When British Security Industry Association chief executive David Fletcher called and asked if I would attend a Brussels meeting on European security issues, I felt it necessary to reorganise my diary for that week and find a suitable ‘window of opportunity’. I had to, as the meeting was all about the new ‘European Training Manual for Basic Guarding’.
The meeting was attended by representatives from security companies throughout Europe. There was nothing if not a melee of languages, with a 12-strong team of impressive translators ensuring that all parties could understand eachother.
Before proceeding to the main points contained in the manual, it’s necessary to have some understanding of the background to this meeting. It all began in 1993, when a group known as EPSSET (European Private Security Services Education and Training) embarked on administering a series of questionnaires under the consultancy of an expert in the field – namely Louis Spaninks of Talentis.
Louis consulted the European security industry throughout 1993-1994 to gain an overview of its market structure. He then drew up a questionnaire that was administered in seven countries: the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark and Ireland. In other words, the Confederation of European Security Services (COESS) members. This became known as The Force Project.
The Leonardo Project
In 1997, EPSSET consolidated its research in The Leonardo Project, also supported by the EC. This project had four goals:
The upshot of this project was a minimum initial training programme for all those with access to the security sector, the development of European vocational qualifications that commanded an entrance requirement and seven training modules with specific units.
EU vocational qualifications were subsequently introduced in 1999, covering: an introduction to the private security sector, technical qualifications, risk and emergency procedures, social skills, health and safety, the delivery of a quality manned guarding service and, last but not least, ethics.
The end result of all this is the aforementioned ‘European Training Manual for Basic Guarding’. How well, though, will this guide work in the UK?
Bernadette Tesch-Segol, regional secretary for Uni-Europa, commented that: “It’s important for the security industry trainers who are going to deliver and present the material to understand its methodology, structure and contents. It is this understanding that will directly affect its transference within each of the member countries.”
Tesch-Segol also made the point that those sections or areas contained in the manual that are not generic to each member must be completed at national level by all countries. Essentially, Bernadette is referring here to the legal section of the manual which, for obvious reasons, will differ throughout Europe. It remains our responsibility to add the relevant legal codes of conduct and guidelines.
Available in the UK through the BSIA, the manual covers: a background to the industry, the role of a security guard, security equipment, practical/emergency procedures, the law, fire protection and prevention, health and safety, first aid, customer care and quality, communication skills, labour relations, employment regulations and assessment and performance criteria.
The overriding feeling among all those present was that Europe should hold the highest knowledge base for security services worldwide. We can achieve this by integrating life-long learning into our staff development plans for security officers.
Focusing on training times
Following a somewhat heated discussion, most delegates estimated that the manual’s basic contents could be ‘classroom-trained’ within around 14-16 hours (although the Portuguese delegation prefers to integrate the manual’s lessons with its five-day induction programme).
Regardless of the individual company commitment to training, everyone agreed that the manual will help us achieve several outcomes – among them improved competency, career development, enhanced ’employability’, performance improvements across the board, greater pride among our security officers, improved pay rates, improved self-esteem and skills levels and an overall ramping up of professionalism.
At the end of the meeting all parties held a general discussion on issues common to all those countries present – issues pertaining to the poor public image of the private security industry and the inevitable existence of ‘rent-a-nerd’ security companies who win business on cost rather than quality.
We will now work on further development of the manual. In essence, we need to look at the various levels of management and the training demands this makes on all of us.
In the meantime, security managers wishing to make use of the manual as it stands should contact the BSIA direct on (tel) 01905 727711.
