Security increase being considered to tackle issues with Arun council customers
There has been rise in incidents in reception areas at Bognor Regis Town Hall and Littlehampton Civic Centre
Arun District Council is considering bringing on permanent security staff after an increase in incidents with council customers.
The council started using temporary security staff from a contractor in reception areas in Bognor Regis Town Hall and Littlehampton Civic Centre in October 2022, due to ‘frequent issues’ between council customers and staff.
According to a report presented to the council’s Corporate Support Committee on October 12, security staff handled 2,226 customers across the two premises from October 2022 to March 2023 and 3,137 from April to August 2023.
Council officers stated in the report that a rise in incidents could be down to IT access of security staff, and an ability to record the incidents digitally underrepresenting initial numbers.
They said the majority of ‘challenging behaviour’ faced by staff was in face-to-face housing services, specifically people dissatisfied with housing options offered to them by the council.
Chair of the committee Francis Oppler (LDem, Orchard ward) said it was a ‘sad sign of the times’ that security is needed at the premises.
He said: “It’s looking like the security teams are going to be permanent, and you’re getting them to do more than just security, you’re getting them to triage as people come in, so it’s not just a security job.
“Shouldn’t we perhaps look at employing our own security staff that have then trained up to have the ability to do more rather than use through a contractor – surely, in the long term, that would be quids cheaper.”
The council’s head of finance, Antony Baden, said officers would look into the idea, adding he thinks it would still be cheaper and easier to hire security contractors.
He also said his department, amongst others, had been struggling with filling vacancies and that any new staffing decisions would have to be found in the existing budget – currently forecast at an overspend of £112,000.
Mark Turner (Con, ) said lacking the ‘right’ number and quality of staff, would ‘look bad’ on the council and recruiting should be given the ‘highest priority’.
Sue Wallsgrove (Green, ) it takes 12 months to train customer service staff, and short staffing could lead to increased pressure on ‘their already pressurised job’.
Members noted the report, with officers to look into future need for security at both premises.