ACS Fails To Improve Guarding Industry
[author:Security Oracle - NSI HQ Ltd Public time:Jun 11, 2007] |
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That’s the damning verdict of Stuart Lowden, Managing Director of Wilson James, who believes the Scheme has led to a deterioration in conditions in some areas of the industry, and fears that a small number of large companies are making the situation worse in their fight for market share.
Speaking at a seminar on the future of the security industry ‘post-licensing’ at this year’s IFSEC Exhibition, Mr Lowden told delegates that while licensing had been seen as a “force for good” and an opportunity for major change, the Approved Contractor Scheme was a “grave disappointment”.
“The Scheme falls far short of what we wanted, and part of the reason is that we all expected so much more,” said Mr Lowden. “Clearly, what it has not done is improve working conditions within the industry; conditions have actually got worse.
“The Approved Contractor Scheme could have been an opportunity to transform the industry, but actually what has happened is that it has enabled buyers to say: ‘Well, you are all approved contractors, you are all providing licensed officers, so why don’t we just buy on price?’
“It’s also now possible for an individual to fail to get a job with a security company, and then walk straight into an in-house security role. The SIA are trying to address that issue, but I do have deep concerns for our industry.
“My biggest concern is that there is no general standard which we can take to a buyer and say, this means you are going to get the best security. The hope was that the Approved Contractor Scheme would change that, but it hasn’t. Therefore, we need to create a new standard that buyers can judge against.”
Mr Lowden also warned that mounting pressures within the industry were likely to see conditions deteriorate further, as companies fight against each other for work. “The situation is actually being led by a couple of the major guarding companies, who are looking to drive down margins and increase market share. In this situation, it’s difficult to see what the future of the manned guarding industry will be. If we don’t wake up to this, I cannot see how we reach any of our aspirations of being an industry of choice, rather than one of last resort.”
Mr Lowden called on the larger companies to provide “a new form of leadership” to move the industry on, but earlier in the week SIA Chairman Baroness Ruth Henig had defended both the work of the Authority and the advances made by the Approved Contractor Scheme.
Speaking at IFSEC the day before Mr Lowden, she told delegates: “I do think it [Approved Contractor Scheme] has an important role to play in helping companies to improve, to become more competitive, and to provide quality services. It is early days yet, the scheme has only been running for a year or so, but again we all need to work together to build up the ACS, to make it as effective as we can so that it can help us to achieve our vision and our goals for the industry.”
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Source:Free Press Release
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