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Apprentice of The Year Awards: Celebrating Excellence and Success

Posted on by emmacook

OCS is pleased to announce the conclusion of its third annual Apprentice of The Year award ceremony, held on Wednesday, February 7th, in alignment with the UK’s National Apprenticeship Week. 

The purpose of our annual Apprentice of The Year award is to recognise and commend the dedication of our colleagues and their teams who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to our TRUE Values by actively engaging in upskilling and personal development. It is our privilege to offer the necessary resources and support to enable our colleagues to take significant strides in advancing their careers. Our dedicated Social Mobility team, specialising in tailored pathways for the facilities management industry, collaborates with esteemed partners and industry leaders, ensuring our apprentices receive the best experience. 

Our apprenticeship recognition and awards program features twelve monthly finalists, who have shown exemplary initiative within their programme gaining recognition from their line manager or skills coach as part of the nomination process. The selection process is based on nominees meeting either one or all of the PIBS criteria, namely;  

  • Personal achievement and progression
  • Impact of learning/Return on Investment (ROI) 
  • Behavioural change 
  • Self-management 

This culminates in the selection of an overall annual winner and a runner-up at the Apprentice of The Year ceremony. This year, Khalid Mahmood, an OCS Security Officer at HMCTS, secured the top position, earning a Distinction in his Level 3 training. Michelle Rowe, OCS Production Chef at Desborough College, displayed remarkable achievement as the deserving runner-up, successfully completing her level 2 qualification. 

We also extend our appreciation to our training service partners who have consistently gone beyond to provide our colleagues with exceptional support. In recognition of their outstanding contributions, we are pleased to announce that Mercury Training Services Ltd and GLP Training Ltd have been honoured as our Outstanding Training Providers of the Year. 

We take immense pride in the accomplishments of our apprentices, who consistently navigate the challenges of simultaneous learning and professional responsibilities. Their dedication is commendable, and we remain committed to fostering an environment that encourages continuous growth and development within our workforce. 

National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity for the education and skills sector to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make on communities, businesses, and the wider economy.

I am OCS’s Skills Development Manager here at the Department for Education, and it is great to see that positive impact being made through OCS’s apprenticeship programme. Since the pandemic, our focus on employer engagement has shifted slightly, with a greater emphasis on the quality of apprenticeships being delivered, rather than just encouraging more starts, and it is clear OCS’s approach is equally aligned with this.

Bertie Hutchins

Skills Development Manager (South), Department of Education

Dedicating myself to supporting the development of others is a priority for me. Individuals who choose to participate in our programs are expressing a commitment to self-improvement despite their demanding professional obligations. As a company, it is crucial for us to acknowledge and appreciate the effort and sacrifice made by those who embark on this journey of personal development. We take pride in recognising and valuing their commitment.

Tim Bowers

Apprenticeships & Funded Learning Capability Manager

Nurturing Culinary Excellence: Angel Hill’s ‘Culinary Classroom’ Programme

Posted on by danbarber
For the Love of Food

At Angel Hill, we know that the heart of exceptional catering lies in the passion and skill of our chefs. That’s why we’ve established the ‘Culinary Classroom,’ an internal chef training program designed to harness and elevate the culinary talents within our ranks.

The Culinary Classroom is a year-long journey that offers chefs from across our organisation the unique opportunity to hone their craft and delve deeper into the intricacies of the culinary world. With a strong focus on essential skills and a deep understanding of our supply chain, this program equips our chefs with the tools they need to excel in the dynamic catering industry.

Module Diversity

The heart of the Culinary Classroom lies in its diverse curriculum. Our chefs embark on a thrilling educational journey that encompasses various facets of their profession:

  • Kitchen Management: Chefs learn the art of efficient kitchen management, ensuring every culinary operation runs smoothly.
  • Seasonality: Understanding the ebb and flow of seasonal ingredients is crucial in crafting menus that showcase the best of each season.
  • Menu Planning: Chefs master the art of menu creation, crafting dishes that delight the palate and meet the highest culinary standards.
  • Practical Cookery Skills: Hands-on training ensures our chefs excel in practical culinary techniques, bringing their creations to life.
Beyond the Kitchen

The Culinary Classroom is more than just classroom learning. It’s an interactive, practical, and enjoyable experience. It encourages our chefs to break away from the routine of their daily tasks and venture out to explore the broader food chain.

Farm Visits: Our chefs first-hand see where our ingredients originate. These visits foster a deep appreciation for the quality and origin of our produce.

Workshops: Specialised workshops led by industry experts expand our chefs’ horizons and expose them to new culinary perspectives.

Trade Shows: The program includes visits to trade shows and culinary events, keeping our chefs up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations in the catering world.

A Path to Leadership

The Culinary Classroom is not just about enhancing skills; it’s also about nurturing leaders. We’re proud that many of our senior chefs have come through the ranks, starting their culinary journey with Angel Hill and rising to lead our ever-growing catering division.

In conclusion, the ‘Culinary Classroom program is a testament to our commitment to culinary excellence and the growth of our talented chefs. Through this initiative, we aim to ensure that every dish we serve reflects our team’s passion, dedication, and expertise. Angel Hill is not just a catering company; it’s a culinary journey filled with love and dedication to the art of food.

“Since its launch in 2015, we’ve had over 60 colleagues progress through their journeys in the class, and it’s been an absolute privilege of mine to mentor and guide our people. Giving our people the opportunity to have new experiences and gain knowledge, skills and confidence in their profession gives me immense pride; it’s a true pleasure to behold each year’s class bond over their shared passion, a love for food.”

“Over the year, our Culinary Classroom has paved the way for our aspiring chefs to achieve their goals and aspirations, taking them to places they never thought possible within the industry. It’s been an absolute privilege to be a part of it; I can’t wait to see and meet the new chefs we take onto the Culinary Classroom in the future.”

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Matt Vernon

Executive Development Chef

Best Experience: The Role of Amika Guest Services in Creating Outstanding Moments

Posted on by danbarber
Delivering the best experiences

In the world of hospitality, the role of guest services and concierge teams is pivotal. Amika Guest Services, with its unwavering commitment to excellence, stands at the forefront, bearing the responsibility of delivering the best experiences possible. These experiences can make all the difference, not only for guests but also for businesses, presentations, and overall productivity. Amika Guest Services plays a crucial role in ensuring that every interaction is exceptional and how these interactions contribute to the success of various endeavours.

Amika Guest Services understands that the little things matter. From when guests arrive to their departure, our dedicated team ensures that every detail is thoughtfully taken care of.

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be, focusing on creating an environment where everyone feels safe, welcome, and secure.

The Impact on Return Guests

Exceptional guest experiences are more than just a warm welcome. They are the foundation for building lasting relationships. A memorable stay can differ between guests choosing to return or seeking alternatives. At Amika Guest Services, we aim to win hearts and minds, creating customers and advocates for our brand.

Boosting Business Success

In today’s competitive business world, presentations and meetings are critical. The quality of the guest experience can significantly impact the outcome. Amika Guest Services ensures business meetings run smoothly, presentations go well, and teams are optimised for success. Our attention to detail and commitment to excellence contribute to the overall productivity of your organisation.

Operational Resilience and Safety

Amika Guest Services goes beyond hospitality; we are also dedicated to operational resilience and safety. We follow proper procedures and best practices to keep everyone safe. Leveraging the support of our other FM divisions, such as catering, hard services, and security and access controls, we provide comprehensive solutions to ensure the security and well-being of all.

First impressions that last

Amika Guest Services is about creating outstanding moments that leave a lasting impression. Whether for guests, business endeavours, or safety measures, our team’s mission is to make people and places the best they can be. We understand the significance of providing every essential service our customers might require. It’s a responsibility we take seriously; ensuring the satisfaction and well-being of our customers is always our top priority.

“We understand the significance of providing every essential service our customers might require. It’s a responsibility we take seriously; ensuring the satisfaction and well-being of our clients is always our top priority.”

Huanita Wallace

OCS Front of House Ambassador

OCS Poised for Growth through ‘Best’ Brand Vision and Strategy

Posted on by stephanieamata

We are delighted to announce our ambitious plan to double our revenue over the next five years, positioning ourselves as a leading force in the global FM market. This strategic move is marked by the launch of our new brand vision and strategy, tailored to meet the dynamic needs of outsourced services in the business world.

The five ‘best’ pillars are central to our strategy – delivering the best experiences, productivity, practices, resilience, and outcomes for customers, colleagues, and communities. We aim to meet and exceed evolving customer expectations by focusing on technology, enhancing customers’ productivity and continuing to lead on best practices for safety, efficiency and performance.

Mergers and acquisitions further bolster our growth, deliver enhanced service quality across all sectors, and improve procurement and compliance processes, leading to integrated, high-quality facility management solutions.

The five ‘best’ pillars, developed in collaboration with industry leaders and our senior leadership team, address the macro challenges in the industries we serve, including technology integration, sustainability, environmental compliance, and talent management. Customer priorities are evaluated, and bespoke solutions are developed to tackle complex challenges.

This brand vision is a progression from OCS’s merger with Atalian Servest’s UK, Ireland, and Asia operations in March 2023, creating one of the largest international facilities service providers. This merger has expanded our capacity to offer a broader range of services and expertise, adding value to customers, partners, colleagues, and communities.

Emphasising our evidenced action approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, we align our operations with global initiatives like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This alignment reflects our dedication to operating consistently with our values.

With over 50,000 colleagues in the UK and Ireland and a global workforce exceeding 120,000, we plan to outpace competitors by leveraging emerging AI technology and innovation in learning and development. This approach supports our net zero 2040 strategy and our focus on creating positive change.

Launching our new brand and vision is a pivotal moment for OCS. With a rich 124-year history, we’ve proven to constantly evolve to provide exceptional customer service and maintain our competitive edge. Our role as a provider of critical services across multiple sectors requires us to align perfectly with our customer’s service needs and objectives. Being best-in-class in facilities management and making people and places the best they can be is about being a trusted partner to our customers, adding measurable outcomes for their operations.

Daniel Dickson

CEO of UK and Ireland

Unity: Arthur McKay to Operate Under OCS Banner

Posted on by ameliaroberts

The OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – have been the driving force for us as we have transformed as a business following the merger of OCS and Atalian Servest.

Arthur McKay, a leading building support service organisation, was an Atalian Servest company that provided smart and integrated services to over 1,000 client sites around the UK. As part of the consolidation of our operations and unification of our purpose and vision, Arthur McKay will no longer exist as a separate entity and is instead operating under the OCS banner.

We will continue to provide the same services and solutions – mechanical and electrical, fire protection, building fabric and data networks, to name just a few. Our 1,500 colleagues from Arthur McKay will continue to utilise their specialist knowledge and skills to ensure that customers benefit from a solution tailored to their specific needs, but now have the additional benefit of the backing and support of the OCS business.

The unification of Arthur McKay and our Hard Services division is an exciting change and one in which we hope will take us one step closer to achieving our mission of making people and places the best they can be.

“Bringing Arthur McKay and the rest of the M&E and Hard Services businesses together as a single OCS division provides a far greater depth of capability and capacity. This ensures our customers receive the very best service and enables the drive for innovation.”

Nick Maggs

Managing Director – Hard Services

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.

OCS: Pioneers of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

Posted on by danbarber

Now Globally Recognised: Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

The Sunflower Lanyard Scheme, initially launched at Gatwick Airport by OCS Group to assist passengers with hidden disabilities, has been successfully adopted in airports globally. This innovative initiative, which began as a trial over the summer, has significantly enhanced the travel experience for thousands of passengers and their families worldwide with hidden disabilities such as dementia, autism, or hearing loss.

Discreet recognition

Introducing these distinctive lanyards lets travellers discreetly inform airport teams of their need for tailored assistance. The lanyard ensures they receive the proper support throughout their journey, such as extra time for processing information or preparing belongings before security screening. OCS assistance teams across the UK and globally have undergone specialised training to recognise and appropriately respond to these lanyards.

This scheme is part of a broader initiative by OCS Group, which provides assistance services at multiple airports across the UK & Ireland and globally. The initiative was informed by the “Challenging for Change” report, which captured the experiences of passengers with disabilities and suggested improvements. Follow-up workshops facilitated dialogue and idea exchange among airlines, airport operators, baggage handlers, disability groups, and support service providers.

Charity Partnership & Collaboration

Key UK charities like the Alzheimer’s Society, The National Autistic Society, and Action on Hearing Loss have collaborated with Gatwick Airport and OCS Group in this endeavour. At launch, Nikki Barton, Head of Terminals and Passenger Assistance at Gatwick, highlighted the scheme’s role in reducing travel stress for passengers with hidden disabilities and the importance of training for frontline teams in enhancing passenger experiences.

OCS Group has 60 years of expertise in the aviation sector and their commitment to excellence for passengers needing additional assistance. The lanyard scheme, born from extensive consultations with disability groups, aims to minimise misinterpretations of the specific needs associated with hidden disabilities.

Specialist Colleague Training

The lanyard scheme’s rollout was supported by comprehensive training, with NVQ Level 2 training in dementia care now standard for OCS teams in the departure lounges. Numerous Dementia Friends Champions have been trained across the airports to further the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme.

Sue Rennie, Alzheimer’s Society Services Manager for West Sussex North, said, “People with dementia and their family carers often find travelling daunting when faced with unfamiliar and busy airports. The lanyard scheme for passengers with hidden disabilities introduced at Gatwick offers reassurance to those who use it. It also helps airport teams know that they may require additional support, which can improve the passengers’ travel experience at the airport.”

Merger Completes Between Atalian Servest’s and OCS’s UK, Ireland and Asia Operations.

Posted on by danbarber

Atalian UK, Ireland and Asia operations to merge with OCS Group to create new, leading international FM provider

Following the recent acquisition of OCS Group by Clayton Dubilier & Rice, Atalian confirms the sale of its operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Asia to the private investment firm

In a move that will create one of the world’s largest international facilities service providers, Atalian Global Services has confirmed the sale of its UK, Ireland and Asia operations, along with its specialist automotive division Aktrion, to Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), the private investment firm that recently acquired OCS Group, with the intention that the businesses be merged over the next twelve months, opening a new chapter for the two firms.

Atalian’s Group CEO Rob Legge will become Group CEO of the newly merged businesses.

Further communication on this exciting news, including the company’s ambition and vision will be shared in the coming weeks ahead.

 

 

Groundhouse Giveback Scheme Raises £10,000 For Farmers in Need

Posted on by emmacook

Giving back to local communities

We have been working with the Capucas (COCAFCAL) Co-operative and donating £2 from every case of coffee we purchase, which then pays into a revolving fund that helps improve the living standards for the smaller coffee bean producers.

The needs of the farming community changes regularly, so the Giveback Programme allows the money to be invested in funds where it matters and is needed the most. The fund has been developed as support to small producers’ specific needs such as improvement of housing, shelters and production infrastructure – which will benefit both the producers and their families, with the aim of increasing the economic and productive income for the farmers of the Capucas.

From courses on growing vegetables to reduce food costs and improve health, to providing tools they need to harvest, as well as basic housing and infrastructure improvements, the fund helps with whatever the community needs.

This year our Groundhouse Give Back Programme has hit an amazing total of £10,000!

This money will positively impact improving living standards in the farming communities, from where we source some of our Blend 7 coffee. We are incredibly proud of our teams, they have been working extremely hard to promote our Groundhouse Coffee brand and have been serving nothing less than the best coffee.

“We decided to start a field school for the implementation of vegetables where more than 30+ Households have participated, including young people between 17 to 25 years and adults. This will benefit small producers, who lack suitable conditions to live in dignity and offer better spaces to their coffee in each harvest. It’s also being used for inputs, equipment, and first-hand tools such as mowers, pumps, inputs, etc. Thankyou Groundhouse, this money will change lives!”

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Capucas café

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.”

Reflection on the First Year as New OCS by Rob Legge, Group CEO

Posted on by ameliaroberts

As 2023 draws to a close, I’ve reflected on what has been a gratifying year. Having started the year as CEO of Atalian Servest, I was honoured and excited to take up the role of Group Chief Executive of the newly formed OCS following its merger with Atalian Servest’s operations in the UK, Ireland, and Asia in March 2023.

As two stonewalls of the industry, I knew the underlying strength of both the Atalian Servest and OCS and believed in the great potential that combining them would create. The merger presented us with the opportunity to take the best bits from both businesses to develop a genuine disruptor in the international facilities management landscape.

That said, I was also cognisant of the challenging macro picture. Rising interest rates and persistent inflation have created difficulties for our customers and colleagues. I knew from the outset that we would need to adapt holistically to successfully position ourselves as the partner and employer of choice in the market.

Resilience: A Pillar of Strength in Challenging Times

The merger was more than a business transaction; it was an opportunity to redefine our purpose and values, ensuring we build our most compelling offering for our customers. In my experience in this industry, I’ve seen that having resilience is crucial to success. With 2023 being as challenging as it has been for business generally, this quality has never been more critical.

At OCS, we’re on a mission to become the best facilities service provider in the world. I’ve been encouraged to see how colleagues across the business have responded to this challenge, often in testing conditions, to ensure we meet the high standards we promise to deliver. Indeed, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a testament to the resilience and drive of our colleagues. I thank every one of them for their valued contribution and commitment.

TRUE Values: Guiding Our Journey with Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment

Similarly, I have been proud to see our TRUE values—Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment—guiding us through this transformative period. I’ve seen evidence of these values in practice helping to shape our business for the better as we grow at pace over the coming years.

Trust: It’s all in the Process

In my experience, trust is the bedrock upon which successful mergers are built. Trust in our collective vision, trust in our strategy, and trust in the capabilities of our teams have been instrumental to our success this year.

Indeed, the success of our merger can be seen in the flagship customer wins we’ve achieved throughout the year (Royal Parks, Government Property Agency, and Irish Rail, to name a few). Winning a business’s trust is never something we take for granted, and we work to be the best partner we can be.

Respect: A Foundation for Collaboration and Sustainability

Respect for our colleagues and a broader sustainability approach have been at the forefront of our endeavours. Respectful collaboration has enabled us to unite as one business with a shared vision and mission. While this principle covers many aspects of our business, one particularly evident area is our 2040 net-zero commitment, a testament to our dedication to setting the standard for excellence in compliance and responsible stewardship.

Unity: One Business, One Vision

Since the very early stages of the merger, I have been impressed with how the new OCS has presented itself as a singular, cohesive business entity. The merger was a consolidation of operations and a unification of purpose and vision.

Over this year, I’ve had the opportunity to visit several of our teams on the front line across the globe. Every time I make one of these trips, I’m inspired time and time again to see how colleagues pull together to provide the market-leading service our business is known for.

Empowerment: Investing in Our Teams

Empowerment, a commitment to investing in our teams, is a cornerstone of our strategy. Our success is intrinsically tied to the growth and development of our people. By empowering our colleagues and encouraging them to take ownership, make decisions, and shape the future of our business, we nurture future leaders within our organisation.

The merger has allowed us to combine the best initiatives from both organisations into one holistic approach. We proudly offer schemes that offer access to employment for people who may not get the opportunity, ensuring we select from as broad a talent pool as possible and offer apprenticeships and progression schemes across the business to support development.

Serving Communities: A Responsibility We Cherish

Integral to our identity is our role as responsible and sustainable members of the communities we serve. Our goal is to manage spaces efficiently and create a positive impact on the people and places we touch. This mindset permeates every aspect of our business and drives the support we offer locally in those countries where we operate.

As we move forward, OCS’ BEST strategy and TRUE values remain the driving force behind our mission to make people and places the best they can be. We are a unified global team with one identity and vision. We are poised for growth, and I want OCS to become the market leader in the facilities management industry. Reflecting on the first ten months of this transformative journey, I have nothing but confidence in our ability to achieve our goal.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Appoints OCS as Part of a £10 Million Investment Programme

Posted on by peterstatham

As part of its commitment to delivering a safe, secure, and reliable electricity supply, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has awarded OCS a 5-year contract to support the upkeep of all its steel towers across its central southern England distribution area. This initiative forms part of SSEN’s £10 million investment to ensure that its 33kV and 132kV steel towers are in the best possible condition for its 3.1m customers.

A team of OCS specialist colleagues will be responsible for applying new coats of specialist anti-corrosion paint to the towers, which provides protection from the elements and prolongs the working lifespan of this essential infrastructure. All colleagues delivering these works are trained in tower climbing, rescue and Emergency First Aid and, importantly safety from the high voltage electricity system.

This work involves working at height in varying weather conditions, so wind direction and wind speed are monitored and used to manage overspray risks during the works. As well as remote and rural areas the towers can often be in challenging locations.

Technology will play a key role in streamlining on-site works with a bespoke OCS app providing real-time management information, giving teams on the ground live information on sites completed and notifications when each stage of works is ready for quality checks before being marked as fully completed. Real-time progress reports are used by the management team and are also available to the client.

“This is a key project for us over the next six months. The 33kV and 132kV steel towers are the backbone of our network, so it’s crucial that we do all we can to ensure that they’re in the best possible condition, continuing to power homes and businesses across central southern England all year round.”

Martin Bailey

SSEN’s Project Manager

“The decision by SSEN to select us as a framework partner to support them in maintaining their steel towers network, is testament to the proven skills and expertise of our teams and our market leading position. This is vital work that will ensure these communities can continue to be assured of a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity and we are proud to be part of it.”

Barry Creswick

Director of Tower Painting at OCS

“This £10m programme of works a key part of our commitment to delivering a safe, secure, and reliable power supply for our customers. With electricity playing such an important role in all our daily lives, be that at home, at school or at work, it’s vital that we do all we can to ensure the overhead Line infrastructure is in the best condition possible.”

Chris Slingsby

SSEN’s Head of Works Delivery