Advance Presses the Need for Industry Commitment to Accreditation

Managing Director of Advance Security, Richard Bailey, is calling for the security industry to commit to health and safety and quality accreditation in order to comply with the corporate community’s increasingly stringent standards.

Having recently achieved ISO: 14001 for its approach to environmental issues, OHSAS: 18001 for its commitment to health and safety, and having implemented rigorous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and diversity policies across the company, Advance, Richard Bailey says, is helping to set standards in quality and employee welfare, but stresses that accreditation isn’t a stepping stone to complacency.

“With so many customers now requiring these quality and environmental policies as standard, it is vitally important for the security industry to take these issues seriously and commit to achieving the relevant qualifications and accreditations. Many of the leading security organisations are taking the necessary steps, but there is still a long way to go for the industry as a whole to catch up with the rest of the corporate community. To ensure our long term success it is vital to align ourselves with the standards and values of the industries we serve and then commit to driving them through on an ongoing basis.”

Just last year, Advance was short listed in the Orange National Business Awards for its commitment to CSR, and Bailey is renewing calls for the security industry to learn from each other and the sectors in which it operates to improve environmental standards across the board. Bailey argues “Green business is good business, and at Advance we have created a sustainable environmental policy at the heart of our operations.  However it is important to recognise that a commitment to CSR goes further than lowering carbon emissions and recycling waste. Staff welfare and motivation also play an important part and it is essential that people feel that they ‘belong’ to a company, rather than simply being a cog in a corporate machine.”

As such Advance has introduced a variety of staff initiatives and has been working alongside the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) to achieve the highest level of accreditation for its operational management team within the industry, whilst also developing bespoke qualifications alongside organisations such as Edexcel across market sectors in order to provide clear career paths for employees.

With further plans in the pipeline, including securing BS: 25999 (business continuity) and Investors in People status within the next 12 months, Bailey is committed towards achieving quality assured processes and standard across Advance’s entire operations.  He concludes “If we, as an industry as a whole, wish to present ourselves to both our customers and the general public as a truly progressive and professional sector of the UK economy, then a cohesive, on-going and transparent commitment to achieving such accreditations is vital.”