About SSGC
SSGC is a leading UK security services provider, deploying thousands of security officers every year across a diverse range of customer sites. As the organisation has grown, so too has the importance of maintaining robust governance, compliance and operational excellence across its expanding service offering.
With a strong commitment to quality already embedded within the business, SSGC has worked with ISOQAR since 2006, maintaining certification to ISO 9001 and using the standard to support continual improvement across its operations.
Building on Strong Foundations
As the business evolved, SSGC wanted to take a more integrated approach to managing quality, environmental performance, occupational health and safety, and information security.
Having first engaged Assent Risk Management in 2020 to support its SafeContractor accreditation, SSGC developed a trusted relationship that soon expanded to include ongoing health and safety support and compliance expertise.
Working together, SSGC and Assent identified an opportunity to build upon the organisation’s existing ISO 9001 certification by integrating three additional internationally recognised standards:
· ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
· ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety
· ISO 27001 – Information Security Management
At the same time, the business had expanded beyond static guarding services to include keyholding and response operations, meaning the management system needed to reflect a broader operational scope.
Creating an Integrated Management System
In 2023, Assent worked closely with SSGC to develop a fully integrated management system covering all four standards. The objective was not simply to achieve certification, but to create a framework that supported day-to-day operations, improved governance and provided a consistent approach across the business.
The result was a single integrated management system aligned to:
· ISO 9001 – Quality Management
· ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
· ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety
· ISO 27001 – Information Security Management
In November 2023, SSGC successfully achieved certification to all four standards.
Since then, Assent has continued to provide internal audits and ongoing compliance support, helping ensure the system remains effective and continues to evolve alongside the business.
Working with ISOQAR
As SSGC’s UKAS-accredited certification body, ISOQAR has supported the organisation throughout its certification journey, providing independent assessment and assurance across all four standards.
Most recently, ISOQAR conducted SSGC’s recertification audit, reviewing both management systems and operational activities across the business. The audit included visits to operational locations and engagement with security officers in active working environments, providing valuable insight into how the management systems are embedded in practice.
Following the audit, SSGC was recommended for continued certification across all four standards.
The Results
Today, SSGC maintains certification to:
· ISO 9001 – Quality Management
· ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
· ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety
· ISO 27001 – Information Security Management
By adopting an integrated approach, the organisation has been able to:
· Strengthen governance across quality, environmental management, health and safety and information security
· Demonstrate compliance and credibility to clients and procurement teams
· Support continual improvement through ongoing audits and review
· Access experienced compliance and health and safety expertise
· Build confidence among customers operating in highly regulated sectors
· Create a scalable framework that supports sustainable business growth
Rather than treating certification as a standalone annual exercise, SSGC has embedded compliance into its everyday operations, creating systems that support consistent service delivery and long-term success.
What SSGC Says
“For SSGC, certification is not simply about achieving a standard or passing an annual audit. It is about ensuring that our management systems genuinely support the way we operate, protect our employees and customers, and provide clear evidence that our services are controlled and consistently delivered.
Our long-term engagement with Assent has given us access to practical, experienced compliance expertise that reflects both the requirements of the standards and the operational realities of a national security business.
ISOQAR’s independent and robust certification process provides an additional level of assurance. Their audits give us confidence that our systems remain effective while identifying opportunities to improve. Together, Assent’s compliance input and ISOQAR’s independent certification activity have helped us embed compliance into everyday decision-making rather than treating it as a separate annual exercise.”
Doug Edwards, Managing Director, SSGC
ISOQAR’s Perspective
“SSGC’s journey demonstrates the value of taking an integrated approach to management systems. By building on an established foundation and embedding best practice across quality, health and safety, environmental management and information security, the business has created a framework that supports both operational excellence and sustainable growth. ISOQAR has provided independent certification services to SSGC for almost two decades, supporting confidence in the continued effectiveness of its management systems.”
Jim Anderson, CEO, ISOQAR
Assent’s Perspective
“We are proud to support SSGC’s compliance journey and to have helped expand its long-established ISO 9001 certification into a fully integrated management system. From SafeContractor accreditation through to the successful implementation of ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001, SSGC has consistently demonstrated a commitment to continual improvement and operational excellence.
The organisation’s approach highlights how management systems can become a valuable business tool, supporting growth while strengthening compliance, governance and customer confidence.”
