Security Manager

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization is seeking a Security Manager to lead security, reception, and car parking services. Responsibilities include overseeing operational management, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and training staff. The ideal candidate will have a degree or equivalent experience, extensive operational security management experience, and the ability to effectively handle conflict resolution and incidents in a busy environment. This role contributes significantly to maintaining a safe and efficient environment for patients and staff.

Qualifications

• Degree level education or equivalent experience in a related role.
• Extensive operational security management experience.
• Level 3 Conflict Resolution Training or significant demonstrable experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership for all security services.
• Manage staffing and supervise Security Advisors and the Reception Service.
• Ensure effective training and compliance with policies.
• Lead investigations into security incidents and maintain records.
• Oversee operational management of car parking services.

Skills

Leadership skills

Conflict resolution

Communication skills

Budgetary control

Organizational skills

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Extensive security experience

Tools

CCTV systems

Access control systems

Alarm systems

Job description

Overview

The Security Manager is the Trust's operational lead for Security, Main Reception and Car Parking Services, responsible for the day-to-day management, coordination and delivery of safe, effective and professional frontline services across the Whittington Health estate, including the acute hospital site and community locations.

The post holder provides a critical operational management tier between the Head of Security, Crime & Violence Reduction and frontline supervisory roles, ensuring continuity, resilience and high standards of service delivery. The role holds direct line management responsibility for Security Advisors and the Reception Service and has operational responsibility for the day-to-day delivery of car parking services, including enforcement activity and permit administration.

The post holder will ensure that security, reception and car parking services operate cohesively, supporting patient experience, staff safety, visitor management, access control and safe traffic flow, while maintaining compliance with Trust policies, NHS Violence Prevention and Reduction standards, parking policies and relevant legislation.

Key responsibilities / main duties

• Provide visible and authoritative operational leadership for all Security, Reception and Car Parking Services across the Trust. Ensure the safe, effective and professional delivery of services on a 24/7 basis where required and act as the senior operational decision-maker for day-to-day service pressures, incidents and staffing challenges.
• Hold direct line management responsibility for Security Advisors and the Reception Service, with overall operational responsibility for Security Team Leaders, Security Officers and Support Officers. Lead workforce planning, deployment and daily staffing levels across security, reception and car parking operations, including enforcement activity and operational cover.
• Manage rotas, authorise annual leave, monitor sickness absence and ensure effective management of staffing shortfalls. Lead on recruitment, induction and retention processes and undertake regular appraisals, performance management and supervision.
• Ensure staff receive mandatory, role-specific and refresher training. Maintain accurate training and competency records and ensure supervision structures are clearly defined and consistently applied across all services.
• Lead the operational response to security incidents, violence and aggression, disorder and other safety-related events. Provide leadership during high-risk or complex situations and support clinical teams in the safe management of challenging behaviour and restrictive interventions in line with Trust policy and Restraint Reduction Network standards.
• Lead on investigations into security-related incidents, including gathering evidence, analysing CCTV footage, taking statements, producing reports and identifying learning actions. Escalate matters of increased severity to the Head of Security. Ensure incidents are recorded, reviewed and closed and provide post-incident support to affected staff.
• Act as the operational lead trainer for enhanced conflict resolution and physical intervention training, delivering RRN-compliant training including de-escalation techniques, breakaway skills and lawful restrictive interventions.
• Provide enhanced conflict resolution and physical intervention training to Trust-wide clinical and non-clinical staff as directed by the Head of Security. Ensure training delivery meets national standards and Trust requirements and maintain trainer competencies and ongoing professional development.
• Collaborate with Learning and Development, Clinical Education, Safeguarding and Health & Safety teams to align training programmes with organisational needs and contribute to reducing restrictive practice through education and continuous improvement.
• Hold operational responsibility for the day-to-day use and monitoring of security systems (CCTV, control room operations, access control, intruder/panic/duress alarms, radio communications, controlled access points). Ensure system faults are identified and escalated promptly and staff are trained and competent in their use.
• Ensure Main Reception Service provides a safe, welcoming and well-organised first point of contact for patients, visitors and staff, supporting access control, safeguarding, visitor management and emergency response.
• Work with clinical and operational teams to align reception services with patient flow and service priorities, maintaining high standards of customer service, professionalism and confidentiality.
• Support clinical and operational managers and staff in managing care of aggressive or violent patients, relatives or carers.
• Oversee the operational management of Trust car parking services in line with Trust policy, including ANPR systems, permit administration, enforcement activity and contractor liaison; act as the operational point of contact for parking-related issues, complaints and escalations; monitor compliance and data trends and escalate strategic issues as needed.
• Ensure robust governance, reporting and compliance across security, reception and car parking services, including Datix reporting, incident logs and operational records. Provide monthly service performance reports and support development of security policies and procedures as directed by Head of Security.
• Undertake local audits and inspections to ensure services operate in compliance with Trust policies, NHS standards, Restraint Reduction Network requirements and legal obligations.
• Act as operational security lead during major incidents, lockdowns and emergencies; support access control, site safety, evacuation and cordon management and participate in emergency planning and on-call rotas.
• Perform other duties related to security and safety as directed by the Head of Security.

Qualifications & Experience

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent experience in related role.
• Extensive Security experience covering operational security management.
• Level 3 Conflict Resolution Training or significant demonstrable experience.

Desirable

• Accredited Local Security Management Specialist.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work on own initiative with minimum supervision
• Excellent communicator (both verbal and written)
• Ability to carry out several different tasks simultaneously
• Ability to maintain accurate records
• Keyboard and computer skills
• Ability to co-ordinate groups of staff
• Excellent organisational and leadership skills
• Budgetary control experience
• Ability to investigate and present at disciplinary hearings

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Specialist knowledge of Security Management
• Minimum five years working in a front line position with direct contact with clients
• Trained and competent in breakaway, violence and aggression and diffusion techniques
• Experience of delivering/facilitating training programmes
• Budgetary control experience
• Proven knowledge of security systems such as CCTV, Access control, intruder alarm, panic alarm, and fire alarm
• Knowledge of legislation & Regulation regarding Civil, Criminal, data Protection and Human Rights law
• Experience of effectively applying specialist legislation, regulation, policies, practices and procedures
• Evidence of Continual Professional Development

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Adhere to the Trust values and behaviours Highly self-motivated.
• Flexible approach, attitude and the ability to manage ambiguity
• Outstanding interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
• Strive for performance and improvement.
• Exceptional ability to remain calm, controlled and polite in a very busy and pressurised environment.
• Exceptional sense of commitment to honesty and integrity when undertaking this role and dealing with others.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name: Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address: Whittingon Health NHS Trust, London, N19 5NF

Employer's website: https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/