Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental Policy

Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
and Environmental Statement

Policy Statement

Avantguard Security Ltd takes corporate social responsibility very seriously. The way in which we operate directly impacts on our customers, employees, suppliers and the local community.

Operating and behaving in a responsible manner ensures that we are delivering on the subjects that matter to our stakeholders which in turn has a positive impact on our reputation and profitability.

Our main considerations with regards to Corporate Social Responsibility are:-
  • Our Customers
  • Our Employees
  • Our Suppliers
  • The Local Community
  • The Environment

Our Core Values

Avantguard operates with a strict set of values which were developed in conjunction with our entire team. All new employees who join our team are briefed on our values and are expected to work and behave in a way that ensures we continue to meet these values.
  • We operate with honesty and integrity.
  • We are committed to quality and excellence in everything we do.
  • We value people and treat them with respect.
  • We have pride in the professional services that we deliver.

Our Customers

We are committed to providing our customers with:-
  • Excellent service delivery and customer service
  • Fair and honest marketing
  • Open and upfront pricing structures
  • Reliable data and transparency with reporting

Honesty and transparency with our customers is at the core of everything we deliver. Our customers trust us with their business, assets and the safety of their own employees so we understand that our clients need to feel confident that our services are delivered in full.

Since 2011, Avantguard have been using an advance workflow management system called GuardTools. This system allows us to plan the workload of our employees, ensuring that our clients’ requirements are completed in full.  

The information gathered through the use of this system is freely available to our clients through automated email reports and online client web portals. Our clients can request activity and data reports that include as much or as little information as they require and which can be automatically delivered on a schedule that suits them.

This level of transparency with our customers has enabled us to build a reputation for excellence in service delivery and helps us to maintain strong and open relationships with our customers.

We are committed to providing our customers with:-
  • Excellent service delivery and customer service
  • Fair and honest marketing
  • Open and upfront pricing structures
  • Reliable data and transparency with reporting

Our Employees

Avantguard employs between 30 and 40 employees and it is accepted and understood that our people are our product.  
  • Without our frontline employees, the services would not be delivered and we would have no customers.  
  • Without our administrative team, the frontline employees would not have up to date information about their responsibilities and the clients would not have comprehensive and detailed information about the service they received. 
  • Without our sales and contract management team there would be no clients and our frontline team would have nothing to deliver.
  • Without our senior management, there would be no glue which holds all the departments together and ensures that the vision of the business is delivered.
We take a holistic approach to business and every employee plays a vital part in the success of the business.

All of our employees are aware of our core values and we encourage that they work to these standards at all times.

We are an equal opportunities employer and our policy is to recruit, develop, promote and retain a motivated team who enjoy their work and are committed to the success of Avantguard, regardless of disability, race, religion, belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or age.

The recruitment and development of our employees is focused on finding the right person for the right role, looking to achieve a balance whereby our employees are as much a part of our client’s team as they are a part of our team. We believe that this improves motivation and ultimately leads to job satisfaction.


Our Suppliers

As a locally based company, we try to source locally as much as possible. We buy our stationery from Hove, our computers from Portsmouth, our printers are in Shoreham and we use a Worthing based IT support company. Our local purchasing even counts for the little things like buying our Coffee from a company in Ford where they roast and grind beans which they buy from small producers.

We try to seek supplies and services from our own customer base if possible and we are members of the Sussex Chamber, Gatwick Diamond Business Club, Worthing & Adur Chamber and Chichester Chamber, through which we access a network of potential contacts on our doorstep.

We don’t mind paying a little bit more to our suppliers but we are looking for someone that understands our business and our vision and wants to be a small part of delivering that. This is what we in turn hope to provide to our customers.

The relationships that we build with our suppliers are as strong and as important to us as the relationships that we build with our customers.

Our suppliers are an extension of our business and their products and services directly impact on our service delivery, so it is critical to us that, like Avantguard, our suppliers have values and principles which are focused on transparency, trust and quality.


The Local Community

Avantguard are very much a local company. We are based in Sussex and we operate in Sussex for Sussex businesses and residents.

It is important to us that we maintain a good reputation in our local community and we endeavor to get involved with local projects, causes and charities.

Details of our community involvement can always be found on our website.

As a business based in Sussex, we earn our money in Sussex so we look to put back into the Sussex community as much as possible. Buying from local suppliers, employing locally and supporting local businesses through social media support is part of our commitment to our community.

As a security provider, the safety and security of our local community is also important to us. We are actively involved in social media and use this as a platform to keep our followers informed on crime in the local area and keeping them informed about safety bulletins. We follow many local police forces and Neighbourhood Watch groups, and keep our own followers informed with tweets and posts about local activity.


The Environment

Avantguard Security Ltd accepts responsibility for the harmful effects that its operations have on both the local and global environment. Avantguard Security Ltd is committed to minimising the impact of its activities on the environment, through continuous improvement of our environmental performance.

This policy has been reviewed by the Directors of Avantguard Security Ltd and may be used as information for customers, and as part of tender documents.

Specifically, the key points of Avantguard’s strategy are:
  • To meet, and where possible exceed all relevant environmental legislation.
  • To minimise waste by evaluating operations and ensuring they are as efficient as possible.
  • To minimise toxic emissions through the selection and use of its fleet vehicles.
  • To actively promote re-use and/or recycling wherever possible.
  • To purchase, wherever possible, recycled materials and environmentally preferable goods.
  • To make all employees aware of Avantguard’s Environmental Policy, and encourage all employees to consider the environmental impacts of their daily activities.

Fleet Vehicles

Avantguard operate a fleet of modern vehicles.

All vehicles are regularly serviced in line with manufacturer specifications, to ensure they are running at optimal efficiency levels.

Vehicles are fitted with tracking devices, and mobile patrol zones and routes are planned to minimise vehicle mileage.

All members of the patrol driving team receive regular assessments by a fleet instructor. This focuses on teaching driving techniques which minimise wear and tear on the vehicle and improve fuel economy.

We are continually investigating the use of electrical vehicles as part of our fleet but currently the range of these vehicles are not sufficient to meet our needs. However, we have a strong working relationship with our vehicle supplier who is aware of our aims and continues to investigate options and ideas for the future.


Carbon Off-Setting

Avantguard are aware of the impact that our business operations have on the environment. The biggest impact is the carbon footprint of our fleet of vehicles providing mobile security services.

In an effort to off-set the carbon that our vehicles are producing, Avantguard were part of the Woodland Carbon Scheme which is a project of the Woodland Trust. Avantguard made annual contributions which each funded the planting of 500m2 of Native Woodland per year.

Up to July 2018, Avantguard funded the planting of 2000m² of Native Woodland, which is now absorbing 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. These figures are based on information provided by the Woodland Trust.

The Woodland carbon Scheme is no longer running so in 2019 Avantguard made a donation payment to the Woodland Trust for the equivalent sum that would normally have been invested into the scheme.

Since 2020, Avantguard have been signed up to provide a monthly donation to the Woodland Trust Carbon Donation scheme. This will help the trust to protect and add to their 1000+ woodlands which annually lock-up many tonnes of carbon in trees, shrubs and soils.

The monthly donation will help to capture and store around 15 tonnes of carbon, accumulating all the time.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/give/personal-carbon/faqs/

Future carbon projects currently under investigation will relate to the preservation of peat bogs.


Technology

Avantguard regularly investigates and assesses the use of new technology in order to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment.

Employees are encouraged to use email for the sending and receiving of information, in order to reduce the use of paper. Email recipients are encouraged not to print emails unless it is a necessity and wherever possible, Avantguard print documentation double sided in order to reduce the amount of paper consumed.

All computers are set to enter a low energy ‘sleep mode’ if not used for certain periods of time.


Recycling

All confidential company papers are shredded and the waste is either recycled or used in composting schemes.  

The purchase of printer toner cartridges is made through suppliers operating a recycling scheme, and all waste cartridges are returned to the supplier for appropriate re-use and/or recycling.

Batteries and light bulbs are disposed off through appropriate recycling collection points.

Employees are encouraged to re-use packaging and boxes wherever possible, but any unusable packing is recycled through appropriate recycling schemes.

Avantguard have been working with our stationery supplier to source ecologically friendly products wherever possible. Over time, we are developing a database of products which are recyclable and/or made from recycled materials. 

This year, Avantguard have been able to source a replacement system for our secure key storage which, although plastic, is 100% recyclable whereas the previous system was not. Approximately 75% of our system has now been moved over to the recyclable security seals and all future seals that we purchase will be recyclable.

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