Blog 16.01.18

Security with Integrity – the words we live by

As security professionals, trust and integrity are at the heart of how we operate. We have recently partnered with Addveritas, the whistleblowing specialists, to create effective and supportive whistleblowing policies in-house, to ensure we can always maintain our highest standards. 

More than just a marketing slogan, ‘security with integrity’ embodies everything Vigilance stands for - and it’s what makes us stand out in the industry. Our ethical approach is a result of our military heritage, and serving with honour is ingrained in our business and our people. 

As part of our responsible and proactive approach, we have been working with Addveritas to ensure we’re doing our utmost to protect our clients. Addveritas aims to encourage companies to see loyal employees wishing to raise concerns as assets to protect, rather than as liabilities that might rock the boat. They help businesses put policies and procedures in place so that employees know they will be heard - and protected - when they speak.  

We wanted to make sure everyone in the Vigilance team feels confident and empowered to speak up whenever they encounter anything that’s not right, whether that’s in the context of their day to day work for clients, or something related to our internal business practices. 

Traditionally, whistleblowing has been born from desperation, as a last-ditch measure taken by employees who feel they have no other way to be heard. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By empowering employees and facilitating internal communication, we’ll be able to correct any issues well before they become major problems, and provide a better service for our clients.

We’re putting a system in place that isn’t retrospective, it’s actually responsive. It gives you the opportunity to be adaptive, in advance of a problem happening. 
                                                                                                                             Ed, COO at Vigilance

Addveritas has carried out an initial discovery phase, speaking independently with our personnel and providing a thorough assessment of our current situation. We have learned that our employees feel a real sense of loyalty to both us as an organisation and our clients, but need to better understand how to best speak up confidently to protect company or customer. From the financial industry to elite sports programmes, from the world of film making to the operators of detention centres, the news is repeatedly breaking shocking examples of what happens when organisations don’t offer their people an effective way to raise legitimate concerns. Vigilance wants to do its little bit to help address a corrosive trend in our society.

We expect to implement a number of recommendations as a result, including providing a confidential reporting hotline and web portal. Everyone we work alongside from staff to customers will be made aware of our supportive and confidential whistleblowing policies, enabling us to keep all lines of internal communication open. Our staff are now much clearer on the benefits of speaking up, to both the client and to our organisation as a whole. 

When it comes to empowering our personnel to speak up, we intend to be industry leaders, proving our integrity every step of the way. 

We found it a fascinating process to be creating something that is genuinely industry-leading. We are excited at the prospect that this could signpost the way for other ethically engaged companies that want to keep internal lines of communication open at all times, no matter the issue.

                                                                                                                               Seb, CEO at Vigilance