With businesses reopening to the public and employees returning to the office, it’s paramount that facility managers know how to keep all premises safe and secure from any unlawful activity. Theft and business crimes make up 20% of all crime in the UK1. This causes great distress to business owners and can lead to commercial failure. To help companies prepare for coming out of lockdown, safety and security specialists Reece Enterprise, have shared their top seven tips to preventing theft that all facility managers need to know. 1. Risk Assessment To mitigate the risk of being subject to theft crime, the first step businesses need to take is conducting a risk assessment. This will help to identify any potential hazards that may occur within the organisation so the board can identify what to prioritise safety wise. This can involve any security aspect from defective security cameras or blind spots to faulty locks or windows. Risk assessments should be undertaken regularly, at least once a year. A further review is recommended once any changes have been made to business equipment, materials, processes, or people. This is also advised after accidents occur, to ensure their validity. 2. Employee Training As stakeholders, employees are a critical part of any business and play a key role in keeping their workplaces safe and protected. Companies should always carry out full background and employment history checks before hiring people if possible. Once hired, security guidelines and theft policies should be clearly explained during employee inductions. Managers can help to mitigate the risk of internal theft by encouraging staff accountability. There are several actions that can be taken to enforce this, such as enacting policy that requires employees to keep laptops and equipment locked and password protected, encouraging employees to report suspicious activity, and by giving specific access, (for example to a cupboard of stationary) to named employees. 3. Keeping Everything Locked, Keys Included Managers can further minimise risk of theft by ensuring valuable items are locked up, making sure that doors, safes and storage spaces are locked, and by safely storing keys in one secure place, like a reliable key cabinet from Reece Enterprise. From fire-resistant to free-standing, key or wall mounted, with a key or padlock, there are multiple cabinets to choose from that are sure to suit your business needs.  Adding additional locks to doors and shutters or grilles to windows can give further protection. 4. Surveillance Cameras Use of security cameras, such as CCTV, is one of the most common practices that businesses use to fight criminal activity in the UK. Although data protection rules apply for the use of cameras, they are an excellent tool for deterring burglars. They are particularly effective as they provide evidence and visibility. When operating with small budgets, consider installing a limited number of surveillance cameras in the most high-risk areas. Security mirrors in blind spots are also another good alternative. This will create a robust security system for the business. 5. Keeping Records Another key factor in dealing with theft is identifying the unusual activity in the first place. Being organised and staying on top of stock management within the organisation is essential. Track all your inventory, keep on top of your paperwork, and use tags and labels with serial numbers for all the important pieces of equipment to make sure nothing gets lost. 6. Installing Alarms Alarms are one of the most traditional and prevalent types of security system. Alarm systems and security lighting are a go-to measure for discouraging intruders and having them in place can also help to lower insurance premium costs. Consider setting up a BS 4737-4.3:1988 intruder alarm system, this is part of the general requirements that companies need to comply with in accordance with the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and therefore should be considered. Once set up, managers are advised to arrange for the alarms to be regularly tested and maintained.

Mitie has been selected as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) agreement for Covid community testing sites. The appointment extends Mitie’s key role as a supporter of testing services and covers new Covid test sites to be opened as needed by local authorities for short periods – up to 12 weeks. Mitie will potentially offer test site management and support services to local authorities across 11 regions: Yorkshire and Humber, North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, South East, London, and an option to add Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Mitie will be providing registration assistants, processing operatives, security officers and test assistants, as well as cleaning at the sites along with any additional services required by the local authorities. Mitie has been supporting the country directly in its Covid-19 response since the beginning of the pandemic, through community testing centres, the first of which opened in Inverness on 25 April 2020, and essential services for hospitals, including the Nightingale Hospital London and the Ysbyty Calon y Ddraig – Dragon’s Heart Hospital as it is known in English – in Cardiff. More widely, Mitie now operates over 150 testing sites for public and private sector clients, and its colleagues have continued to provide key services at critical sites, such as ports and airports, across the country. Simon Venn, Chief Government & Strategy Officer, Mitie, said: “I am delighted to be extending our vital work at the heart of the UK’s Coronavirus response to support local communities with their testing programmes.  I am proud of the commitment of our Mitie colleagues in delivering these critical services, they truly are frontline heroes. We continue to play our part in keeping the country running and also supporting its recovery.”

Bolton-based Seddon has completed the £900,000 project to replace a 20-year-old hydrotherapy pool at Delamere School, to benefit pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Trafford. The project was funded by Trafford Council via the Department for Education’s SEND capital funding. Delamere School provides 80 places to support local children and is one of only three dedicated SEND schools in Trafford. Designed by Bowker Sadler Architecture (BSA), delivery of the project was also aided by structural engineer, Ridge and Partners LLP, and specialist pool installers, Unique Pool Ltd. The new hydrotherapy pool replaces the previous facilities which were well-worn and no longer fit-for-purpose. The existing pool area has been remodelled to provide a larger, more inclusive, and spacious changing facility. The extension houses a new level-deck pool to replace the existing one, which sat 600mm above floor level. Its design provides a level threshold and a modern pool hoist lift from the changing rooms into the pool, making direct entry into the water both easier and safer for those with reduced mobility. The new pool incorporates a stimulating bubble bed, colour changing/mood lighting, an audio system and image projection to enhance the sensory experience for the children. The hydrotherapy facility will prove to be a huge asset for the school by providing a wealth of benefits for children with SEND, helping to maintain joint and muscle movement and contributing to positive wellbeing. Fixed poolside seating offers parents and carers a comfortable place to watch their loved ones. During the build, the Seddon team worked with local sub-contractors and their own apprentices to offer live experience of the plumbing trade and to give a boost to local businesses, while the site management worked closely with the school to minimise disruption and maintain safety. This was commended by the headteacher throughout the build. “Bringing a project like this to life is an absolute pleasure. It was great to do our bit to improve these important facilities that benefit the school so much, by providing a more modern and usable space the children can get the very best support,” said John Shannon, divisional director at Seddon. “We were also able to undertake a site viewing with members of the children’s School Council, where they could see the works that were ongoing. Under the current circumstances, this really helped them to look forward to the new facility being completed, and I believe they were even reporting back to the staff about what pool toys and floats they want to add. We hope everyone at Delamere School and in the wider community can make the most of the new pool for years to come.” Pupils and staff were also given the opportunity to visit the site, as part of a safe, socially distanced tour while everything was under construction. The school plans to offer their improved and modern facilities to members of the local community, including plans for parent and baby classes. This will be scheduled around the school’s timetable and will maximise the benefit provided by this development. This will support the local community and generate much-needed income for the school to offset running costs and provide commercial sustainability for the facility. “The build has been completed on time by Seddon, which is unbelievable in the context of COVID. BSA inspired confidence that they understood the issues with our previous pool, and that they were experienced enough to deliver a high quality, bespoke product. They consulted at every stage, kept us very well informed and really cared about the success of our project and understood how much it meant to me and my children,” added Sally Burston, headteacher at Delamere School.

In 2020, market value is projected to decrease by around 6%, largely due to Covid-19 and the lockdown measures introduced to attempt to halt its spread. Although FM contracts have continued to be issued within the last year, the UK economy is expected to take a severe hit, with budgets and investment decisions likely to be negatively impacted. The effects of the lockdown measures introduced across the UK have been especially hard within several key end-users of FM services. Notable examples include retail, leisure (e.g. gyms and sports stadiums) and the hospitality industry, i.e. pubs, cafes and restaurants. Meanwhile, the curtailing of international travel has also adversely affected end-use FM sectors such as hotels. Prior to 2020, the bundled outsourced FM market experienced relatively steady growth of around 3% per annum, with the exception of 2017 when the prevailing political uncertainty caused by Brexit resulted in a slowdown. Between 2015 and 2019, market value rose by almost 10%. The FM market is considered relatively mature across a wide range of sectors, a factor likely to inhibit growth levels over the next few years. The performance of the market remains heavily dependent upon the prevailing political and economic situation in the UK and its effects upon budgets and investment. Fiona Watts, Commissioned Research Manager at AMA Research, comments “it remains to be seen to what extent end-user sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality recover from Covid-19 and the associated economic impacts of lockdown. Given that many were struggling to remain profitable prior to the pandemic, it seems likely that many companies may either go out of business or dramatically scale down their estates, thereby reducing demand for FM services”. The market for outsourced FM services is expected to recover in the years following 2020, although to what extent largely depends upon the UK economic situation. It has been suggested in the past that outsourcing is protected from the worst effects of economic cycles to a large extent – in times of economic slowdown or recession, cost-cutting measures by clients can often stimulate demand for FM services. In times of economic growth, the number of FM contracts tends to increase.

SD Sealants, one of the largest cosmetic finishing groups in the UK, has launched a new repairs service dedicated to the facilities management sector. This new facilities management offering is the latest in a line of new services launched by the company, following the launch of its insurance claims department in August this year and its marine repairs service in late 2019. The new repairs division will focus on working with housing associations, hospitals and care homes as well as schools and universities. “This is an important launch for the business and we are really excited about the benefits we will be able to offer some of these sectors and in particular, housing associations and care homes. The impact of Covid this year means that a lot of these associations are months behind on their repairs. We will be able to assist with these repairs and help clear the backlog. Longer term, this will improve sustainability as it will be less likely that fixtures will need to be replaced,” said Nick Jones, Managing Director of SD Sealants, on the launch. “By assisting with these repairs, we are hopeful that we can help make cost savings of up to 80% for housing associations. The company can also provide a slip resistant coating for baths and shower trays which it hopes will prove a benefit to care homes in increasing health and safety. Nick continued: “Hospitals and care homes will continue to see a lot of footfall in 2021 so keeping on top of repairs will be imperative. Again, we can help these organisations rescue fixtures and fittings, without the need to replace,” added Nick. Launched in 1973, SD Sealants originated as a family run business in Somerset that specialised in the supply and application of sealant. Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the UK’s largest repairs and sealant companies, with nine offices across England, Scotland and Wales.