Showsec is committed to providing the highest standards of training and education for its staff and service partners.

Showsec is committed to providing the highest standards of training and education for its staff and service partners.

The ongoing development of all staff is a cornerstone of Showsec’s ethos to help people develop to their full potential and confidently fulfil their role within the company.

Through the training programme, many of the company’s senior management (having joined with the no previous experience) have become some of the UK’s leading crowd management and security professionals.

Showsec has a dedicated training department with 30 trainers delivering a comprehensive range of courses to create a team that provides the UK’s highest standard of crowd management and security services to clients.

Roy Wise, Showsec's training and development manager, was invited to The Security Company (TSC) in Amstelveen, Netherlands, to deliver the company’s renowned Front of Stage Barrier course.

Roy Wise, Showsec's training and development manager, was invited to The Security Company (TSC) in Amstelveen, Netherlands, recently, to deliver the company’s renowned Front of Stage Barrier course to 30 candidates from Showsec’s European sister company. The two day event covered areas including: the concept of a front of stage safety pit; diverse cultural behaviour; accidents and incidents; personal health & safety and the health and safety of others.

Robrecht Baving, Human Resources and Quality Control, of TSC commented, “Holding courses like these gives everyone an idea of the knowledge base of both companies. They also raise standards by ensuring staff are all taught the same level of current guidance and information.”

Showsec helps deliver a front of stage barrier course accredited through Bucks New University and has the largest number of certificated staff in the event industry. As a result Showsec has ensured that it has a Front of Stage Barrier course which meets the needs of a high profile international organisation.

Six Showsec team leaders have earned a certificate in physical restraint after taking part in a course designed by Showsec and the conflict management centre, MAYBO.

The need to restrain and eject unruly customers at events is frequently believed to be a major role for event security companies. But, as Roy Wise, Training and Development Officer at Europe’s leading dedicated European event security company, Showsec, points out, “Our focus is on the safety of the 99.99% of event goers who come to enjoy themselves peacefully. Our employees rarely have to deal with an ejection.”

However, a handful of Showsec operatives, such as supervisors, incident response teams and club-based venue teams, are in the front line when it comes to carrying out this procedure. The company has worked with the conflict management centre MAYBO to develop a qualification that provides these staff with techniques and protocols which cause minimum distress when ejecting a disruptive member of the public, based on violence reduction and physical intervention methods.

“Showsec wanted a customer-focussed course based on non-aggressive techniques and spent a lot of time selecting the programme,” says Bill Fox, Business Development Director of MAYBO. “Before this course, there had been different types of physical intervention training which were only recognised in individual sectors. Now we have a course that is recognised by all bodies relevant to the event industry.”

This April, six of Showsec’s team leaders were awarded their certificate in physical restraint, recognised by MAYBO, the BIIAB and Skills for Security, after successfully completing the course.

David Greer, Chief Executive of Skills for Security, said, “Bill Fox specifically developed this low aggression programme and we quality-assured the course. Employees holding this qualification are guaranteed the right training for the right job. They can also demonstrate their continuous professional development (CPD) to the government regulator, the SIA. Showsec is leading the way in developing staff to provide services for their customers.”

Roy emphasises that ejecting troublemakers is not a common occurrence at events but that this qualification will reassure both event organisers, members of the public and the staff themselves that Showsec teams are properly prepared in the event of the need for physical restraint. “The fact that we have a qualification in physical restraint which is recognised in all key sectors of the events and security world is a big step forward,” he says. “I congratulate our seven supervisors in being first to complete the course and working so hard to maintain their continuous professional development.”

Eight Showsec staff were presented with their Maybo Physical Intervention qualification earlier this month by Managing Director, Mark Harding, as Showsec continues its focus on investment in people.

Eight Showsec staff were presented with their Maybo Physical Intervention qualification earlier this month by Managing Director, Mark Harding, as Showsec continues its focus on investment in people. The company has pioneered course development of this newly-recognised discipline and the team of Showsec staff are the first ever group to achieve a qualification of this type.

The new Physical Intervention course is supported by Skills for Security and the BIIAB. Roy Wise, Showsec’s Training and Development Manager, explained: “The course helps staff to deal with essential intervention with confidence and in the correct manner. It helps them to develop their skills and professionalism, further assuring our clients and the public that we are continuously progressing standards.”

Maybo is one of the UK's leading consultancies in workplace violence and conflict resolution. The organisation worked with the two supporting industry bodies to create a professional course especially for Showsec, focusing on control measures that reduce the need for physical intervention.

“We sourced the course from Maybo, who tailored specific modules to fit the needs of our company and what we are trying to deliver,” says Mark Harding. “After this initial success, we will now embark on a program to develop our own trainers to enable us to deliver the course internally.

“Congratulations to the team on completing this course; we now have eight members of staff with the Physical Intervention qualification, with more currently undergoing training in London and Oxford.”

Showsec’s Training & Development Team has been working hard since the start of the year to develop 30 new supervisors, helping to meet the ever growing needs of the company

Showsec’s Training & Development Team has been working hard since the start of the year to develop 30 new supervisors, helping to meet the ever growing needs of the company.

Two courses were held, one for 12 candidates at the company’s new modern training room in head office and one for 18 candidates at the York Racecourse Centre residential venue.

The courses covered a variety of differing subject matter including leadership, Health & Safety responsibilities, Staff welfare and Teamwork. The candidates were consistently assessed and graded on their group work, presentation skills, briefing skills and other abilities.

Training & Development Manager Roy Wise said, “Although our team work hard to put on these types of course, it is a testament to the passion of the current Showsec workforce to see so many excellent supervisor candidates coming through. The company ethos of training for all is certainly reaching out to people and we are now experiencing a new wave of responsible, keen, like-minded individuals who wish to guide others. With this standard of candidates, the future of the company as the leader in crowd management looks bright.”

The process of investment in people is reaping yet more success for the crowd management specialists Showsec.

The process of investment in people is reaping yet more success for the crowd management specialists Showsec. The company has been at the forefront of helping to develop courses in this newly-recognised discipline and has consistently encouraged its employees to enrol in courses such as the foundation degree in Crowd Management, run by Buckinghamshire and Chilterns University College.

This September three Showsec team members, Julian Kumah, Alan Wallace and Phil Cobourne (pictured), were awarded their foundation degree certificates, while colleagues Steve Reynolds and Richard Church are expected to graduate later this year. In the meantime, six new staff will be joining the course in the coming academic year.

“I congratulate Julian, Alan and Phil in gaining their foundation degrees,” says Showsec Managing Director, Mark Harding. “The company now has eight managers with foundation degrees. Their success demonstrates the commitment of the entire Showsec team to developing their skills and professionalism. It brings further assurance to our clients of our continuously progressing standards.”

Over the weekend of the 13th October, prospective supervisors from all over the country attended the residential supervisory course at the training centre at York Racecourse

Over the weekend of the 13th October, prospective supervisors from all over the country attended the residential supervisory course at the training centre at York Racecourse. Each candidate had to meet pre qualification criteria and then pass the selection interview.

Roy Wise, Showsec's Training and Research Manager said ''The candidates on this course have been of a very high standard. The company's development programme is really coming to fruition. The strength of our service is underpinned by our continuous investment in our staff in conjunction with our ongoing development and revision of our course material'.

Showsec has commissioned a newly accredited health and safety course for supervisory staff.

Showsec has commissioned a newly accredited health and safety course for supervisory staff. The two and a half day IOSH course was created in conjunction with health and safety expert Simon Garrett's company X Venture. The course called 'Supervising Safety in the Events Industry' bridges the gap between supervisory and the mangerial level health and safety.

The first courses were held at Nottingham and Cardiff in March. By June over 100 Showsec supervisors had undertaken and passed the course. Showsec's Managing Director Mark Harding commented, 'This is another first within the industry. The continuous training and development of staff is fundamental to the success and progress of the company.

It is a pleasure to work with a team who are so focussed and solution driven. The company ethos of education and opportunity has had such a positive influence on our operational output.'

Phil Cobourne (Health & Safety Manager) and Roy Wise (Training Manager) co-ordinated the project. Phil stated, 'we are delighted with the uptake and the success of the course. Once again we are underpinning our expertise with qualifications'.

We believe that our future success depends upon creating a good working environment for staff allied with fantastic training and career development opportunities.

To this end we have developed staff training programmes, of which the Showsec Academy is the latest.

Each year, we accept applications from potential or current staff members to join the Showsec Academy.  Applicants must either hold a current SIA Licence, or be willing to train for one.

Successful applicants undergo a comprehensive programme of professional managerial and operational training. Phased over 12 months, a blend of skills and knowledge training interspersed with operational experience  will lead to membership of one or more professional institutions. Click here to find out more about the Showsec Academy on our dedicated microsite.