Improving school and college security with a free security checklist to help identify the areas where your campus may be vulnerable
As part of the Property Security Group Limited commitment to improving school and college security, we have produced what we hope is a helpful checklist to help you to identify the areas where your campus may be vulnerable.
It is not designed to cover all aspects of security, because each site is different, but it should help you to identify some common vulnerabilities.
STEP 1: Answer all of the questions as
this will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
STEP 2: If you have questions that you may need help with, simply email your contact details to info@propertysecuritygroup.co.uk and we will be pleased to arrange a free site security survey, without obligation.
Visitor access to your building
·
Are visitors allowed entry to your building by
appointment only?
·
Do they have to report to a reception area before
entry?
·
Are visitors asked for proof of ID?
·
Are they provided with visitors’ badges?
·
Are all visitors asked to sign in when they enter the
building?
·
Are visitors’ badges/lanyards designed to look
different from staff/student badges?
·
Are all visitors’ badges collected from visitors
when they leave the building?
·
Does a member of staff accompany visitors at all
times while in the building?
·
Are the visitors’ badges cross-checked against
those issued?
·
Does your staff wear ID badges at all times when in
the building?
·
Do you hand visitors a health and safety guidance
sheet?
·
Do you display CCTV warning/data protection notice?
·
Do you cover the camera lens on smartphones?
Physical security of your building
·
Are there good quality locks on all doors and
windows at ground level?
·
Are there good quality locks on each accessible
door and window above ground level?
·
Can internal doors be locked when left unattended
for long periods?
·
Are all fire doors alarmed?
·
Do you nominate members of staff to check that all
doors and windows are closed and locked at the end of the business day?
·
Have you restricted the number of keys that have
been issued?
·
Is your list of key holders current?
·
If you have a burglar alarm are your security staff
familiar with the procedures for switching it on
and off and reset procedures? (In order
to reduce false alarms)
·
Do you maintain good visibility around the
perimeter of your building?
e.g
cutting back overgrown planting.
·
Do you have adequate lighting around your building
during the hours
of
darkness?
·
Do you have your CCTV cameras regularly maintained?
·
Do the CCTV cameras cover the entrances and exits
to your building?
·
Do you have CCTV cameras covering critical areas in
your business,
such as server rooms or cash offices?
·
Do you store the CCTV images in accordance with the
evidential
needs
of the police?
·
Could you positively identify an individual from
the recorded images
on
your CCTV system?
·
Do you have
ANPR whitelisting and blacklisting on your entrance and car parks?
· Are important individual buildings subject to access control? Does your access control rely on pass cards or biometrics?
·
Does your
access control restrict the persons allowed to access key areas and/or at
specific times of the day or days of the week?
·
Do you have
CCTV warning signs externally on the perimeter to act as a deterrent?
·
For
vulnerable external areas, does your CCTV have active analytics or PIR sensors
linked to an auto dialler to give immediate response?
·
Do you have
remote outbuildings, stores and sports pitches, where there is no electricity
or telephone connection, covered by portable security cameras monitored out of
school hours?
·
Do you have
adequate perimeter fencing?
·
Are all car
park gates locked overnight and at weekends if the campus is not in use?
· Is unathorised access to roofs prevented by physical barriers?
Information security
·
Do staff lock away all documents at the close of
the business day?
·
Do you have a clear-desk policy out of business
hours?
·
Do you close down all computers at the close of the
business day?
·
Are all your computers password protected?
·
Do you have computer firewall and antivirus
software on computers?
·
Do you regularly update this protection?
·
Do you employ the principle of least privilege?
·
Do you back up business critical information
regularly?
·
Do security officers lock away any laptops or
mobile phones left out?
Personnel security checking
·
It is important to prove the identity of potential
new staff and volunteers. You should see original documents and not photocopies and, where possible, check the
information, explaining any gaps.
·
During recruitment do you require:
o
Full name?
o
Current address and any previous addresses in last
five years?
o
Date of birth?
o
National Insurance number?
o
Full details of references (names, addresses and
contact details)?
o
Full details of previous employers, including dates
of employment?
o
Proof of relevant educational and professional
qualifications?
o
Proof of permission to work in the UK for non-British
nationals
Proof of identity is vitally important, so use passports,
birth certificates and P45 to help to verify that.
·
Do you regularly check driving license status on
the DVLA website in respect of any persons likely to use a company vehicle?
·
For any person claiming company mileage allowance,
do you regularly check that they hold current insurance with business use
allowed?
·
Does the exit process ensure that all passes and
keys are collected back before the staff member leaves for the final time?
·
Is your out-of-hours contact list up to date and
been communicated to your alarm responders?
Physical security of staff
·
Do you have a lone worker policy?
·
Is this documentation regularly reviewed and if
necessary updated?
·
Do you have a lone worker alarm system?
·
Has the response to lone worker alarms been tested
in recent times?
·
For vulnerable staff, do you provide bodycams (with
4G streaming if lone workers) to give valuable evidence of incidents?
·
To reduce risks to lone working staff, do you use a
security company to respond to intruder alarms and open the site in response to
fire alarms?
·
To reduce risks to staff and improve security, do
you use a security company to open and close your buildings each day?
· Do you randomly body scan students for weapons?
Communication
·
Do you have a security policy or other
documentation showing how security procedures
should operate within your business?
·
Is this documentation regularly reviewed and if
necessary updated?
·
Do you have a senior manager who takes
responsibility for security
within
your business?
·
Do you regularly meet with staff and discuss
security issues?
·
Do you encourage staff to raise their concerns
about security?
·
Are you a member of a local Business Watch or a
similarly constituted group?
·
Do you know your local community police officer or
community
support
officer?
·
Do you speak with neighbouring businesses on issues
of security and
crime
that might affect you all?
·
Do you remind your staff to be vigilant when
travelling to and from work,
and to
report anything suspicious to the relevant authorities or police?
4
What do your results show?
Having completed the checklist, you need to give further attention to the questions to which you have answered ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’.
If you answered ‘don’t know’ to a question, find out more about that issue to reassure yourself that this vulnerability is being addressed.
If you answered ‘no’ to any question, then you may need to formally review that particular vulnerability as soon as possible.
Where you have answered ‘yes’ to a question, remember to regularly review your security needs to make sure that your security measures are fit for purpose.
Finally, sometimes we find more questions than answers, so do think about the Property Security Group Limited offer of a free security review.
Just call us now
on 0845 862 5480 or email: info@propertysecuritygroup.co.uk
and we will be pleased to arrange a free site security survey, without
obligation.
Editors’ notes:
Property Security Group Limited
offer temporary security guards, mobile security patrols and 24hr Security Key Holder
intruder alarm response services for schools and colleges across the UK.
The guards might be deployed to campus overnight to prevent unauthorised access. Alternatively, they can be deployed during school hours to provide a visible deterrent, to deal with security incidents, check passes at access points or undertake non-intrusive body scans for weapons.
In addition, PSG offer
temporary 3G wireless intruder detection security camera system hire, monitored
24hrs out of school hours to allow for immediate response to trespassers,
thieves, fly tippers and arsonists. This allows for rapid protection for vulnerable areas or areas of campus under threat.
To support schools and
colleges, PSG offer a free security review with recommendations.
Follow #PSG on Twitter @securesites or visit www.propertysecuritygroup.co.uk