KML). If you are in need of help, we may refer you to our practitioners for review and advice. Find them at www.kmloh.com
As you may know we are developing a relationship with the Armed Forces Covenant. This assists service men and women with their transition back into civilian life. The initiative will start in March 2020 and we have added this to our quality objectives and recruitment targets.
However, in conformance with our corporate social responsibility policy we will continue to recruit locally. Do you know anyone with an SIA license who may compliment AISS and our clients? We are always looking to recruit quality security professionals, if you have any recommendations, then please can you speak to your line manager who will pass this to the SMT? Alternatively, please encourage potential recruits to send their CV to admin@axis-international.com
You are reminded you MUST:
Tell us and the SIA as soon as practicable of any change to your right to remain or work in the UK.
Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a workplace pension scheme and contribute towards it. This is called 'automatic enrolment'. We as employers have certain legal duties.
Every three years we need to repeat the steps that we took when you were recruited. Certain staff will need to be put back into our pension scheme, and we will need to re-declare to HMRC what we have done. We will write to you to explain what you need to do and when you need to do it by.
We encourage you to plan for your retirement. You can find out far more online than before on this subject. However, if you wish to discuss a pension then please send a request to the accounts department through your line manager. Alternatively you can get independent advice at https://www.gov.uk/pensions-advisory-service
The management team have voted, and the results are in. We have three officers of the month to award in this newsletter and all will receive £100 for their outstanding achievements.
For the month of November, the award goes to Martin Sarkizyan for all his hard work at Earls Court. Martinis always polite and helpful. Congratulations Martin!
For the month of December, the award goes to Krishna Gaha in the West Midlands. His managers said he is passionate about the role and is a credit to the Company. Congratulations Krishna!
For the month of January, the award goes to Gautam Rai. The business has been very busy recruiting to keep up with new business opportunities. Gautam has really helped with these processes. Thank you Gautam and congratulations!
A bit of background. Our management team conducted a lot of research and found numerous logos like ours in the marketplace. There are also other security companies in the UK called Axis.
We decided we wanted to separate ourselves from our competitors with a new look whilst maintaining our trading name. For a while now we have referred to ourselves in documentation as AISS. This shortens the long name “Axis International Security Services Limited” quite nicely.
The more we wrote it, the more we said it we knew it was the right way to go.
The design was very much in keeping with the original name. We played on the “International” with the use of the Globe. Then we played on the word “Axis” with the axis spinning around the globe with an arrow.
You will see we have various colourways and you will see them in different areas of the business in the months to come. However, we remain AXIS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED and this is still prominent on our logo.
AISS is a forward-thinking business in a fast-moving area of the industry. We have developed massively in a relatively short space of time. Our reputation now proceeds us, and our external stakeholders expect the best.
As responsible employers we are developing our internal policies and approach to business. This has the future of the business, our employees and interested parties in mind. New policies will be released in February 2020. You will receive these on TrackForce and Toolbox talks. We are looking forward to setting a benchmark in the industry with everything we do. Please help us to do that with your continued support.
AISS is seen as a premium security supplier by its clients and external stakeholders. We also consider ourselves as one of the best companies in the industry at what we do. We hope you will agree that the standard of our people (Our Security Officers, Our Security Guards or our Security Operatives) are the main reason we are where we are.
We at AISS we now wish to remove the title of Security Guard from all of our business ethos.
So, from the beginning of March2020 we will be removing all references to the Security Guard title and we will be standardising these with the following:
· Security Officer (SO)
· Team leader (TL)
· Site Manager (SM)
· Security Project Manager (SPM)
· Area Security Manager (ASM)
· Operations Manager (OM)
We will shortly be issuing a revised code of conduct. Over the last year we have learnt valuable lessons as we moved from a self-employed business model to PAYE. As employers rather than an agency we have an increased responsibility to our internal and external stakeholders.
Personal conduct has varied levels of acceptability dependant on your audience. For example, two people who are comfortable with each other may talk in a manner in both tone and subject matter which they deem acceptable. However, as employees and security professionals we need to consider others who may not share the same views or be as comfortable in certain circumstances.
The second or third person may take offence to something that you are casually talking about. They may misunderstand your approach or meaning. They may not approve of your delivery or language choices. A third person who was not directly involved in a conversation or who you think is out of ear shot may become offended without your knowledge.
AISS need to set a standard. We are professionals working in often sensitive environments. An updated policy will follow shortly. In the interim period please think of others and think Professional. All personnel within our business are professionals within your field. Let’s change industry perception. It starts with a name or a job title, but soon becomes a way of thinking. Think Officer, as you are our security professionals.
An estimated 141.4 million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in the UK in 2018, the equivalent to 4.4 days per worker. The four most common reasons for sickness absence in 2018 were minor illnesses (including coughs and colds), musculoskeletal problems (including back pain and neck and upper limb problems), “other” conditions (including accidents, poisonings and diabetes), and mental health conditions (including stress, depression and anxiety).
AISS is a responsible employer and we recognise our responsibility to protect the welfare of our employees. You will have read earlier in this Newsletter how we are helping employees who are dealing with stress inside and outside of the workplace. We have employed the services of external HR consultants to help us to arrive at the correct HR related decisions when faced with an issue or query. We also employ external wellbeing consultants to help us assess the state of mind and physical condition of employees when on long term sickness.
Over the last few months the business has suffered with a high proportion of sickness. It seems that the move from self employment to PAYE has not been an easy one for some individuals. As you can appreciate the transition has not been easy for the business too. AISS has significantly increased overheads which needs to be managed.
So, as a management team we have decided to implement the “Bradford Factor” This is an HR tool which measures employee absenteeism. The theory of the formula is that short, frequent, and unplanned absences are more disruptive than longer absences.
We aim to show employee’s their ongoing Bradford Factor Score on an ongoing basis at quarterly management site visits. The Bradford Factor is appropriate to our business. However, AISS employs the services of professional external HR consultants for expert guidance. We ALWAYS seek professional advice on each individual case from our experienced, qualified HR Consultant or a legal specialist.
The Bradford Factor is calculated as follows:
B = S² × D
Where:
· B is the Bradford Factor
· S is the total number of spells (instances) of absence of an individual over a set period
· D is the total number of days of absence of that individual over the same set period
The 'set period' is typically set as a rolling 52-week period.
For example:
· (a) One absence of 10 days = 1 x 1 x 10 = 10 points
· (b) 3 absences of 1 day, 3 days and 6days – 3 x 3 x 10 = 90 points
· (c) 5 absences of two days each – 5 x 5 x10 = 250 points
· (d) Ten absences of one day each – 10 x 10 x 10 =1,000 points
The trigger points for the new formula is:
51 points – verbal warning.
201 points – written warning
401 points – final warning
601 points – dismissal
Please talk to us if you are feeling low or have any health issues which we should be made aware of. We are here to support our employees with genuine illness and issues. The purpose of the new process is to help control the few who spoil things for the majority. Let’s work together to maintain a culture of trust and support.
Members of the public should always remain alert to the danger of terrorism and report any suspicious activity to the police on 999 or the anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321. If your information does not relate to an imminent threat, you can also contact MI5.
What the threat levels mean:
Threat levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack.
CURRENT NATIONAL THREAT LEVELS
The threat to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) from terrorism is SUBSTANTIAL.
The threat to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism is SEVERE.
Terrorism is a major threat for businesses. Terrorist groups may seek to cause harm to the economy as a whole by attacking business premises or they may seek to attack specific businesses to advance their political agendas. The threat is not confined to the UK; companies that do business overseas may also be targeted.
Businesses can reduce the risk to themselves, their employees and customers by remaining vigilant, being security minded and having good security measures in place. A small investment in security measures helps to protect businesses against crime and make the work of terrorists more difficult.
Advice on business security measures can be obtained from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), a specialist police organisation that works closely with the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).Dedicated Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) are located in each of the UK's regional police forces. They provide protective and counter terrorism security advice to support businesses and reduce their sites' vulnerability to terrorist threats. The advice they provide takes into account both conventional and non-conventional terrorist techniques. The CTSAs work closely with other police forces throughout the country, Government departments and other agencies.
Contact details for your nearest CTSA are available via www.gov.uk
The terrorist threat is serious and ongoing. Members of the public can help to prevent terrorism by being alert to possible suspicious activities.
Terrorists have to live somewhere, and they need to plan and prepare for attacks. They buy and store materials, fund their activities, move around, prepare equipment and weapons and possibly undergo training. They may have people helping them - and these people might come and go at strange times of the day and night. They may make unusual financial transactions or use false documents to hide their real identities. They may be behaving differently from how you've known them to behave in the past. Members of the public may spot such activities, and if reported in time, a planned terrorist attack may be stopped before it happens.
If you are aware of something suspicious, trust your instincts and report it to the police. What might seem insignificant on its own could actually provide a vital link in a wider investigation.
Terrorists often use the Internet to promote extremism and terrorism. The Terrorism Acts 2000 and 2006 made it illegal to have or share information that could be useful to terrorists, share information that urges people to commit or help with acts of terrorism, or glorify or praise terrorism. If you come across extremist or terrorist content you find online, you may wish to report it (see Report Online Terrorist Material).
