Surveillance work is tightly regulated. Companies in the sector must operate within the confines of a tough legal framework created by legislation including the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

We constantly source and develop cutting edge equipment, procedures and techniques to deliver solutions that allow us to work within these regulations, to gather evidence that would not be possible using more traditional methods.

Our innovative approach means that we welcome instructions in cases that may have been compromised by other companies or may appear too sensitive to risk any adverse publicity.

We offer our clients complete peace of mind in any commission by reducing the risk of compromise and maximising opportunities to acquire admissible evidence.

We carry out full background enquiries on all case files before starting surveillance. All our teams work within strict parameters set out in our Standard Operating Procedures, which we also provide to clients.

Surveillance Group Provide Surveillance Training Courses

Our unique style of surveillance saves our insurance clients huge sums by reducing or negating exaggerated or fraudulent claims while our work alongside police forces and local authorities has led to notable and high profile criminal convictions.

A key reason for our success in gaining effective footage is the training we give our staff and our careful management of their continuing professional development.

In 2007, we were awarded the right to create a Level 3 BTEC in Advanced Surveillance. As market leaders, we felt it was vital to set a nationally recognised educational standard for surveillance and offer existing and future staff an opportunity to gain a qualification in their specialist field.

Other companies providing various forms of surveillance training are invariably training organisations, which do not offer employment to the brightest candidates at the end of their courses, as we do. We have also found that such non-operational companies rely on the practical experience of their trainers, who tend to be drawn from one sector.

Our senior instructors not only represent a unique blend of special forces, police and commercial surveillance practice. They teach students to think outside the box and discard conventional surveillance methods.

Our training facility has a dedicated surveillance simulation centre, which teaches students to think beyond traditional methods and learn a whole new approach to surveillance. For example, students are taught how to create ghillie (camouflage) suits for standard rural surveillance, then to apply this knowledge to urban environments.

This approach is a key factor in our staff acquiring consistently excellent results. We also draw on retro-research data from our operations to enhance our training package and the continuing professional development of our staff.

Training for Trainers

All of our training team hold current adult education certificates and we also run an award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS).

The course involves 30 hours of contact time and is run in partnership with Hereford College of Technology, with the award from the University of Warwick.

This course is aimed at anybody involved in the further, or adult, education sector, and will be a minimum requirement for any trainer by 2010.

The course provides an introduction to teaching in the lifelong learning sector. It is aimed at new entrants to the profession as well as the full range of teachers, trainers and tutors working in the sector.

You will attend taught sessions with some self-study and reading.

Sessions will include:

- developing effective teaching and learning
- creating effective learning environments
- assessment activities
- supporting learners
- roles and responsibilities of the practitioner
- developing effective resources.

Students will be assessed through a variety of short assignments and classroom activities. A key aspect of the course is initial assessment and tutorial guidance and support. There is no teaching practice requirement. Students also undertake a peer group teaching activity as part of the assessment.

Progression is to the Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong learning Sector (CTLLS) or the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong learning Sector (DTLLS).

Personal Injury Surveillance

Our unique combination of special forces, police and commercial surveillance practices has created an entirely new form of personal injury surveillance.

Wherever possible, we avoid traditional, vehicle-based surveillance, which has become all too familiar to personal injury claimants. Widespread media coverage of surveillance practices has also given claimants a greater awareness of basic surveillance generally, from the types of vehicles used to old-fashioned, covert systems concealed in bags or clothing.

Our reputation for innovative methods and cutting edge covert technology means that we are often used in cases where other firms have been compromised or a case is deemed too sensitive to risk conventional surveillance. Our credibility is such that many of the UK’s leading defendant law firms will often request to go “off panel” to use us.

Because we do not rely solely on vehicle-based surveillance, we are generally able to obtain footage, irrespective of the location or scenario. This enhanced level of video evidence is invaluable in reducing or negating exaggerated or fraudulent claims, which may include complex aspects relating to stress and phobias that can only be confirmed or disproved through close surveillance footage with audio.

Professional Witness Surveillance

We are recognised market leaders in this highly specialised field and were the first UK commercial company to secure criminal convictions through our professional witness services. Our expertise is recognised by the Home Office and in 2001 our work was commended by the then Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Professional witness surveillance requires the flexible, innovative techniques that are at the heart of the way we operate. As the largest surveillance company in the UK, we work with local authorities, housing associations and antisocial behaviour units throughout the UK and receive regular instructions directly from the police.

Our clients also benefit from our expertise in what constitutes admissible surveillance evidence and in presenting this to the civil and criminal courts.

We advise on a case-by-case basis on how best to complete Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 forms and whether surveillance should be designated as directed or non-directed. We also deal with any related paperwork, including health and safety and risk assessment forms.

To add value to our services, we have created a Level 3 BTEC in Advanced Surveillance, which is designed to give officers of local authorities, housing associations and antisocial behaviour units, and other government employees, the skills and confidence they need to undertake surveillance work.