The monitoring and response landscape is forever evolving to become more effective, more efficient, and to stay ahead of threats – because they never stop evolving.
As Head of Monitoring Operations for G4S in the UK and Ireland, I have seen these threats develop and unfortunately start to target individuals on a more regular basis.
For G4S providing the highest level of security to all our customers is of absolute paramount but when it comes to the security of those who require added protection due to either being a lone worker or just someone who requires personal protection, then this is where we really come into our own.
For staff temporarily left alone locking and inspecting premises, traveling to different appointments or transporting valuable assets, maintaining security is critical. Furthermore, other staff may operate more permanently on a solitary basis but the nature of their work may leave them exposed to risk.
Employees who may be exposed to potentially aggressive or violent individuals require immediate support to protect their wellbeing, and with the recent pandemic, the number of Lone workers increased exponentially at G4S we were there to help ensure all our customers got the support and security they required.
Having a specialist and dedicated team who work solely on looking after this particular group of customers is essential to ensure continuity, efficiency, and reliability of the service and products we provide. The members of this team have up to 20 years of dedicated service within G4S, working within the Lone Worker environment. Within this time they have grown to understand the markets, the changes in technology, and the challenges our customers and vulnerable clients face. At G4S we appreciate that it is not just providing someone with a piece of technology, we are ensuring peace of mind for each human’s individual needs and taking the time to understand the situations that they could find themselves in. G4S treats these individuals with respect and dignity like we would expect someone to treat us and our much-loved family members.
This was most apparent during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic whenever there was so much uncertainty, businesses still needed to function and they had a duty of care to protect the safety and wellbeing of their employees. It was then, more than ever, that the G4S team really demonstrated their commitment and ability in providing that dedicated Lone Worker service.
Unfortunately after the tragic, and senseless murder of Ashling Murphy, we received a number of calls from concerned customers who asked if they could use their personal protection solution out of hours. G4S understood what we needed to do to help support these customers, so we set about contacting all our customers offering to provide this additional service as part of their existing contract. This has been welcomed by many of our customers who appreciate that this can now be opened up to other employees who perhaps aren’t working in a volatile or lone working situation. It goes to show that these employers are invested and committed to their employees' wellbeing.
G4S has always been proud of the service they provide but over the past couple of years, we believe that the services we provide are testament to this fact and Lone Worker is a key area in which G4S has excelled.