Innovation Station: Joanne and Lee Put Frontline Experience at the Heart of Security Training

One of our recent Innovation Station winning ideas puts OCS security colleagues in front of the camera, using their real-life experience to teach others what good looks like, helping teams build skills, consistency and confidence.

What if the best people to show security colleagues how to do their jobs were the people doing those jobs every day?

That’s the thinking behind the winning Innovation Station idea from Joanne Lowe, Operations Support Manager (North and Yorkshire), and Lee Irvine, Crime Prevention Officer, from OCS UK&I’s Security business.

Their idea is to create officer-made training videos that bring best practice to life, showing colleagues what good looks like in real-life retail security situations. Covering everything from patrols and receipt checking to customer service and CCTV use, the videos would offer a practical, accessible way to help officers understand expectations and put them into practice.

Learning From Colleagues, for Colleagues

For Joanne and Lee, the idea grew from conversations about how training could better reflect the realities of frontline security work.

Both understand the importance of learning through practical examples. They also recognise that traditional, text-heavy training materials don’t work equally well for everyone. Short, visual videos could make information easier to understand, remember and revisit whenever colleagues need a refresher.

By featuring familiar faces from across the team, the videos would also help create stronger connections between colleagues, giving officers the opportunity to learn from people with direct experience of the situations they face.

Joanne, who supports security teams across North and Yorkshire, is passionate about ensuring officers have the knowledge, tools and support they need to do their jobs confidently.

That people-first approach is central to Innovation Station: sharing knowledge in a way that helps colleagues feel supported, understanding the reasons behind expectations and delivering the best possible service.

Making Training Relevant to the Frontline

Retail security can be demanding, with officers balancing safety, customer service and the requirements of the work environment. Clear, practical guidance can help colleagues understand how to respond appropriately while keeping themselves and others safe.

Short videos would provide a shared reference point for officers, helping reinforce consistent ways of working across teams. They could also support Crime Prevention Officers (CPOs) and other colleagues who deliver training, allowing them to build on the foundations covered in the videos and spend more time exploring questions and real-life scenarios.

For Lee, having guidance readily available is an important part of the idea. Officers could revisit the content when they need it, rather than relying solely on written instructions or waiting for someone to answer.

The idea also creates opportunities for colleagues to get involved in producing the videos, sharing their own experience and helping shape training that reflects the situations they encounter every day.

Turning Ideas Into Practical Improvements

Steven Moore, Managing Director Security UK, welcomed Joanne and Lee’s idea and its potential to make a practical difference to frontline teams.

The next step is to develop the idea into training content that reflects the situations security colleagues face every day.

The people doing the job know where practical guidance can make a difference. Their experience can help shape training that works on the frontline.