OCS Strengthens UK Security Capability with City Group Security Acquisition

The acquisition brings 600 new colleagues into OCS, adding scale and specialist capability in canine security, keyholding and alarm response.   Learn More

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    Keyholding Services

    Protect your people from out of hours call outs with secure key custody, trained mobile response and clear escalation for commercial premises and multi-site estates.

    Talk to Our Security Team
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Reduce the Risk Around Every Call Out

An alarm outside normal hours can leave facilities teams with a difficult choice. Someone must attend quickly, but the cause may be unclear and the site may be unsafe. Delayed attendance can extend disruption, while an untrained keyholder may not know how to preserve evidence, coordinate emergency support or secure the premises before leaving. Commercial keyholding puts a trained responder between the alert and your people.

Keep employees away from hazardous out-of-hours situations.
Reduce delays caused by unavailable or distant internal keyholders.
Apply a consistent response across every site.
Create a clear record of attendance, findings, actions and escalation.
  • A man wearing an OCS-branded jacket and lanyard smiles while standing in front of large computer screens displaying various data and charts in a modern control room.
  • A person sits at a desk with multiple computer monitors displaying charts, graphs, and data, working in a control room with large screens showing dashboards and information in the background.
  • A man in a suit and yellow tie smiles at the camera while standing in a modern control room with multiple computer monitors and people working in the background.

Connected Monitoring and Clear Operational Visibility

The OCS National Operations Centre provides a central point for 24/7 alarm monitoring, incident triage, escalation and mobile response coordination, operating to European Alarm Receiving Centre Category 1 standards.

Digital incident records provide a consistent account of alerts, attendance and outcomes, helping identify repeat activations, recurring faults and location patterns.

Where new or upgraded alarms, video surveillance or access control are needed, OCS Security Systems can design the technology layer, while keyholding remains focused on custody, attendance and resolution.

Designed for Commercial and Multi-Site Environments

Commercial keyholding can support individual locations or larger estates with different operating hours, access arrangements and risk profiles.

  • Commercial Offices

    Commercial Offices

    Supporting secure access and response across offices, workplaces and managed estates.

  • Retail and Leisure

    Retail and Leisure

    Protecting retail stores, shopping environments and leisure venues with clear response arrangements.

  • Manufacturing

    Manufacturing

    Supporting warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing sites operating across varied hours.

  • Construction and Utilities

    Construction and Utilities

    Managing secure access and response across construction projects, utilities and infrastructure locations.

  • Healthcare and Education

    Healthcare and Education

    Supporting healthcare, education and public sector premises with site specific response plans.

  • Vacant Properties

    Vacant Properties

    Providing keyholding support for properties that are temporarily closed, vacant or awaiting handover.

Proven, Trusted, Accredited

Security services are delivered within robust governance and compliance frameworks, supported by recognised industry accreditations and rigorous training standards. Independent audits, continuous assessment and established best practice ensure services are delivered safely, consistently and in line with regulations..

Explore Our Latest Security News, Insights and Customer Projects

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Talk to Our Security Team

Tell us where you need keyholding, how alarms are currently managed and what a successful response looks like for your operation. Our security team will use those details to shape the right custody, attendance and escalation model.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • A keyholding service allows an approved security provider to hold controlled access keys and attend the property when an alarm activates or another agreed call-out occurs. The responder follows site-specific instructions, investigates safely and escalates the incident as required.

  • The alert is assessed through the agreed monitoring or call-out route and a response officer is dispatched. At the site, the officer carries out the authorised checks, records findings and follows the escalation plan. This may include contacting a nominated person, the emergency services or an approved contractor.

  • Keys are stored and handled through controlled operating procedures. The service is designed to limit access to authorised response activity and protect the link between a key and the property it serves. The exact custody and audit arrangements are confirmed during mobilisation.

  • Yes, where internal access is authorised and safe. The areas to be checked, known hazards and any restrictions are documented in the assignment instructions. If entry may compromise safety or evidence, the officer will secure the area and escalate instead.

  • Yes. OCS can build a consistent keyholding and alarm response model for multi-site estates while retaining site-level instructions. Coverage, target response arrangements and escalation routes are confirmed during solution design.

  • It can. We agree how alarm signals reach the response service and what information is passed at dispatch. OCS can also review connected monitoring through the National Operations Centre and, where required, security technology through OCS Security Systems.

  • Yes. Planned opening and closing visits can be added to the service, with a checklist agreed for each site and exceptions reported to the nominated team.

  • Response arrangements are agreed during service design based on your site locations, risk profile and operational requirements. When an alarm activation is received, the nearest appropriate response officer is dispatched and follows the agreed site instructions and escalation process.