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Blog Coronavirus Homeless Shelters Security Team Profiles

360 Services Notting Hill Carnival Blog –

Our experience on the other side of the rope

360 Services has now provided security and stewarding services for one of the largest floats at
the Notting Hill Carnival – Elimu Mas, since 2018. This year, across the 2 days we provided close to 100 security officers and stewards, to ensure that everyone enjoyed their carnival experience. As the years go by, we learn more about the best ways to get organised, prepared, and ready for the two busy days.

The preparation starts months in advance when we start selecting the employees who we think are the right fit for this event. We carefully select the employees based on their performance, reliability, and skills. As a business, we work against the “one size fits all” philosophy, and so for each of our customers, we aim to pick and choose what is right for them. For example, on Children’s day, the emphasis is on friendly security with good communication skills.

Providing security for such a big and high-profile event is always a learning experience for us as a team. We understand that preparation is vital for an event like this, so we make sure that we are set up for success by having a detailed plan in place with contingencies for an emergency or a major incident. Not only is it our goal to keep the float secure, but to also make sure the band staff, the public, and our team are safe. This year there were no significant incidents except a few members of the public enjoying their drink a bit too much.

The days start off with a very detailed briefing, and every staff member is made aware of their position and responsibility around the float, whilst management and the response team keep their eyes and ears out for any potential problems. We go over the plans set out with the client, ensure we have the rope ready, and that all our safety measures are in place.

Whilst both the float and the public are enjoying the party, our security and stewards team enjoy the atmosphere from the other side of the rope.

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360 Services provides Event Security as well as security for most Commercial and Office Buildings.  If you would like more information about joining our team or about the range of services that we offer our clients.  Please email ops@360-services.co.uk or call 01322 277 051.

Blog Coronavirus Homeless Shelters Security Team Profiles

A Day In the Life of Ike Anyanwu

Ike Anyanwu has been a Night Concierge with 360 Services since March of 2022. Ike is based at a St Mungo’s accommodation in London – St Mungo’s is one of the UK’s largest registered charities that provide shelter and help for some of the UK’s homeless population. Responsibility, due diligence, a duty of care, and professionalism are all key tenets of Ike’s role. There’s a lot to learn from a day in the life of Ike’s work as a Senior Night Concierge, the skills required, and the people he’s met.

How did you start working with 360 Services?

I was looking actively for jobs, and a colleague suggested that 360 was hiring.

How is working with 360 Services different from work you’ve done before?

The difference with my previous job was that I worked in customer service dealing with the public in a front line role. I didn’t have much communication with the management team. Whereas at 360 I’m in contact with the management team often.

What does your job involve?

My job involves the Safeguarding of the residents by conducting internal and external patrols and monitoring the CCTV. Logging in incident reports, Health and Safety checks of the building, ensuring hallways, doors, and exits are unblocked.  Also, I look out for the overall safety of the residents.

What are some of the challenges you face in the hostels?

The challenges that you can face working in Homeless Hostel are that some of the residents are dealing with mental health and drug abuse issues. Some have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Attacks, and Paranoia, and are commonly schizophrenic. All this mentioned must be dealt with professionally.

What do you find rewarding about your work with 360 Services?

The most rewarding part of my job is recognition, flexibility, and good communication with the management team. Also, positive work relationships with the clients.

What have you learned about homelessness since working for 360 Services?

Since I started working with 360 Services as a Night Concierge. I have experienced meeting different people from all different walks of life. Working with 360 Services gave me a great opportunity to learn about homelessness, and overall being more empathetic to their needs. I have thoroughly enjoyed working here and wish to do so for many years to come.

If you would like more information about how you can join our team and work alongside dedicated staff like Ike.  Or if you are interested in one of our highly trained Night Concierge or Support staff working at your Supported Accommodation project.  Please email jon@360-services.co.uk or call 01322 277 051.

security
Blog Coronavirus Homeless Shelters Security Team Profiles

Rewarding work with 360 Services

The 360 Services Ethos

At 360 Services, we’re committed to providing the highest standard of security and safeguarding for our clients. We can only achieve this with the diligence and responsibilities of our staff across the country. As a nationwide company, our national and localised operations and services must work in tandem. This means the contributions of all our staff, whether they’re in Bradford or Oxfordshire, in a homeless hostel or head office, are crucial for our ability to offer premium services.

Since the first national lockdown caused by the spread of Covid-19 in March 2020, everyone from facility managers to support workers and concierge have faced and adapted to a number of challenges. Their work ethic in the face of change and uncertainty is a testament to their skill and dedication.

We expect our staff to work hard, but we also believe in recognising and rewarding their achievements. The safety of everyone is paramount to our ethos: the vulnerable people in our care, our staff as well as the integrity of facilities and buildings we monitor. More than that, our staff recognise and believe in this ethos too. So, we wanted to talk a bit more about the rewards and challenges that come with working for 360 Services. We’ll also highlight 360 Services’ current vacancies and how you could come work for us.

Don’t Take Our Word For It

People come to work with 360 Services for a number of reasons. Sharon Grey has been a member of 360 Services for the last seven years. She originally owned a hair salon and when she retired that business, she wanted a career change that could keep her proactive and engaged in community work.

She decided to train as a security guard, and has done concierge work for a number of 360 Services’ clients since. This has taken her to St Giles International School, Notting Hill Carnival and a St Mungo’s homeless shelter; she’s particularly proud of her work last year, where she assisted getting homeless people safely into St Mungo’s accommodation during the first wave of Covid-19.

Our Area and Control Room Supervisor Alexandra Carp joined 360 Services after completing her education. For her, the best of part of the job is getting to ‘communicate with each employee, and be able to help them out when they are facing troubles. As Area Supervisor, I do many site visits, so I get to meet most of them in person too.’

Andy Neuvell joined us with experience as a behavioural manager in a mental health facility. For Andy, building relationships with St Mungo’s residents is at the core of his work. His duties include patrols, checking the hostel’s CCTV, assisting the shelter’s staff and much more.

For Andy, his most memorable work moment was deescalating a situation with a vulnerable and potentially dangerous resident. ‘It was a key moment for me. They were able to open up, relax and find a way of coping that didn’t depend upon substance abuse.’

Working in security and safeguarding is a challenging career. Whether you’re overseeing and managing employees across the country, providing security at a festival or working one-on-one with homeless people. Nevertheless, the rewards from the work can be unique and truly fulfilling.

360 Services offers more than security and safeguarding positions. We offer cleaning services, facility maintenance and installation services in London and the South East of England as well as our security services. That means there’s potential for different careers and opportunities. Beyond that, we take on a range of employees from different backgrounds, ages and with a variety of skills and experience.

If you love working with people, creating a safe and productive environment, 360 Services might be the place for you. Check out our blog page to hear more from some of our team members about their experiences with 360 Services.

Recognising & Rewarding Our Team

Because working with 360 Services can be challenging and demanding, we try to provide rewards, opportunities and recognition for our staff as much as we can. With the lifting of restrictions, we hope that staff parties can make a return too!

This summer, we were able to relaunch our Employee Holiday Scheme. This gives our employees the ability to go on affordable holidays abroad with the hope to expand holiday destinations in the future. Currently, we have properties in Croatia and a property in Jamaica available, discounted for staff who have been with us for 1 year or more.

We love to shine the spotlight on any promotions and our Employee of The Month in the monthly newsletter.

Jordan – can you think of some more rewards/recognition/opportunities for employees you’d like me to put in?

Join The 360 Services’ Team

All staff will receive training that instills them with the confidence, accreditations and capability to do the best job possible. Our networks ensure everyone is safe and protected with full support behind you to help whenever necessary. The experiences, skills and people you’ll get to meet when you work alongside 360 Services are invaluable.

Check out our recruitment page where you can find a full list of vacancies on offer. We’re always keen to hear from prospective and potential candidates too, so don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us.

Blog Coronavirus Homeless Shelters Security Team Profiles

A Day In the Life of Louise Brown

louise


Louise Brown has been a Night Concierge with 360 Services since October of 2020, and divides her work between 2 St Mungo’s homeless shelters; an accommodation for women and a mixed accommodation. Louise is relatively new to 360 Services, but joined us with with work experience as a security guard. There’s a lot to learn from Louise, a day in her life with 360 Services, and the array of skills she applies to different settings.

How did you come to working with 360-Services?

“I obtained my SIA badge 5 years ago, and since then I worked as a steward at a local football ground and offered door support to local community centres. I also worked as a security guard at a Polish festival and for a number of years, I worked in a casino. This is how I got to know about 360 Services. A gentleman I worked with believed my skills would be suitable for them since they were looking for female staff.”

How is working with 360-Services different to work you’ve done before?

“You have to understand the clients you’re working with. That’s the link I suppose, it’s all about working with people. But the difference is, at a St Mungo’s shelter you’re working with vulnerable people.” A main pivot for Louise has been moving from a commercial setting to a more vulnerable and isolated environment. “In a casino, people come because they want to engage in the services they provide. I had a lot of responsibility and grew to know the clientele well. I would approach argumentative customers with a sense of humour, but remain clear, concise and firm with them.”

Louise has years of communicative tools under her belt she applies to her St Mungo’s work. However, working in a St Mungo’s shelter demands external awareness of things such as substance use, abuse, mental health disabilities and how they pose risks to residents’ safety. It’s for these reasons she takes a wholly different stance on her day-to-day work. “I ask residents, how can I help you to help yourself? Your goal is to move on from here and guarantee a future tenancy. You have to have empathy in abundance and be able to communicate with them.”

How do you approach a typical shift?

“I mainly work in the women’s accommodation and do one shift a week at the mixed hostel. My primary aim is to ensure the safety of those women. That means securing the safety of the building, i.e making sure the fire alarms are secure, checking the front door is closed and nobody is loitering, and then it’s about engaging with them to make sure they’re abiding by their tenancy. For example, I make sure in communal areas there should be no drinking, no smoking or unsociable behaviour.”

As a Night Concierge, Louise has to remain vigilant throughout her shift of her entire surroundings, from the building’s infrastructure to what’s going on externally and internally. This also means keeping a log throughout her shift of events and behaviour. As a night-time concierge, she’ll pick up a handover from the day staff and establish anything that’s happened prior to starting her shift.

“I have a lot of experience with residents who have problems with suicide, mental health and addiction…it’s a challenging environment. In the women’s hostel they’ll come and open up to me. We have to remain professional without being judgemental. I tell residents I can listen and record discussions but encourage them to action these changes with their key workers. Because of my past work experience I can implement skills, theories and resources to help them through.”

What are some of the challenges you face in the hostels?

“In the women’s hostel I work by myself, in the mixed hostel I work alongside a St Mungo’s worker. That in itself is very challenging… when you’re in a team you can bounce ideas off each other. When you’re on your own, you’re on your own. You have 24 hour telephone support from the 360 Services Control Room and a St Mungos on-call duty but you have to be resilient and think on your feet.”

Like all 360 Services staff, Louise is balancing a number of tasks throughout her shift. She has to create a safe, communicative environment that puts prevention and harm reduction first. Louise also has to be able to respond to moments of crisis.

In times of emergency – for example, a resident’s health is in jeopardy – Louise works quickly, decisively and calmly. “It can be very challenging. When an incident happens I’ll file an incident report that will go to management, and I’ll give reassurance to any residents involved. I’ll dial 999 if I have to and do what I can to encourage residents’ safety if they’re conscious and communicative. For example, if I can get a resident into the communal area, it’s much safer for all of us and we can go from there.”

How have you adapted for Covid-19?

“It’s difficult to work in PPE and be open with people. We have to reinforce to residents to follow the measures. For example, if a resident is leaving the house I’ll get them a mask from the office. If they’re in the communal area I try to reinforce social distancing. I’ll monitor CCTV and make notes that I pass to day staff.”

Working with vulnerable people during Covid-19 has proved challenging across many sectors, so Louise has to utilise those communicative tools such as encouragement and de-escalation. These tools are effective because of the relationships she’s created with residents.

“You have to think about the appropriate timing. You want them to trust you so you have to engage with them. You have to be able to look at that individual and speak to them without belittling them, but you still need to get the outcome you want. I had a resident who was being aggressive to other residents in the communal area. I laid out the rules and suggestions and reinforced I would contact the police for everyone’s safety if I needed to. Eventually, they did move, and when they did, they opened up to me and we could take it from there.” 

What do you find rewarding about your work with 360-Services?

“I try to be the eyes and ears for St Mungo’s staff and record what I see. No interpretations, just observations, which is quite hard. My faith is very important for me though. If I can treat you with the love I’d expect to be treated with if I fell on my sword, that’s how I approach people.”

In just a short amount of time, Louise has stepped up to a new, challenging role and has recently been pronoted to a Lead Concierge – Supervisory role. She’s approached her work with a high standard of professionalism and empathy. We’re proud to have her on-board and look forward to her bright future working with us.

Blog Coronavirus Homeless Shelters News Team Profiles

A Day in the Life of Andy Neuvell

Andy


Andy joined 360-Services 8 months ago and currently works at a St Mungo’s accommodation based in Oxford. Even as a relatively new team member, he has a wealth of practical knowledge that has made him an invaluable, empathetic and professional security guard. Andy previously worked as a behavioural manager in a mental health facility. He comes to this line of work with his own personal experiences of homelessness. From both a professional and personal perspective, Andy focuses on creating relationships with residents and staff. He puts de-escalation and harm-reduction first. This creates a safe, communicative environment for everyone around him.

What drew you to working at 360-Services?

“I’ve worked with children, in health and social care, humanitarian aid and with mentally disabled people before, so I like working with a new group of people. I found the opportunity online and enjoy challenge and change, so I went for it.” Since becoming a day-time concierge, Andy has also trained and inducted new St Mungo’s staff. Beyond his title and daily tasks, he believes it’s essential he brings his previous work experience to the role; the job demands skills that can deal with conflict and emotions.

He strives to ensure members of staff engage and work together for the benefit of their residents. “I make sure relationships with residents are good and anyone who might not have experience working vulnerable people build those relationships. It can really save people and create a safer environment. You’ve got to treat everyone with compassion and respect.”

What does a typical day look like at St Mungo’s?

“When I arrive in the morning I’ll collect a detailed handover from the night staff. It could cover anything from the conflict that’s happened over night to people we haven’t seen in a few days. When I’ve gone over the handover I’ll start my basic set-up: patrol the area, answer emails, check the CCTV and do my keys jobs. This is also the opportunity to check in on particular residents and see if they’re okay. As well as the baseline job, you have to go above and beyond.” 

St Mungo’s is one of the UK’s leading homeless charities and accommodates people from a range of challenging backgrounds that can include alcoholism, self-harm, suicide and abuse. A part of Andy’s concierge work is to ensure residents can access the facilities and help they need. He comes to St Mungo’s with an abundance of experience working with vulnerable people, and is adept in building communication and connections.”I’ll help get people out of their rooms for meetings with their key workers, help book any appointments or hospital trips. Alongside maintaining the security of the building, so much of the work is about engaging with people. It’s one of the best ways to deal with conflict and harm.”

What are some of the main challenges you face?

“When you’re working with people who might be violent or have mental health issues, you go into the work knowing you could get hurt. You’re facing real-life problems, and you don’t want a 26-year-old resident to feel as if you’re above them. That’s why you need to know that person and know how to communicate with them.” For all of the 360-Services’ team, prevention is one of the most critical parts of the job. Prevention can mean several things from monitoring the building internally and externally and the safety and wellbeing of everybody.

“You need to be able to de-escalate a situation and just talk with residents so you can prevent having to contact the police as a final measure. That’s why maintaining those relationships is so important. But I also think trying to make an upbeat and communal area for everyone is really helpful, especially during Covid. A bit of compassion and comedy can go a long way.”

How has working during Covid-19 challenged you?

“We had a resident who tested positive and became a risk, but because of their mental health and experiences with paranoia, it was difficult for them to self-isolate.” Working during Covid is a particularly demanding context for Andy. As well as the preliminary guidelines he has to follow concerning social distancing, he also has to communicate with and safeguard residents and staff if they are exposed to the virus. “I wear PPE and make sure I deep-clean as I go, especially if a resident comes into contact with an area. When you’re working with any vulnerable people and their mental health isn’t there, it can be tough to explain to them what they need to do. You just have to approach them humanely and engage with them.” Again, those relationships and lines of communication are a crucial tool for safety and prevention.

What has been your most memorable work moment?

“There was a resident in distress who was violent, angry and depressed. I was able to just engage with them, sit them down, and talk to them. It meant we didn’t have to contact the police and they were able to talk to a staff member. It was a key moment for me. They were able to open up, relax and find a way of coping that didn’t depend upon substance abuse.”

Andy’s breadth of experience and knowledge goes a long way to creating a safe environment for everyone at his St Mungo’s project. Through his engagement, collaboration, and leadership, he has helped create a space to facilitate residents’ recovery. His ethos of going above and beyond has helped him become the efficient, compassionate concierge he is.

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