NSI offers Guarding Services companies more choice for SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme
NSI provides assessment services to the widest variety of guarding services providers ranging from small local specialist operators to many of the largest national operators.
Most have chosen to hold NSI Guarding Gold with integrated NSI passport to ACS approval. This provides a cost effective solution for businesses wanting to demonstrate both commitment to the holistic values embodied in the ACS, and the rigour of comprehensive compliance with British Standards and the ISO 9001 standard for quality management systems (QMS). The NSI ‘passport’ route to ACS approval also provides cost benefits in holding multiple approvals with NSI.
A popular arrangement, amongst typically more regional providers, is to appoint NSI to conduct assessments as part of their ACS standard route approval.
Now NSI is offering these companies a new middle way; NSI Guarding Silver with NSI’s passport to ACS. This means companies can now ‘upgrade’ to an NSI Guarding Silver approval with Passport to ACS approval, demonstrating full compliance with British Standards over and above standard ACS, without necessarily seeking approval to ISO 9001 (QMS) at the same time.
This will prove a valuable cost effective stepping stone for companies wanting to differentiate themselves from standard route ACS and give buyers additional confidence in their ‘commitment to compliance’ with British Standards.
Having worked with the SIA since 2006, NSI is now looking forward to the ‘next 11 years’ with this extended ACS offering. NSI is now providing more choice in how companies obtain the approval that best suits business needs and gain true added value guidance from NSI’s full-time expert industry auditors.
Margaret Durr, NSI Head of Field Operations (Services) comments: “Our team of auditors has industry expertise across a broad range of areas including Security Guarding, Close Protection, Keyholding, CCTV, Door Supervision, Event Security and Investigative Services. Feedback from our clients is testament to the added value independent assessment can bring to an organisation.
The ultimate winners are buyers and their staff, visitors and the general public using their services, who benefit from a consistent, measurable high quality service, providing real return on investment. In turn, Security providers interested in the ACS or NSI’s sector-specific approval schemes can be assured of a professional and positive experience with NSI that supports continual improvement goals.”
Max Linnemann, NSI’s Head of Certification Services “We are delighted the SIA has renewed our ACS assessment delivery contract and look forward to continuing to work with organisations providing licensable services with a first class and friendly service. Margaret and her team of Services auditors demonstrate industry leading competence and experience delivering quality ACS audits.”
Having completed over 1000 assessments on behalf of the SIA since the ACS was introduced in 2006, NSI’s 9-strong Services Auditor Team have a unique expert understanding of the sector’s Standards and the issues facing organisations in the industry. Assessing client organisations across the UK, the team is dedicated and committed to delivering a consistent high quality of service that gives additional assurance to buyers of guarding services.
NSI’s experience of conducting assessments for the SIA and for its own premier certification schemes, makes it the number one choice for security providers serious about demonstrating their integrity and capability of ACS requirements and their compliance with relevant British Standards.
Organisations interested in improving their experience of ACS assessments, regardless of size or experience, or finding out about the benefits of NSI Certification, should contact NSI at acs@nsi.org.uk or 01628 764855.
Information about the ACS ‘standard’ and ‘passport’ routes to approval can be found at the SIA website