Quadrant Security Group (QSG) has signed its first major outsourcing deal and penned a five-year security contract partnership with Luton Borough Council.
The £1.5 million contract will see Quadrant, part of Synectics, have remit over a broad range of security services, including running, manning and staffing the Council’s CCTV control room and maintaining access control systems.
Councils across the UK are under pressure to reduce costs and Luton has been faced with improving public services on an altered budget. A team of experts from QSG sister company SSS Management Services helped design public security infrastructure systems for the Council which are estimated to save £400,000 over five years.
Indeed, the new model has been guaranteed to achieve a cost reduction of at least £50,000 per annum, which will then increase each year.
Paul Moonan, Managing Director of Integration and Managed Services Division at Synectics, said all aspects of the existing infrastructure were analysed in an attempt to create the most efficient systems for the Council.
He said: “We knew exactly what was needed and how all the different parts – people, processes and equipment – could be made to work together more effectively. SSS helped us draw up monitoring, reporting and service level plans, so the Council always has the full picture of our (and their system’s) performance.
“This is our first major outsourcing deal and it harnesses our expertise in technology, installation and maintenance, combined with the provision of managed services. This model is a great way for local authorities to professionalise and streamline their public security and CCTV systems to deliver best value to police, businesses and the local community.”
Robin Porter, corporate director of commercial and transformation services at Luton Borough Council, added the process was designed to ensure their recently-updated state-of-the-art CCTV control room was run “to the highest standard of operational excellence”.
“It’s our duty to maintain this invaluable infrastructure as a public service – to make communities safer and aid police investigations,” he added.
“QSG’s proposal has helped us create a system that can work at its best to improve public safety while contributing to its own upkeep. Ultimately, this means better value for money for taxpayers and an attractive service offering to local businesses and the wider community.”