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To bring Nationwide Building Society’s (NBS) security provision in-house, we were engaged by the client as a service partner during the transition. Enabling NBS to have greater control over their security provision, we have been delivering tailored, high-quality security services for them since February 2018.

Scope of works

To support NBS to fulfil their duty of care to employees and provide them with security when working in remote locations, we deliver trained frontline security and non-frontline driver services on this contract. To achieve this, we carry out the following:

• Covering planned and unplanned absence on the portfolio by providing frontline security
• Recruiting, training and deploying a team of named Officers for core duties, including general security and reception/concierge services at the Head Office and other office sites nationwide
• Recruiting Officers as a resourcing activity to transfer to direct deployment with NBS at a later date
• Providing a surge capacity team as reserve to support short notice activities and unexpected increases in demand
• Providing executive security for events such as the NBS Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Overcoming key challenges

Managing continuity during the transition

To ensure there was no lapse in coverage as NBS moved away from using an external provider for security services, we engaged in collaborative working with both NBS and former personnel during contract mobilisation. Maintaining continuity of service, this enabled us to facilitate efficient knowledge transfer to SGS Security Officers and deploy cover at short notice.

Additionally, we worked with NBS and the previous security provider to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and develop contingency plans to mitigate these. For example, to prevent risks such as failure to cover shifts due to unexpected absences or delays in officer training, we implemented the following:

• Undertaking regular resource and contingency planning, overseen by the Contract Management Team (CMT)
• Recruiting at 125% level for the contract, in line with our standard strategy for resourcing
• Maintaining additional Officers on standby who are trained and familiar with NBS’s requirements for each site
• Drawing resource from other nearby contracts

Coordinating large-scale security deployment

As the operational footprint of NBS spans multiple locations, it was critical to efficiently coordinate Officer deployment on a large scale. This includes NBS’s headquarters in Swindon, as well as administration centres in Bournemouth, Northampton and Dunfermline. To successfully coordinate Security Officer deployment across this wide geography, we implemented robust scheduling systems and effective communication.

To facilitate this, our dedicated National Operations Centre (NOC) based in Manchester provides 24/7/365 monitoring and supervision of Officers. To fulfil all resource requirements and Officer rotas, our staff at the NOC use our MiSentinel Workforce Management platform to efficiently manage scheduling and deployment on a large scale. Evidencing the effectiveness of our MiSentinel platform, this system was specifically designed for the Security sector and supports the following:

• GPS tracking for all Officers, allowing us to pinpoint and monitor the exact geographical location of staff on site
• Check-in calls to ensure Officer safety and confirm attendance
• Checkpoint monitoring through QR codes scanned using the MiSentinel App, to ensure all site areas are secure and being checked

Delivering success

As a result of our strategies to deliver a tailored security service, we have successfully proven the reliability and effectiveness of our partnership with NBS on this contract. Through open communication with the client and collaborative working, we have established ourselves as not only a supplier, but a strategic partner in NBS’s broader operational framework.

For example, offering excellent value for money, we have kept the deployment of our Officers for contracted hours down to 6%. Ensuring a flexible service delivery, this enables us to quickly respond to dynamic operational needs. We achieve this by leveraging our 125% capacity reserve teams and intelligent rota planning through MiSentinel.

Demonstrating the bespoke service we provide to NBS, we were also commended for the handling of security at the client’s AGM in Swindon in 2024. Our Officers’ performance received direct praise from the NBS Board of Directors, who requested our services again for the following year’s AGM.

“They are people who understand the issues we have, I like their approach to problems, they work through them and there is no need to escalate any problems. We have good lines of communication with the officers.” – Dave Ball, Security Consultant at NBS