Mears Asylum Accommodation – Customised Security

About Mears

Mears is committed to ensuring that asylum accommodation is safe, habitable and fit for purpose and will meet all contractual and regulatory standards. Moreover, Mears understands the importance of supporting each person whilst living in its accommodation and to ensure that as a company it works with the communities in which it delivers services. Find out more at – www.mearsgroup.co.uk

Meeting Our Customers’ Needs

We first began working with Mears over 25 years ago, providing a range of services including re-let works, environmental clearance, communal and garden works and security guarding services. In 2021, Mears opened a bespoke Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) for pregnant and vulnerable asylum-seeking women in Glasgow, which was the first unit of its type to operate in Glasgow.

We were asked to provide female security guards during evenings and weekends when Mears staff were no longer onsite, as the safety of these vulnerable women was an absolute priority. Our guards were specifically required to hold a first aid certificate that covers paediatrics, as they would serve as the main point of contact in the case of a medical emergency and would be required to call the relevant medical professionals and provide first aid until they arrived.

Providing Real Solutions

We provided Mears with an all-female security team from 8pm to 8am each evening and all day on weekends and public holidays. Our guards were also selected based on their personalities, as it was important that they could communicate effectively with residents who often struggled with English and were highly vulnerable due to pregnancy or having just given birth.

Within the first 2 weeks, we identified that it would be more beneficial to residents if our guards shift patterns changed to 6pm to 6am as Mears staff were usually unavailable around this time. This allowed for a proper handover between the Mears team and our guards, ensuring that we could discuss any issues that may have occurred throughout the day that they should be aware of. Our team ensured that all incidents were detailed and logged each day to provide supporting information for other staff that may not have been involved in the de-brief.