Securitas UK marks decade of STARS front-of-house growth
Securitas UK has marked the tenth anniversary of its STARS front-of-house security programme, which now operates in 27 countries.
Launched in 2016, STARS has grown from a small initiative into a global programme supporting 89 clients. It is delivered by more than 900 trained professionals and backed by more than 20 global trainers.
The model combines reception duties with licensed security work. STARS staff are SIA-licensed and trained in customer service, guest profiling, access control, counter-terrorism awareness, fire safety and bomb threat protocols, alongside annual refresher courses.
Additional modules cover emergency first aid, fire marshalling, neurodiversity, deaf and disability awareness, and working therapy dogs. Securitas said it has updated the training offer in recent years to reflect workplace accessibility and inclusive customer service.
Global growth
The programme was developed by Jacey Bloomberg, now Director of STARS, in response to what Securitas described as the changing role of reception and front-of-house teams. It has since spread across sectors including corporate, finance, technology, pharmaceuticals, defence, aviation and healthcare.
During a period of wider global disruption, the programme shifted its training methods to a mix of e-learning, virtual instruction and on-site mentoring. According to Securitas, this allowed STARS to continue expanding while maintaining the same training structure for staff.
Securitas highlighted the programme's gender mix as one of its distinguishing features, saying 60% of STARS employees are female, compared with an industry figure of 12%.
Alongside the original corporate-focused offer, the company has also introduced Data Centre STARS and SOC STARS for more specialised environments. These versions were developed after the original programme gained traction with clients, it said.
Bloomberg described the anniversary as a marker of how far the service has developed over the past decade.
"What began as an idea is now a globally recognised service delivering real value for both our clients and our people," said Jacey Bloomberg, Director of STARS, Securitas UK. "We are incredibly proud of how far the programme has come and excited about the future."
She added: "It is people-focused, innovative and built on a commitment to excellence. Its development over the past decade reflects the trust our clients place in the service and strength of the model itself."