The Security Excellence Awards 2011 Categories
ENTRY INTO ALL CATEGORIES IS FREE & THE CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES FOR THE 2011 PROGRAMME HAVE NOW CLOSED
- Security Guarding Company of the Year
- Event Security Team of the Year
- Small to Medium Security Installer of the Year
- Large Security Installer of the Year
- In-House Security Manager of the Year
- Contract Security Manager of the Year
- Security Consultant of the Year
- Security Training Initiative of the Year
- IT Initiative of the Year
- Customer Care Initiative of the Year
- ACS Champion of the Year
- Security Partnering Initiative of the Year
- Security Innovation of the Year
- Integrated Security Solution of the Year
- International Achievement Award
- Best Practice in Door Supervision
- Environmental Initiative of the Year
- Contribution to Standards in the security sector
Security Guarding Company of the Year
This award will be presented to a security guarding company that has demonstrated professionalism, consistency of service and responsibility to both customers and staff. All companies entering this category must be SIA Approved Contractors.
The judges will be looking for:
- Details of your company, including business performance, growth and areas of speciality.
- Commitment to training - how has your company integrated staff resources and technology?
- Examples of contracts under management - a minimum of two customer references that set your company apart from the competition are required.
- Staff loyalty - for example, the average level of employee turnover among full-time staff members who have completed their probationary period.
- Star quality - what sets your company apart from the competition?
- Have you met the SIA’s ongoing requirements for the ACS, and do you either hold or aspire to the Investors in People accreditation?
Event Security Team of the Year
Over the last few years, the growth in major events and functions has seen a new type of security professional emerge. Does your company specialise in providing security for rock and pop concerts or sporting events? Do you protect VIPs, senior politicians or other personalities as part of the event security remit?
The judges will be looking for:
- A description of your business and how it has developed. What sets you apart from your competitors? What makes you special?
- Some examples of challenging live events where you have provided the security. How did you complete the task? In what ways was your solution innovative and of benefit to the customer?
- At least two testimonials from satisfied clients.
Small to Medium Security Installer of the Year
Individuals working within SME, or companies employing up to 40 people.
This award will go to the individual or company that has shown the highest standard of workmanship and customer support throughout the year.
The judges will be looking for:
- Information about a range of successful installations (2-3 carried out during 2010/2011).
- Examples of where significant obstacles associated with the installation have been met and overcome.
- Customer service procedures - references from customers are essential (note that your submission will not be considered without them).
Large Security Installer of the Year
Individuals working within, or companies employing 41 or more people.
This award will go to the individual or company that has shown the highest standard of workmanship and customer support throughout the year.
The judges will be looking for:
- Information about a range of successful installations (2-3 carried out during 2010/2011).
- Examples of where significant obstacles associated with the installation have been met and overcome.
- Customer service procedures - references from customers are essential (note that your submission will not be considered without them).
In-House Security Manager of the Year
This category is for security managers who are employed directly by the company whose assets they are responsible for. The award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated continual excellence in a senior security management role and exhibited the ability to inspire and lead a team of dedicated security professionals.
The judges will be looking for:
- Individuals where security comprises at least 50% of their role.
- Effective management of technology and personnel.
- Evidence of innovation in security tasks.
- Evidence of leadership/participation in the wider security community.
- Evidence of reduction in crime and overall losses.
- Star quality – what sets this individual apart from his/her peers?
Contract Security Manager of the Year
This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in a senior security management role, with the ability to inspire and lead a team of dedicated security professionals. This category is for security managers who are employed by a private sector security solutions provider.
The judges will be looking for:
- Individuals where security comprises at least 50% of their role.
- Effective management of technology and manpower.
- Evidence of innovation in security tasks.
- Evidence of leadership/participation in the wider security community.
- Evidence of reduction in crime and overall losses.
- Star quality – what sets this individual apart from his/her peers?
Security Consultant of the Year
This award will be presented to an individual or consultancy practice who has demonstrated excellence in security consultancy.
The judges will be looking for:
- Individuals for whom security comprises at least 50% of their day-to-day consultancy activities.
- Areas of expertise in security, and an outline of the major work undertaken during the past 12 months.
- Evidence of leadership/participation in the wider security community.
- Star quality – what sets this consultant or consultancy apart from his/her peers?
Security Training Initiative of the Year
This award will be presented to an individual or organisation whose training programme promotes good working practice within the security industry.
The judges will be looking for:
- Details of the training programme, including the number of delegates trained in the past year, length of training time and training budget or spend per employee.
- Training objectives and evidence of having achieved them in addition to the introduction of good working practices as a result of training.
- Feedback on how the training programme met its objectives.
- Star quality - how is this training programme different from other training programmes, or an improvement on the programme that preceded it?
IT Initiative of the Year
This award will be presented to the individual or organisation that has made the most positive use of IT in the security sector, and is open to manufacturers, consultants, guarding companies, Installers and security managers.
The judges will be looking for:
- A clear description of how IT has been used to improve the security of the business or the service provided.
- Examples of innovative IT applications, for example new software, intranets or new communications solutions.
- Please try to quantify the benefits the IT solution has delivered. If websites or other “tangible” features exist that the judges can inspect, please provide details.
Customer Care Initiative of the Year
How has your organisation embraced customer care issues? This award will go to the individual or organisation that has made the most progress in this area. All types of security organisation are eligible to enter.
The judges will be looking for:
- Evidence of a clear strategy for improving customer care - how have you set about addressing this issue?
- What targets do you have for improving customer care and service? What are your benchmarks, and how far have you progressed towards achieving them?
- What is your current rate of repeat business or customer retention compared to a year ago?
- Is the customer care initiative being accompanied by any training of your staff? If so, please explain the training programme and its benefits.
ACS Champion of the Year
The SIA Approved Contractor Scheme aims to raise standards and promote good practice for the creation of a safer environment for the public and better opportunities for the private security industry. This award is open to all Approved Contractors and seeks to identify those that have taken exceptional steps to further the spirit of the scheme given their available resources.
The judges will be looking for:
- Active promotion of the ACS and its benefits among customers and other stakeholders
- Consistent contribution to furthering the aims of the ACS
- Evidence of the creation of a safer environment for the public
- Participation in new opportunities for the private security industry
Security Partnering Initiative of the Year
In today’s world, every successful business is involved in partnering and efficient management of suppliers and customers. This award is designed to recognise the security organisation that has done the most to demonstrate successful partnering, and is open to consultants, manufacturers, installers, security managers and guarding companies.
The judges will be looking for:
- Evidence of a clear partnering strategy.
- How do you aim to work with your suppliers and customers?
- What do you do to build an effective team?
- What processes do you have in place to streamline decision-making and reduce costs?
- What evidence is there that this is producing savings?
- Do you have systems for vetting and appointing suppliers or partners? If so, how do these work, and what benefits does the solution deliver?
- Please feel free to include a simple example of how working more closely with everyone in the supply chain is producing better results.
Security Innovation of the Year
This award will be presented to the manufacturer of a product which is deemed to be groundbreaking in design and meets a specific customer need.
The judges will be looking for:
- Products that have been launched commercially in 2010/2011.
- Products that demonstrate a significant potential for crime prevention.
- Details of the product’s innovative features and how these are unique to the product, either in itself or how it functions in the real world environment.
Integrated Security Solution of the Year
This award will go to the company or organisation that best demonstrates the integration of security guarding with electronic systems (or the successful marriage of security systems per se) to the demonstrable benefit of the client.
The judges will be looking for:
- Details of the initial challenge and a description of the successful solution that was developed.
- An explanation of the technology and/or systems employed and how these relate to the security team that was involved
- An indication of the benefits that resulted (preferably quantifiable).
International Achievement Award
This award is open to any UK company or individual that has demonstrated an outstanding achievement or improvement in international sales or exports, or has been instrumental in a significant security application or project outside of the UK.
The judges will be looking for:
- Evidence of the international sales/exports/activities. Please quantify what you have achieved in specific terms.
- An outline of a specific project/application that you or your company has worked on.
- Testimonials from partner organisations who have worked with you on international projects.
Best Practice in Door Supervision
This award will be presented to the company or individual that has continually demonstrated professionalism, consistently high levels of service and responsibility to customers, members of staff or the leisure security sector in general.
The judges will be looking for:
- Details of how the individual or company concerned has contributed to the customer service ethos.
- Examples of how the company/individual has improved levels of public and/or staff safety.
- Details of how the company/individual has demonstrated a commitment to training and education.
- Examples of contracts under management (including detailed references from two clients).
- Details of how the company/individual concerned has helped to improve security provision across the leisure sector.
Environmental Initiative of the Year
This award is open to any security company, organisation or individual demonstrating an outstanding commitment to environmental awareness in their working practices, products or security projects.
The judges will be looking for:
- Details of the environmental challenge addressed, and the steps taken to overcome this challenge.
- Details of an ongoing commitment to environmental improvement and education due to the initiative.
Contribution to Standards in the security sector
This award will be presented to the individual, team or organisation that has made a significant contribution to the implementation or enhancement of security sector Standards within their own, or a client, organisation. And/ or they must have made a significant contribution to the introduction of, promotion of, Standards within the security sector.
The judges will be looking for:
- Details of how security sector Standards have been implemented and used to improve the provision of service within their own or a client organisation.
- Evidence of a more effective and/or safer working environment through the introduction and implementation of Standards within a security environment.
- Evidence of how implementation of security sector Standards have raised the profile and professionalism of their own, or a client, organisation.
- Evidence of a dedication and commitment to Standards within the security environment.
- Details of how implementation of security sector Standards have helped achieve business objectives.
- Evidence of contribution to the introduction of new security sector Standards/ Codes of Practice and the subsequent promotion thereof.