Here’s our new edition of What’s New?, where we will keep you in the loop of all things CIS!
Amanda McCloskey Sales & Marketing Director
Georgina Martin
Earlier this month CIS Security Limited Talent Resourcing Officer, Darcie Alabaster (Assoc CIPD), Technical Advisor, Ross Menditta, and Marketing Assistant, Matthew Crooks, attended a career fair at Beths Grammar School.
Beths Grammar School is an oversubscribed selective school for boys aged 11-16, with approximately 700 students including a mixed sixth form, in the London Borough of Bexley. The main purpose of the evening was to educate the students and parents on the benefits of becoming an apprentice.
This was a wonderful opportunity for us to engage with both students and parents and for them to learn more about the security industry and what opportunities exist.
We look forward to attending again next year!
Earlier this month, Talent Resourcing Officer, Darcie Alabaster (Assoc CIPD), HR Onboarding Apprentice, Grace Feeney, Technical Support Apprentice, Reece Downs and Senior Technical Advisor, Erasmus Ndume attended Bexley’s Apprenticeship & Participation Event.
The event was mainly aimed at young people and their parents/carers to promote apprenticeships at all levels from Traineeships to Higher and Degree Apprenticeships, and those aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment or training and are looking for help to find a course or a job.
CIS Security Limited were one of many employers and training providers that attended; the team were able to share their own experiences being apprentices and young people in the workplace with individuals still in education who are looking for their next steps.
This was the third year of attendance at this event, we value the apprenticeship schemes we have within CIS and look forward to welcoming more young talent into the CIS family!
CIS hosted the first ‘Recruitment Assessment Day’ of 2024 for our Operational Response Team, managed by CIS HR Apprentice, Mafalda Oliveira, with support from our Operations and HR team including, CIS Operations Centre Manager, Ben Foster, Head of Intelligence & Operational Support Neil Moscrop, Operations Duty Managers, Michael Appau and atakan Kantar, Senior Controller, Shams Mazgoanwala, HR Onboarding Apprentice, Grace Feeney, and Talent Resourcing Officer, Shelby Martin.
Security Officers are the unsung heroes of professional security – they perfectly embody the truest values of security: reliability, trustworthiness, adaptability, and honesty. It was a pleasure to meet so many individuals from different backgrounds and walks of life.
This was an extremely successful day recruiting several new colleagues into the company, we look forward to welcoming them into their new career with CIS Security and we are looking forward to hosting our next recruitment assessment day.
Thank you to everyone who attended and all the individuals who came together to collaboratively make this day a success!
At CIS Security we are passionate about our Early Careers schemes, supporting Young People in finding career pathways and creating roles that make them shine!
We took great pride in celebrating Apprenticeship Week earlier this month, with a video showcasing the success of our Young People, who started as an Apprentice after leaving full-time education and successfully progressed into more senior roles after completing their Apprenticeships in their chosen careers.
We have also showcased our current Apprentices who are soon to progress and become our future stars!
Apprenticeship Week was an amazing success, highlighting the invaluable contributions of apprenticeship programs to our Colleagues. Throughout the week, we have engaged in many events, advertised opportunities, and celebrated the achievements of our Early Careers programmes!
Apprenticeship Week’s success echoed the growing recognition of apprenticeships and the outstanding and effective means of bridging the skills gap and shaping the future of our workforce here at CIS. Young people are our future and form part of our succession plans.
Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this week a thrilling success!
We are recruiting and we want you to be part of it! We offer you the chance to get £250 if you recommend someone and if they pass their 3-month probation.
Doing it is simple! Get them to view our company website and apply on-line for any positions that are suited to them, stating CIS Employee & your name in the recruitment source.
On the 16th January, Tracy Plant - Chartered Fellow (FCIPD) hosted our fourth Citizenship Forum meeting, it was a great success with many new ideas and great action points taken away!
CIS Citizenship was designed to promote a culture of engagement and stimulate an open mindset amongst our workforce. It aims at reinforcing our company’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and dignity in the workplace, whilst bringing people together with trust, respect and a sense of belonging, no matter your role.
The Citizenship Forum comprises of volunteers from across the business to have a voice in developing strategies for the better. The forum focuses on EDI, Culture, ESG, Creating Healthy Working Environments, Teamworking, Staff Engagement, Career & Development Opportunities amongst other items.
“We are proud of our Citizenship Forum and all the great outcomes that emerge from each meeting; we look forward to our next session to discuss brand-new ideas and thoughts.”
In a landmark partnership, CIS has partnered with Youth Group. This collaboration seeks to fortify CIS Security’s commitment to youth empowerment, marking its journey towards earning the esteemed ‘Youth Verified’ status.
HR Director, Tracy Plant, added,
“Our dedication to security excellence and responsible spirit aligns perfectly with the mission of Youth Group. We’re excited to commence our journey towards becoming a Youth Verified brand, further amplifying our dedication to the next generation and the broader community, providing employment opportunities, including professional apprenticeships and structured career pathways.”
We look forward to seeing this amazing collaboration continue to grow!
CIS was delighted to attend the UK OSPAs Thought Leadership Summit earlier this month, hosted by The Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs), in collaboration with the NSI - National Security Inspectorate, at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel.
The Thought Leadership Summit provides the opportunity for security providers and industry stakeholders to join together in order to question and deliberate the topical issues impacting the UK security sector.
CIS Managing Director, Neill Catton, was one of the speakers at the Thought Leadership Summit, discussing what would improve the security sector.
This popular session is an annual feature at the Summit, and we are proud that Neill was one of the Leaders invited to talk about challenges faced, the main obstacles to progress, how might these be overcome, what needs to change and how.
This was a very insightful Summit and we feel very honoured to be a part of it!
Earlier this month, CIS Security Limited attended The Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) at the Royal Lancaster London.
We are happy to announce that CIS Security was awarded the Oustanding Security Sustainability Award - ESG Strategy!
This serves as a tribute to the dedication we put into our work, and we express our gratitude for the tremendous support we receive. The outcome has filled us with joy, as it holds significant meaning to witness our team members being acknowledged for their deserving recognition.
On behalf of CIS we would like to give Jordy Mukudi, ESG Manager, kudos for being a driving force in achieving this award.
Well done to all the other finalists and winners!
CIS Behavioural Detection Specialist Trainer, Simon Riley BA (Hons) delivered ‘Hostile Perspective Training’ on one of our customers’ premises.
The Hostile Perspective Training (HPT) had participants from across the business with Clients, Building Managers, Account Managers, Supervisors, Lead Receptionists and Officers all in attendance. On the day, the team worked together on recognising signs of hostile behaviours and how hostiles work in the local environment. During the training areas covered were impacts, aims and types of organisations that use recons such as organised crime, protests, and terrorism groups.
The Building Supervisor stated: “I found Simon’s HP training to be quite challenging in terms of how to observe people’s body language as “nothing seems what it is”, It has opened my eyes to reading people and will assist me within my role. Simon gave us a brief introduction to his field of work and shared insights from his experience, which, in my opinion, goes well beyond what we can learn from books.
I found the day fascinating as the style and structure of the lesson was very comfortable and with both aspects of inside and outside this made it more engaging. Many thanks to Simon, also I would like to express my gratitude to John Salthouse for arranging a venue and getting the attendees, it was nice to have a variety of backgrounds in the same room. Most of all thank you for considering us for this training.” The Building Manager stated, “It’s good to see CIS Security Limited implementing this training for all, it shows that everyone has a part to play regarding the safety of our premises, people, and assets. I enjoyed the thrill of coming out of the classroom and being put into the thick of it.”
Another successful training session with brilliant feedback, I would like to thank all that attended and our Behavioural Detection Specialist Trainer, Simon Riley. Simon always does brilliant work in delivering this training to our teams. He plays a vital part in raising awareness of the threats we are currently facing and giving us the tools to assist us in our roles.
CIS’ wellbeing strategy commitments for 2024 are to deliver seminars on Health, Safety and Wellbeing, this forms part of our strategy pillars, on the 21st and 22nd February we hosted our first ‘Women’s Safety Seminar’ at Paternoster Square (1 Paternoster Lane). Both days saw more than 100 CIS staff, Clients, Service Partners and Policing Partners, receive the first part of the skills delivery focus, which aimed to deliver a skill-set outlay to identify potential threats better.
CIS Security Limited, Specialist Trainer and Governmental SME, Simon Riley BA (Hons), provided ‘first-hand’ expertise around current threats, core skills, unique identifiers, and mental mapping. This was all layered with the reassurance that we can all become safer, and empowered, and take control of our environments and life.
Simon Riley stated,
“It was my pleasure to be invited to deliver this significant piece of work. At the core of all my work is the desire and passion to make everyone feel and be safe. True empowerment is removing the assumption that we are not in control of our safety. I take huge pride in my work for CIS, which is only been enhanced in the last two days. We should all help keep our colleagues, friends, and family safe and make the most of every day. It was a genuine delight to be part of the team effort that brought these two days to fruition”.
Thank you to all involved in such a remarkable day, we would like to also give a special thank you to the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for providing us with a great venue to host such a valuable seminar.
On the 17th January, CIS Security Limited hosted our first Mental Health Seminar as part of the pledge from our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy group. The event was hosted at Paternoster Square Estate, with the theme of ‘Using Trauma as a Tool for Resilience’.
HR director, Tracy Plant, opened the seminar by discussing the group’s pillars, objectives and members, before handing over to our subject matter expert, CIS Company Trainer, Darcy Fletcher. Darcy is a qualified Paramedic and gave a seminar on how adversity can transform into resilience in both our personal and professional lives. This was then followed by guest speakers Mat Nice and Security Manager Dan Jacobs, who both gave detailed accounts of their personal experiences and how
trauma has led them to where they are today. Finally, we were gratefully supported by Chris Middleton from Corps Security, who discussed Security Minds Matter and his part in cofounding the new initiative ‘Running on Empty’. It was a morning of reflection and there were takeaways for both work and at home, the Mental Health Seminar forms part of CIS’ ongoing journey to support and encourage mental health. Thank you to all those who attended and participated in this event, we have already received fantastic feedback and we can’t wait to host many more!
On Monday 26th February
CIS Security Limited held a ‘First Aid Training’ session at Head Office, various departments were involved in this important and potentially lifesaving training.
This training is crucial in preventing further injury or deterioration of a person’s health condition, by enabling prompt and appropriate actions. Beyond the immediate benefits, first aid training fosters a sense of community well-being, as more individuals are equipped to contribute effectively during disasters.
CIS Key Account Director, Francois Reynders stated,
“Imagine walking into a room, filled with eager participants from various departments, and you’re told the CIS Managing Director (MD), Neill Catton will be leading your first aid training session. This was a great day spent with our teams completing our license renewal training at our CIS training academy.”
First aid training is an essential component of our commitment to creating a safe and secure workplace, ensuring the well-being of employees, and fulfilling legal and ethical responsibilities. We look forward to hosting more of this type of training in the future!
CIS Security Limited is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Secured Environments Accreditation at Regent’s Place.
The CIS management team at Regent’s Place decided to apply for this accreditation in March 2023. Secured Environments’ is a police certification scheme. It is awarded to organisations that can show that they have adopted six key principles for protecting themselves against crime.
The aim is to help organisations think about their risks and how to make the best use of measures they already have. It is the type of scheme every organisation can and should sign up to.
Following an initial meeting with the Director of Perpetuity Research, Professor Martin Gill, and the Founder of the Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs), the team commenced a thorough review of the security provision provided at one of British Land’s premier sites.
A subsequent successful audit of our security services in November, endorsed by Director/CEO Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Guy Ferguson at the awarding body, Police CPI was followed by a presentation ceremony on site earlier this month. We were delighted that Guy was able to present the award to our senior clients with representation from the Metropolitan Police and senior CIS management.
Head of Security, John Reynolds, stated:
“At Regent’s Place, we were driven to obtain the award and undertake an independent check and validation of our security operations. This was a way in which we could assess the campus’s overall performance and receive feedback. The award demonstrates that we take the security and safety of campus workers, residents, and visitors seriously. We are very proud to have achieved this prestigious award.”
Well done to John Reynolds, Alec Forrester, Francois Reynders, Nina Lengthorn and Jamie Turner for contributing to winning such an amazing award!
On Wednesday 7th February CIS Account Director, Kieron Nunney, hosted his first Quarterly Managers Meeting of 2024 at Moor House, this was a great opportunity for the team to sit down and set out their future goals and objectives for this coming year of 2024.
Many subjects were discussed, and fantastic key outcomes were reached. Company Trainer, Daniel Stanger, discussed apprenticeship opportunities for this year, explaining how this would be approached and what will be provided in the future. One of our newest members to the team Jim McAllister QPM, our Colleague Development Manager, delivered a brief on the upcoming ‘Colleague Development Programme’
going into detail of how this would be delivered from start to finish. Director of Risk and Intelligence Ray Marskell MSyl clarified our current threat level and gave an important intelligence update lastly, we had Carl Scott and Karla Loft from Project Youth, inform the team on the current state of the newly introduced bleed control boxes, this was invaluable information as we look to continue the push and increase the availability to the wider business.
This manager’s meeting was a great blend of seamless expertise and collaboration and nothing short of great.
To conclude this day was a huge success and as a result, the team learned that there were several sign-ups for the colleague development programme, apprenticeships, and bleed control bags.
As the meeting concluded, there was a collective sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, with participants leaving informed and motivated to apply the insights gained in their respective fields.
This month The Leadenhall Building and CIS were keen to support National Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action 2024, with the City of London Police, cadets and students all attending to engage with occupiers and colleagues, to answer any questions about crime-related issues.
Police Community Support Officers were also on hand in the bicycle bays to offer security tagging and crime prevention advice. The Leadenhall Building and CIS Security Limited will continue to support local policing initiatives to help maintain a safe and secure environment in the city
JLL
Security
Security
David Perry Systems Manager George Harwood Systems Manager Kuldeep Kainth Security Systems Manager
Docklands, a branch of Bank of China, encompasses 42 flats primarily occupied by residents who split their time between China and London, spending half of the year in each location.
In our recent project at Docklands, we undertook the replacement of the existing intercom system with new equipment, including new panels, handsets in each flat and a screen in the manager’s office. While this presented challenges in gaining access to the flats, our detailed project plan allowed us to streamline the process effectively.
In addition, we also installed a 4G router, this addition facilitates the intercom to be online, enabling Bank of China branch manager, to remotely log in from anywhere within the building and allow access remotely where required. Currently, we have just had approval to enhance the system by installing strike locks on another side of the block - this will provide convenient access from all external doors, further improving usability and security for the residents and staff.
For this project, our team supplied, installed, and commissioned a life safety, Refuge System. Opting for the robust Baldwin Boxall OmniCare system, we situated the main panel in the control room. The system was designed in line with BS5839-9:2021 standards. To ensure continuous operation during power failures and prevent panel overheating, backup batteries were installed in a separate enclosure. Following commissioning, full training was provided to all on-site staff members.
Following the successful completion of this project, we’ve been approached for additional services. Including providing a quotation for a disabled toilet alarm system, and maintenance packages for various security systems already deployed on site.
One London Wall, a multi-tenanted office space. Collaborating with our suppliers and fabricators, we designed a custom shutter with a pedestrian entrance controlled by access control – reader in and push to exit out. Our scope of works involved removing the non-functional existing shutter and installing the new one in its place, requiring the use of a MEWP.
PRS for Music’s head office in Hay’s Galleria, London Bridge is one of CIS’s longest standing sites and regularly receives upgrades to its security systems. The most recent of these was a ‘Swipe-In’ reader solution.
PRS for Music’s head office in Hay’s Galleria, London Bridge is one of CIS’s longest standing sites and regularly receives upgrades to its security systems. The most recent of these was a ‘Swipe-In’ reader solution.
PRS for Music needed a security system solution to assist them with tracking their office usage, particularly in identifying the numbers and identities of staff using the office versus those working from home. To facilitate this function, we installed a ‘Swipe-In/Swipe-Out’ reader adjacent to each lift, with signage informing staff to use their existing access card to badge the reader at the start and end of each day. These readers then connect to the existing Lenel database, which can then be checked to verify office attendance.
30 Floral Street’s underground car park has recently been taken over by JLL. It was previously maintained and monitored under the provider for the larger Shaftsbury portfolio, however with JLL taking over the car park, CIS Innovative Solutions we’re approached to provide these services.
The CCTV system comprises of 3 External Cameras, 8 Internal Cameras, and 4 Lift Cameras; these have been connected to the CIS Security Operations Centre to be remotely monitored, with AI Analytics programmed to flag extended presence within the lift. This allows swift assistance if somebody is trapped. Part of the upgrade requirement was to install a new CCTV NVR and monitor. The fire alarm monitoring has also been taken over by CIS, with network infrastructure added to allow connectivity to a new BoldNet device.
The handover of the system required close co-ordination between Innovative Solutions, JLL, the Fire Alarm maintenance provider, and Shaftsbury Estate. New cameras needed to be installed by the estate to cover any areas previously covered by 30 Floral Street’s cameras, and the installation and programming of the new CCTV equipment needed to take place on the same day to prevent any downtime.
The Innovative Solutions Teams were invited by Phil Thomas to the Tier One and Tier Two Leadership Forums. The topics covered at these presentations where, Systems Integrators, Service Delivery, Supply Partners, Projects, Maintenance, and Innovations.
There was lots of interest generated and tech lead conversations across both days, which has been followed up by the Innovative Solutions Team, who have been visiting the portfolios post presentation to carry out surveys and systems reviews.
Our Head of Innovative Solutions, Kuldeep Kainth article has been featured in the latest edition of the City Security magazine. CIS are very proud to have Kuldeep’s article newly featured, we would like to congratulate Kuldeep on his achievement!
Kuldeep stated;
“I am very happy to be featured within the winter issue of the City Security magazine, as my first entry it’s truly an honour that I was selected among so many.”
Please read the latest edition of the City Security magazine here: https://lnkd.in/evvmx_id
Well, done Kuldeep, we hope you are featured in many more!
Earlier this month, CIS held Defibrillator Training for the occupiers and service partners at 78 St James’s Street, This training equipped the team with crucial life-saving skills, ensuring that they were well-prepared to respond effectively in emergency situations.
Through hands-on demonstrations and insightful instructions from CIS Trainers, Darcy Fletcher and Steve Wicks, they gained a comprehensive understanding of defibrillator usage, this training was not only educational but also a testament to our commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness and care within our organisation.
CIS Account Manager, Callum Hobbs stated: “Although a defibrillator can be used without any prior training, the team at 78 St James Street wanted to give their occupiers assurances on using an automated external defibrillator. The training team said that they would be more than happy to assist with this.”
Thank you to everyone involved in making this day a success; we look forward to more training sessions in the future.
Earlier this month, an Emergency Care (FREC 3) Course was hosted by our in-house Training team at Regents Place. FREC 3 is an enhancement on first aid and is a pre-hospital care course, it is a step towards going above and beyond the traditional first aid. FREC 3 encompasses a wide range of topics, such as trauma management, cardiac care, airway management, and the administration of life-saving medications.
CIS Company Trainer, Darcy Fletcher stated,
“All training candidates worked above and beyond, they showed fantastic teamwork throughout the intensive five-day course held at Regents Place. They should all be very proud of themselves. I want to say thank you to CIS Head of Security at Regents Place, John REYNOLDS MSyl and Security Manager at Regents Place, Alec Forrester for allowing us to host the course here, and lastly to everyone who made this day a great success.”
We look forward to cohort five in March and more amazing training sessions in the future. Well done to all the participants on CIS’ fourth cohort of FREC 3 training.
We are happy to announce that
CIS Security was awarded the Oustanding Security
Award - ESG Strategy!
CIS ESG Manager, Jordy Mukudi stated:
“I’m delighted that we have won the Outstanding Security Sustainability Award. This award recognises our passion and ethos towards sustainability. We will continue to ensure that our robust ESG strategy remains at the forefront of our strategic decisions within our company, the security industry, and our collaborative initiatives with our key customers”.
We are also happy to announce that Jordy has obtained his ESG diploma from the Corporate Governance Institute. A huge well done!
Diploma in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Grade: Distinction | Issued on: February 13, 2024
Jordy Mukudi
Earlier this month, team London Bridge held a Net Zero Heroes party in order to launch the London Bridge Decarbonisation Charter.
Our ESG Manager, Jordy Mukudi, and our Director of Risk and Intelligence, Ray Marskell MSyl, attended the phenomenal event where CIS and other business signatories were celebrated for sustainable initiatives that are leading the way towards a sustainable London Bridge.
CIS will continue to work in collaboration with London Bridge City, team London Bridge and other signatories within the Decarbonisation Charter to achieve sustainability initiatives.
Well done to all involved!
On the 23rd of January, CIS Security Limited ESG Manager, Jordy Mukudi held an ESG workshop with our various security managers at Moor House. The ESG workshop was held to spread awareness surrounding ESG and discuss what initiatives can be implemented collectively to build upon our sustainability ethos. Jordy Mukudi stated:
“Sustainability is fundamentally important, and each of us can play a part in achieving a positive change by working on what’s necessary and possible to achieve what may be considered impossible. A goal without a plan is just a wish”.
We look forward to hosting more workshops and collaboratively producing new initiatives.
In October 2023 we published our annual ESG report which outlines where we are today in relation to ESG compared to previous years. We have continued to strengthen our sustainability approach, and the years to come will see our determination and clear actions of achieving our net-zero pledge.
USE THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW OUR ESG REPORT
Evi Garoufi-London
We have a variety of employee benefits ranging from Cycle2work, Early Pay, HSF health cash plan, HSF assist, employee of the month, blow your own trumpet, help me angela, birthday milestone bonus, baby box, retirement bonus, long service award, recruitment bonus, tastecards and coffee club, and wedding bonus.” Our employee benefits can be found under the hub- staff benefits folder. Alternatively, please contact our newly appointed Employee Benefits & Payroll Administrator, Abdalla Mohamood.
Abdalla.mohamood@cis-security.co.uk
“I am delighted to transition from a Security Professional to the role of Employee Benefits and Payroll Administrator. I’m thrilled to embark on this new chapter with CIS and looking forward to contributing my skills, initiatives, and energy to our collective employee benefits success.”
Abdalla Mohamood
All over the UK and the world, there have been tragic events that have affected many. We must protect our mental health and take the correct actions to ensure our wellbeing.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering please see the below organisations that can make a difference and help.
