Category: Our People

Collaborative Working to Ensure Passenger Safety at the UEFA Europa League Final in Dublin

Posted on by daireleonard

Last week, as the city geared up for the UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) and OCS security services were busy implementing increased security measures to ensure the safety and smooth transit of the large crowds expected at the Aviva Stadium.

The team had been working closely with Iarnród Éireann for over two months assisting and advising on the development of a comprehensive security plan to manage the influx of thousands of European football fans.

Our security colleagues play an essential role in assisting with crowd control measures and managing the flow of spectators in stations and onboard trains, which is vital for the safety of all attendees using the train services on match days. The key to a successful matchday for both Iarnrod Eireann and OCS is close collaboration with various stakeholders, and listening to their views, concerns and suggestions.

Last weeks success was the result of this collaboration. Our transport security team are experienced and trained to manage any situation that might arise, and last weeks deployment was the perfect example of ensuring passenger safety through correct crowd control processes.

The matchday operation commenced around 3 pm following a final brief, as pictured, with the customer and senior management, with passenger volumes starting to noticeably increase closer to 5 pm. We deployed an additional 22 static officers across several stations in the Lansdown area to ensure smooth access and egress, and to assist with station bag searches where required. Additionally, we increased our onboard presence by 25% to tackle any potential anti-social behaviour and confiscate any open alcoholic beverages.

As with many large-scale sporting events, local councils working in conjunction with Iarnrod Eireann and An Garda Síochána had implemented essential matchday practices, including traffic restrictions and the closure of Landsdown Road station as an added safety precaution due to the very different spectator profiles in attendance. An Garda Síochána had put in place a comprehensive security plan for the UEFA Europa League Final, that included a significant presence of uniformed security personnel, along with specialist units.

Fortunately, there were no incidents reported and by all accounts provided by our security team, both sets of fans were incredibly well-behaved and fully enjoyed the night and the atmosphere. For our team, this meant a short debrief at midnight before heading home after a truly successful night.

Hosting prestigious events such as the Europa League Final is an honour for Dublin City, and it’s an event that residents look forward to hosting and welcoming football fans from around the world. This is why ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees is of the utmost importance and our team of dedicated security personnel are always glad to play their part in making it a success.

A World FM Day Celebration – Stuart Beards, Security Operations Director

Posted on by daireleonard

Stuart is an OCS Operations Director for the Security Division, he ensures our operational teams are delivering the highest standards of contract delivery for our customers, whilst supporting our front-line colleagues with the resources and equipment to perform their jobs safely. This strategic position within the division supports and manages the strategy set by the MD and Business Director. 

Continuing our celebrations of World FM Day, we are focusing on Stuart’s FM career, how his security expertise integrates within the wider FM business and how he sees the FM industry shaping up in the years ahead. 

After leaving the Royal Marines in 2017, Stuart started his journey in security and FM as a security officer and over the following four years continued to progress, becoming the duty security manager of the largest nuclear construction project in Europe. But Stuart’s progression wasn’t limited to his security career, he also pushed himself academically, achieving qualifications like NEBOSH, an honours BSc Degree in Risk and Security Management, and PRINCE 2 project management among others. 

Stuart’s passion for security and protection continued to drive his progress, leading him to London as a security risk manager and then to Atalian Servest as a regional security operations manager. Shortly after joining Atalian, Stuart’s academic qualifications were crucial in supporting his team’s planning and successful delivery of two major events G7 and COP 26, which led him into a regional director position. More recently, following the merger of OCS and Atalian Servest and the subsequent acquisition of Profile Security, Stuart took on a new position within the business as the security operations director for South UK.

Stuart’s continued inspiration comes from a thirst for knowledge of all things security but he is also driven by the daily challenges that our industry presents, and helping customers find the right answers. “Our customers are coming to us for a solution, and I get to be part of the team that finds the right solution” 

The FM industry is about people, and Stuart is very much a people person which is important in a team-based environment. ”I enjoy visiting customers across various sectors as I get to see some amazing projects, buildings and people. The most inspiration that I take from the FM industry is the people who work within it. We are very much a people-led business”

“OCS has given me everything I need and more to ensure that I succeed. I have been fully supported by my line manager and was very lucky to be officially mentored by our UK and Ireland CEO, Daniel Dickson, whose insight and feedback were instrumental to my success”

While his drive and passion for learning have been the primary factors in his academic achievements, Stuart is quick to acknowledge the impact of having a supportive team that mentors its members and the vital role an organisation plays in its people’s personal development.

So for those considering a career within FM, how can Stuart’s lived experiences offer insight? Having started on the front line as a Security Officer, it was Stuart’s hunger to succeed that kept driving him forward, to continue learning and developing. He firmly believes that hard work pays off, and that attitude is often more important than ability. “It’s so important to have passion for what you do, that hunger to succeed is more important than ability if they lack that drive. You do need to work hard, learning and development should be continuous, and take all you can from the mentorship offered by your management team. No one knows everything, so build relationships with those who can support and guide you.”

For Stuart, the FM industry is heading towards an exciting future, where technology and automation will play a huge part in advancing and impacting the industry. In security, E-Guarding is the new exciting space being implemented, a blend of technological solutions and people to provide the best outcome for our customers, driven by data and insights. People will always be central within the FM industry, however, the more advanced technology becomes, the more we can tailor our services based on data, providing cost savings to our customers and improving site security through AI-detected threats. 

OCS Facilities Services

A World FM Day Celebration: Carl Gage, Regional Director, Hard Services

Posted on by daireleonard

Carl is one of the Regional Directors within Technical Services that sits within the overall OCS Hard Services Business, responsible and accountable for six key customers across a number of services.

As part of our World FM Day celebrations, we are doing a deep dive into Carl’s FM career, to provide insight into the industry and inspire the next generation of FM professionals.

Carl’s entry into FM was varied, from catering in the military to becoming a Health and Safety Advisor, following his father’s footsteps. Eventually, Carl quickly moved into operations, which he has worked in for 8 years of his 12-year career in FM. “I have been extremely fortunate in my career to date and have been given some fantastic opportunities which I have grasped with both hands”. 

The world of FM is different every single day, but the main benefits are that you get to work with talented and like-minded colleagues and customers. What inspires Carl to work in FM is that many people bring so many different skills and experience which makes for a great team. “Every day is a learning experience which enables us to work smarter for our customers ultimately making the experience for their end users better each day”.

OCS gave Carl opportunities to grow by giving him autonomy and the ability to influence change, two crucial factors in facilitating career growth. 

“OCS is a fast-paced business and is growing all the time, which means the opportunities to grow come thick and fast which I will always take and run with”.

Carl’s key advice for anyone looking to get into FM would be to be open-minded, take nothing for granted and grasp all the opportunities that come your way. A career in FM has endless possibilities and many different paths that can be taken.

In Carl’s opinion, the future innovations in FM will vary from automation, data analytics, and many more, which will all impact our customers positively, but ultimately one thing to remember is that what makes FM so unique are the people that deliver the service to our customers. “Our people ultimately are the ones that make our customer experience greater daily. That is one of the reasons I’m passionate about OCS’s TRUE Values”. 

OCS Facilities Services

A World FM Day Celebration – Tony Parkinson, Sector Director, Hard Services

Posted on by daireleonard

Tony is responsible for directing the Technical Services division within OCS, which has 1,000 team members delivering planned and reactive maintenance across a range of contracts and buildings throughout the UK.

As part of our World FM Day celebrations, we are doing a deep dive into Tony’s FM career and journey, to provide insight into the industry and inspire the next generation of FM professionals.

From a young age, Tony had taken a keen interest in physical elements and how things worked. This led him to start his career as an electrical engineer, he then worked his way into management in his early 20s. Naturally, Tony’s career progressed into the FM industry to lead large and diverse teams for over 25 years. Tony’s most recent experience has been supporting growth strategies including the evaluation and mobilisation of new opportunities in the UK and our global regions.

“Our customers are committed to ensuring they have safe, efficient, and pleasurable buildings for their end customers and employees. This drives the FM industry to be an innovative market and suits my desire for advancement and making a difference in the environment”. Tony has been fortunate to work with inspirational teams who make a huge difference to our customers’ buildings and enforce the moves towards a more sustainable and ethical future.

“OCS has a positive people culture and has empowered me to manage my business and ultimately our customer requirements and promises”.

Tony saw OCS as an innovator, pushing high-quality service delivery at our customer sites, and overall OCS has the scale and drive to reach ambitious growth targets.

FM is a wide and diverse arena, and future FM professionals should spend time considering what elements excite them the most and aim for the vocational and academic path that suits their needs.  “My advice would be to start with a specialist area to focus on and gain the FM experience whether soft or hard services or wider support functions such as commercial, financial or procurement”.

OCS Facilities Services

Tony sees three key innovations as part of the future of FM; Automation, data analytics and building intelligence. “We have strong targets to help the government and customers meet their strategic carbon reduction commitments. These commitments need a solid understanding of data to support the investment into smarter, more efficient buildings. In turn, this will also ensure space is managed effectively and aligns with core requirements of FM”

A World FM Day Celebration – Razvan Paun, FM Contracts Manager – An FM Career Ignited

Posted on by daireleonard

Razvan is an FM Contracts Manager within Ireland’s Leinster region, ensuring customers are delivered with a full suite of hard and soft services, overseeing planned and reactive maintenance and delivering operational requirements in line with contractual KPIs and SLAs.

As part of our World FM Day celebrations, we wanted to do a deep dive into Razvan’s FM career and journey, to provide insight into the industry and inspire the next generation of FM professionals.

Razvan’s journey, like many others within the industry, started as a frontline operative within cleaning. It wasn’t long before his consistently high standards were noticed, and his career progression started. After a few months, Razvan became a supervisor, then an industrial cleaning manager, an area manager and then a regional manager. It was at this point he joined OCS, as a cleaning contracts manager.

“My contracts were both standalone cleaning services and part of wider TFM contracts”. It was at OCS that opportunities opened up for career progression. As a global FM provider, the size of the OCS business provided the opportunity to work alongside different disciplines within the same organisation, allowing Razvan greater collaboration and learning.

“I worked closely with my colleagues from the FM team, and began to learn more about the FM operations”. FM operations might have been a new area for Razvan, but he quickly knew that it interested him and was something he wanted to explore. As his interests and experience grew, Razvan jumped at the opportunity to become an FM contracts manager last year, “It was the use of innovative systems and the technology supporting a customer’s entire building that appealed to me”

Razvan’s continued inspiration comes from the collaboration between other business units, contractors, and the customer, and being the individual responsible for overseeing the whole contract and ensuring the best outcome for the customer.

The transition in any role can be challenging, having the necessary support structures in place is vital for development and progression. Razvan is grateful for the support he received and attributes his success not just to the training and development provided by OCS, but also to the close mentorship individuals provided in the early stages of his new role.

“OCS provided me with a comprehensive training plan including online, onsite manager training courses and external training identified by management. My biggest support though, was the mentoring and coaching I received from my manager. They put the time in to ensure I understood every aspect of the role, from the operations, financial and business development side. This gave me the confidence I needed to make decisions and use my initiative, knowing my manager was there to support and advise me.”

This year’s World FM Day is themed heavily around inspiration, and driving people towards a career in FM, and Razvan was keen to highlight the benefits of an FM career. Although he admits it’s a little cliché, Razvan points out that no two days are the same and that satisfaction continues to inspire him every day.

“FM is a very attractive industry, you will learn something new and unexpected every day. You’re always connecting with new people, and the sense of achievement you get from the job is what I love the most. You will never regret choosing a career in FM, it was the best professional decision I made.”

The future is bright for Razvan, and in his opinion the FM Industry too, with an increased focus on carbon reduction and sustainability, he believes this will continue to drive innovations within FM. ”Everything needs to be considered, the most minor aspects, reducing paper usage, greener lighting, energy usage, travel reduction, waste collections, the list goes on. But this is what makes FM such an exciting space to be involved in right now and into the future.”

Keeping things fresh: How our Ireland Catering team delivers fresh food and even fresher concepts to customers.

Posted on by daireleonard

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be, so what better way than to continuously deliver fresh, nutritious food offerings for our customers?

We serve thousands of meals annually, and our focus is always on delivering healthy and enjoyable dining experiences. So how do we do it?

At the heart of our continuing catering success is Jason Le Lievre, Culinary Director at OCS Ireland. Jason focuses on partnering with local food suppliers whose stories align with our values and mission, to be the best. He strongly believes in the power of local connections and the quality of local Irish produce. Our commitment to sustainability means sourcing responsibly, minimising food waste, and supporting eco-conscious practices.

Developing new and exciting menus is challenging, but our catering team are bringing fresh food concepts that offer healthy and nutritious options to our customers every day. Our menus are reflective of the seasons and brought to life by the talent within our team. By using seasonal ingredients our menus capture the essence of each time of year, further celebrate local produce, and deliver the freshest flavours to our customers.

Jason’s passion lies in crafting new food concepts that not only consider produce, nutrients and flavour but also cost. With correct craftsmanship, technique, and imagination our team can create memorable dishes without compromising on quality.

“Our team has the talent, technique and imagination to continually push the boundaries on our menus.”

Jason Le Lievre

Culinary Director, OCS Ireland

As Culinary Director, Jason is always seeking inspiration, which means keeping up to date with the latest food trends by eating out, talking with industry colleagues, reviewing social media content and devouring as many cookbooks as he can get his hands on. Below is just a sample of some of the incredible catering offerings that he has served up across our customer sites.

Irish Catering services creations

Fore-ward Thinking: Security swings into support NIHE Charity Golf Day!

Posted on by daireleonard

When asked by our customer, Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), last summer to take part in an upcoming Charity Golf Day our security team were thrilled to support. OCS provide security services at NIHE sites across Northern Ireland and has become a trusted partner, as such, we knew we wanted to sponsor the event in aid of Age NI.

Every two years, the NIHE’s fundraising committee selects a chosen charity to support through fundraising events within the organisation, and for 2023/24 and 2024/25 their chosen charity is Age NI – a leading charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to improving the quality of life for older citizens, fostering a society where we can all thrive as we age.

In attendance from the OCS team were Vincent Galvin, Key Account Manager and Alan Kelly, Security Operations Manager who managed to dig out the clubs from the back of the shed and dust them off. They certainly looked the part and helped raise much-needed funds for Age NI, but the less said about their performance, the better.

We thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this event and supporting our partner NIHE.  Collectively we managed to raise a total of £8,260 for Age NI through the event.

It is truly gratifying to be able to support our customers in their efforts to boost social and charitable initiatives within their local communities. Events like these are integral to our own commitments to social value and community empowerment.

We are delighted to be able to support Age NI and all of the important work that they do across Northern Ireland.

I would like to thank everyone who donated and got involved in our fundraising, and also the fundraising committee and the colleagues who were involved in organising these fundraising activities.

Grainia Long

Chief Executive

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be. This means supporting our customers by delivering the best services possible but also helping them achieve their wider Environmental, Social and Governance goals.

Age NI is a fantastic charity that is essential for the older community in NI and OCS was privileged to support this event.

Aine Mulcahy

Managing Director OCS Ireland

The Power of Listening: Why our colleague engagement survey is essential

Posted on by ameliaroberts

Embracing global perspectives

Every one of our OCS colleagues is valued, and as the Group Chief People Officer at OCS, in a company as diverse as ours and spread across numerous countries and embracing many languages and cultures, it’s imperative to truly listen to our colleagues. This understanding forms the bedrock of our strategy to become the world’s leading facilities service company.

The significance of every voice

In an organisation as vast as OCS, the insights and experiences of our colleagues, particularly those on the front lines, are invaluable. These team members are the eyes and ears of our operations, interacting directly with our customers and experiencing first-hand the daily challenges and triumphs. We must not only hear their voices but actively listen and engage with them.

Beyond the survey: A commitment to action

Conducting a colleague engagement survey is vital in this engagement process. However, the true essence of these surveys lies in what we do with the information we gather. It’s about turning feedback into action, ensuring every suggestion and insight raised is addressed, not just acknowledged. This approach isn’t just about improving our operational efficiency; it’s about fostering a culture where every colleague feels respected, valued, and heard.

Creating a stronger, unified OCS

Our ambition to be the best in the world is deeply intertwined with our internal culture. Engaging our colleagues through these surveys is more than just gathering data; it’s about empowering them to shape the future of OCS. Their insights are pivotal in crafting policies and practices that resonate with our diverse workforce, driving us towards a cohesive and inclusive organisational culture.

Conclusion: Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement

In our journey towards making people and places the best they can be, the engagement and satisfaction of our colleagues remains a top priority. Through our engagement surveys, we’re not just collecting opinions but inviting our colleagues to participate actively in our journey towards excellence. By listening and responding to them, we are enhancing their experience at OCS and reinforcing our position as a global leader. Together, we are building an exemplary OCS in service, colleague satisfaction, and engagement.

Sean Fisher’s OCS Journey to Cleaning CEO

Posted on by danbarber

Summary

  • Sean joined Servest UK in 2003, and his first role saw him become a regular at Sheffield’s famous Gatecrasher nightclub
  • Treating the business as your own is an important mindset for success, Sean believes
  • Success for Sean is OCS becoming synonymous with being the best
OCS’s newly appointed CEO of Cleaning, Sean Fisher, has a long association with both the legacy OCS business and cleaning as a profession.

It was back in 2003 that Sean, who originally hails from South Africa, began working for what was then Servest UK as a site supervisor, after studying IT in his homeland.

Over the two decades that followed, Sean led retail and cleaning divisions, and served as Chief Operating Officer at Atalian Servest, before being appointed to head up the new OCS cleaning division.

“To take on that first role with Servest, I needed to move to Sheffield – so I moved in with our cleaners,” says Sean.

“I moved into the house they were sharing, and they taught me how to clean. I started with Gatecrasher nightclub and Bed nightclub, before moving into an area management role, and then moving to the head office in Bury St Edmunds.”

The attributes for success

Since then, Sean’s played a key role in a business that’s experienced sizeable organic growth, but those early experiences cemented in his mind the attributes that are needed to succeed.

“People need to be passionate about what they do, believe in what they do, and treat the business as if it was their own.”

Sean Fisher

CEO of Cleaning

“You’ve got to have the energy and the edge – the pace at which we operate is relentless, but at the same time, it’s good fun.”

The new OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – sit well with Sean, who believes when you find the right people, it makes everything else significantly easier.

“That’s everything we stand for, as a business, as a cleaning business, and myself as an individual,” he says.

“When you get the right people, who are true to those values, you have a successful business – and I think those values suit us perfectly.”

Putting values into practice

In practice, for Sean, those values look fairly simple – but the impact they can have is seismic.

“You’ve got to be professional, polite and well-mannered – that’s a given,” he says.

“At the start of every shift, you’ve got to be on site before the shift starts. I expect all of my operators to be visible on site, engaging with customers, and making sure they’re getting the best out of their team in terms of productivity and standards.”

And that engagement with customers – which builds unity and trust, as well as demonstrating respect – is essential to building partnerships that truly help people and places be their best.

“It’s important to build those relationships because, together, we’ll achieve significantly better outcomes,” says Sean.

“We do a lot of relationship mapping, from site level all the way to procurement and CEOs, and if you get that right, you can have the right conversations with the right people – you’re not forcing a relationship, but building something that will be beneficial for both parties in the longer term.”

Building solid foundations for OCS

A successful relationship can deliver a number of strong outcomes,  made possible by the successful day-to-day delivery of services. Those longer-term outcomes are something Sean is focused on in his new role as CEO of Cleaning.

First, however, comes a period of building the foundations that will serve the new OCS business well over the decades to come.

“My main objective this year is to get things like budgets, succession plans and performance management right, ensuring we have the right people in the right roles, and are giving the right opportunities to those people, too,” he says.

“That will create an incredibly solid foundation from which we can build upon and deliver on our overall business mission.”

That mission is, of course, to be the best facilities management business in the world, making people and places the best they can be – and it’s a mission that enthuses Sean as looks ahead to the coming months and years.

He says, “OCS needs to stand for quality, and I want to help OCS become synonymous with being the best.”

Valerie Dale, OCS Group Chief People Officer, attends back to the floor visit

Posted on by ameliaroberts

Valerie Dale, OCS Group Chief People Officer, recently attended a back to the floor visit at one of our laundry facilities in Feltham.

Valerie’s day began with a tour of the site where she saw our fantastic colleagues and machinery in action. During the tour she learnt some impressive stats about the facilities, including that from January 2023 to August 2023, our dedicated team washed 74,675,556 kgs and processed 46,414,728 pieces of laundry, a true showcase of how exceptional our colleagues are at what they do!

Valerie’s first job of the day was ironing and her skills were put to the test as she aimed to meet the hourly ironing targets our colleagues achieve.

She then got stuck in with the laundry sorting where she worked with the team to make sure each item was put into the correct bag before it was prepared to be washed. After only 45 minutes, Valerie and the team managed to sort through an impressive 2.2 tonnes of laundry!

OCS Colleague Lisa Byrne is empowering Dublin’s Liberties

Posted on by daireleonard

Nestled in the heart of Dublin’s vibrant Liberties, a remarkable story of compassion and community dedication takes centre stage. Lisa Byrne, a valued member of the OCS team, is not only a native of the Liberties but also dedicates her expertise to the local community while working at the Guinness Storehouse within OCS’ cleaning division. While her journey may seem similar to many of us, Lisa’s life narrative transcends the ordinary, exemplifying the true spirit of selflessness.

Beyond her role at OCS, Lisa plays a pivotal role as a founder and volunteer with the Liberty Soup Run, a community volunteer group in Dublin 8 with a mission to extend a lifeline to those experiencing homelessness and families on their journey out of it.

This heart-warming initiative, initiated in 2019 by Lisa’s husband, Cristopher O’Reilly, has undergone a remarkable transformation. It began as a humble table offering a modest array of sandwiches and biscuits. Today, it stands as a sprawling city-wide operation. Lisa, Christopher, and a dedicated team of over 30 volunteers invest their time and energy seven days a week, providing a range of support services, meals, clothing, toiletries, and other essential items to those in dire need.

Each Thursday, you’ll find Lisa and her young family at the Liberty Soup Run stall on Thomas Street, distributing food parcels, hot beverages, and essential items to Dublin’s homeless community. Additionally, the Liberty Soup Run have a Walking Outreach Team to reach individuals who are unable to make the journey to Thomas Street, and the Liberty Soup Run van is out on the streets of Dublin every evening, offering the same vital supports. It’s important to note that the Liberty Soup Run doesn’t rely on government funding and heavily depends on the generosity of the public for donations and support.

For Christopher, the larger goal is to initiate long-term change and provide treatment for those they assist. “Breaking the cycle” for many individuals grappling with addiction is a crucial step towards permanent homelessness solutions. Christopher has already played a pivotal role in getting over 100 individuals into treatment centres, and his next aspiration is to establish his own rehabilitation clinic. He believes that it’s not just about feeding them; it’s about giving them a purpose and getting them off the streets for good.

Lisa’s story and her work serve as a poignant reminder that even amidst our daily responsibilities, each of us possesses the potential to be a catalyst for positive change within our communities. Her remarkable journey embodies the transformative power of compassion and unwavering dedication to a better world.

For more information on how you can support the Liberty Soup Run and its various initiatives, please visit their official website at https://www.facebook.com/liberty.souprun.9

OCS Foundation: People into Work programme

Posted on by ameliaroberts
What is the People into Work programme?

People into Work is a unique UK programme, developed by the OCS Foundation, which aims to change individuals’ lives for the better by bringing sustainable employment opportunities to local individuals who have been in long-term unemployment, are ex-serving personnel, or face specific mental health or physical challenges.

Our people are the heart of everything we do as a business and our people-centred approach is what allows us to deliver not only the best practices and best experiences for our customers, but the best place of work for our employees.

The programme has already supported over 290 people with their own employment journey, and over 50 people have been brought into sustainable employment within OCS to date.

Jeffrey’s story

OCS helped Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Jeffrey Akrasi return to work. With support from The Forces Employment Charity, Jeffrey obtained the necessary qualifications and is now a Deputy Contract Manager at WLNT NHS Trust.

“I came into the West London contract on January 22nd after serving three tours in the army. I transitioned my employment into OCS from FEC, a well-known forces employment charity. I’m looking forward to remaining in the OCS family and working to the company’s values.”