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New government guidelines are expected to follow on local authorities’ use of surveillance – and this could see the county in which Tensor plc is based held up as a shining example of best council practice. The coalition government has stated it wants to "strengthen the accountability of bodies receiving public funding" – especially over how they use CCTV. Although the Liberal Democrats have a history of mistrust over the number and use of CCTV cameras in Britain, due to their concerns over civil liberties and other factors, the party has also highlighted Cambridgeshire City Council as providing a possible blueprint for other local authorities. The council states in its CCTV scheme code of practice that it gives "primary consideration" to the public in the operation of its camera network. Tensor, based at Hail Weston in Cambridgeshire, is also a blueprint of best practice with its leading range of security and surveillance equipment and services. Combine our top of the range digital CCTV systems with smart card and biometric access control facilities, and Tensor will provide unrivalled site security for your home or business. We can customise your needs to enable the best set-up available since we are the top UK installer and maintenance service provider of surveillance systems, as well as being the manufacturers of many other security and access control products.  

There is little further information regarding CCTV regulation brought in by the new government, other than it is set to impact on local authorities. Details are sketchy about the coalition’s proposed freedom bill which includes greater regulation of CCTV cameras, putting pressure on councils to justify its use. The government's full coalition agreement simply states that it plans on "protecting privacy by introducing new legislation to regulate the use of CCTV". The Information Commissioner's Office said that it was unable to comment on the bill until it receives further information. Because the Liberal Democrats drafted a freedom bill in opposition, and because their party leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is now overseeing the passage of the freedom bill, we can expect news sooner rather than later. Tensor’s group of companies are a leading supplier of CCTV surveillance, Visitor Monitoring and Access Control technologies and because it is accredited and performs to the highest standards, the group expects any regulation to have little effect on its professional business practices. For instance, in 2009, Westminster City Council was told to turn off 100 digital cameras, mostly used for parking enforcement, after the government found that the equipment did not meet technical standards. This is not a problem for Tensor, who use only the best equipment from the leading manufacturers.  

Police in Nottinghamshire have backed security surveillance technology. The local authorities have invested a system of CCTV cameras around the Nottingham area costing £140,000 per year to run in order to cut anti-social behaviour and reassure residents, and police were interviewed on ITV Central East. The TV news report said that increasingly CCTV cameras are a part of our everyday life, the result being that Coventry has more cameras than Paris and that each of us is likely to be caught on camera 330 times a day. The ITV report was making a point about our ‘spying society’, but figures such as ‘330’ are in fact an urban myth. These stats originated from episodes like when a member of Privacy International walked around London more than 15 years ago and counted cameras before multiplying this up. Rest assured that security products from the Tensor PLC group of companies is money well spent when you realise how easy it is to deter unwelcome guests from gaining access to your building. The kit varies from smart card and biometric Time and Attendance and Access Control technologies, to digital CCTV surveillance camera and recording systems. They can be stand-alone for a simple and easy to use smart card door-entry for a home or small business; or integrated to build a comprehensive security set-up to give you total piece of mind for large premises.

The companies under the Tensor umbrella offer a complete range of biometric smart card, visitor monitoring, CCTV, barrier and access control technologies as ways to deter or prevent intruders gaining access to your site. It is a tough job thwarting determined thieves, as shown when a group stole three lorries from a Welsh haulage firm. The intruders broke into the office and took the keys which have the vehicle registrations on. The gang had tried to steal a fourth Mercedes lorry from the company's Flintshire yard, but after starting it and putting the lights on they could not work the elaborate gearbox and left it with the motor running.  However, it was obvious they were not proper HGV drivers as they could not control them properly. This led to the thieves eventually abandoning their heist and fleeing the scene. A member of staff pointed out that one of the gang was carrying a lump of wood in his hand so it was lucky none of the employees were on duty. Tensor’s range of high quality, durable gates offer reliable performance in the most demanding environments – ideal for controlling vehicle access to and from your site. Along with items like alarms and CCTV surveillance camera and recording systems, the whole package will provide unrivalled site security for your business.   

Tensor plc can aid local authorities in riding out the recession with its comprehensive portfolio of indoor and outdoor access control systems, smart card, and time and attendance technology. It is inevitable that services will suffer as the government has already said the country must prepare for cuts across the board. Using the expertise of Tensor plc, councils can rejuvenate their balance sheet by looking again at maximising assets and facilities like car parks, public toilets, staff and buildings. Public sector pay is one thing the central government will be looking at for cuts, so you can better manage your workforce’s shifts with our comprehensive time and attendance technology integrating easy to use smart cards. Morale and productivity of staff will further improve if there is a comfortable and regulated temperature in the office, which is attainable via our energy management system, which also delivers 25 per cent cuts in bills for local authorities. Introducing a small entry or parking fee (or reviewing existing charges) for parks, buildings or public toilets can be done via our range of car park barriers or glass and half height turnstiles. It is better to keep revenue streams going to pay for essential maintenance and upkeep – the public would prefer that rather than shutting down the service completely.

Simply by using specialist and state of the art equipment from Tensor plc, local authorities can increase revenue, attract more visitors and promote growth and investment in their borough. They can do this through encouraging a facility that has been in decline but is in fact the only one that every person needs – a public toilet. The company’s range of toilet turnstiles is a way of addressing this overlooked issue. The number of public toilets has declined roughly by 15 per cent in the past decade despite the population growing. It is not the initial investment that puts off councils, but the ongoing costs of maintaining them, running into £1,000s per annum. Local authorities are allowed to charge for toilet provision under the Public Health Act 1936, and this is where the Tensor group’s toilet turnstiles come in. Steady and significant revenues can be generated from the turnstiles to maintain the toilets. Our durable graded stainless steel turnstiles offer improved security and are supplied complete with a two year warranty. If people have to pay a nominal entrance fee it also discourages casual abuse, vandalism and unwanted intrusion – more importantly all members of the public will feel more comfortable and secure about using them. The coin mechanism can be programmed for virtually any combination of coins with a secure cash box to hold the coins, while high security options are available.  

Although the exact cost is uncertain, it is estimated that the various methods of identity fraud cost the UK billions per year. According to the BBC Money Programme it is increasing at 500 per cent year on year. One of the ways criminals attempt ID fraud is to try and gain access to workplaces in order to steal money, documents or equipment. A Tensor visitor monitoring system solves the necessity of monitoring and tracking of visitors on-site, and we offer a range of options. Automatic barriers can be installed at the entrance to your site and enable you to securely control vehicle access. Tensor has developed sophisticated access control software that enables you to register visitors as soon as they enter your premises. Tensor offer a number of bundled ID card systems, where you can print your own plastic cards. A smart card entry system, which can be upgraded to biometric (fingerprint scanning) for extra security, is an almost foolproof method of denying access to fraudsters, and the cards are quicker to scan than swipe methods. CCTV cameras can also be installed to monitor all movement on your site. Whatever your needs, size of building and budget, we have an answer that is guaranteed to suit your business requirements.

Don't lose your job over the World Cup – instead work with your employer for a solution if there is a big game on. Thousands of workers up and down the country will be trying to watch the World Cup, either at their desks, or worse, attempting to sneak off down the pub on the big screen without permission and risking a red card from their boss. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging employees to speak to their employers rather than just take a ‘sickie’. The FSB says employers may consider one of these options: Operating flexible working hours on match days; allowing regular short breaks; or authorising shift swaps with other employees. Luckily Tensor plc has the technology to help employers in this situation. The renowned security specialists’ sister company Time and Attendance UK has clocking systems that can deal with all sorts of shift patterns that arise during World Cup month. Our smart card technology allows your employees to quickly clock in and out, with the time and attendance software accurately recording attendances. The software also compensates for the recent changes to the Working Time Directive and related issues. Time and Attendance UK's systems are fully compatible with all working hours regulations and provide an easy and cost-effective solution to your clocking issues.  

The coalition government is looking to the public sector as one of the ways to blitz spending and reduce the huge deficit caused by the bail-out of the banks. The Scottish government, which currently gets all its funding from Westminster, has to decide how much it can afford to give councils. With this in mind, BBC Scotland approached all 32 councils in Scotland to ask about anticipated job losses, and ten Scottish local authorities replied they expect to cut 10,000 jobs between them over the next few years. The councils said they hoped the savings would happen through natural turnover, retirement and voluntary redundancy. Tensor has many sophisticated time and attendance products that can save time and money at your firm and would help minimise job cuts if you are feeling the pinch. Starting with a simple to use smart card clocking regime, there are numerous extra features that can be implemented on your time and attendance system. For example is Auto Clockout where employees are automatically clocked out at a certain time; or Secondary Pay Bands where certain pay bands pay into other bands either on a 1:1 basis or by using a multiplier.

Tensor plc has a number of companies whose products offer a complete security service. If you are buying a property or premises in an area, there is now a mobile application that measures levels of anti-social behaviour at your current postcode (within England and Wales). The ‘app’ enables access to key local statistics and is available for iPhone and Android phones. Our services will give you piece of mind on the security of your building. Ideal for businesses is a simple-to-use, highly secure Access Control technology as a way of keeping access to areas or buildings under control, as well as monitoring who is present. It uses smart cards, where access readers can be hidden behind brick walls so they cannot be vandalised, but at the same time secure entry for authorised personnel. Other gates and barriers are available that can be controlled by the same set-up. The Tensor group also hosts a company that deals with evidence quality surveillance technology, CCTV Surveillance Ltd, the number one supplier and installer of CCTV systems for homes or offices. CCTV Surveillance is able to uniquely customise your CCTV installation, depending on the size of your site and budget.  

The Office for National Statistics shows that the employment rate for the three months to April 2010 was 72.1 per cent, down 0.1 on the quarter. There was a small increase of 5,000 in the number of people in employment compared with the previous quarter to reach 28.86 million. Furthermore, the number of people unemployed for more than twelve months increased by 85,000 over the quarter to reach 772,000, the highest figure since the three months to April 1997. There were 5.2 unemployed people per vacancy, up 0.1 on the quarter. Fears remain this year about more job losses if some sort of ‘double dip recession’ materialises. By entering into a partnership with the time and attendance technology Tensor plc has at its command, your business will simplify the jobs of your payroll, meaning that both time and money is saved. Do not worry if you are a ‘small fish’. Our smart card clocking systems from Time and Attendance UK can be combined with software such as WinTA Lite (designed for smaller companies). This handles Time and Attendance, Working Time Directive, multiple shifts, flexi time and job costing.

Scotland has proved that concerted efforts to fight crime are rewarded, and Tensor plc can play a full part. Councillor Paul Edie, the Edinburgh community safety leader, reacting to a 10 per cent drop in all recorded crime, said: "Often the fear of crime can be disproportionately higher than the actual reality and these figures show that police and the council are having great success in catching criminals." Cllr Edie, who also represents the Corstorphine/Murrayfield ward, added: "The eight per cent increase in crime in Corstorphine/Drumbrae/Gyle represents a relatively small numerical rise of 99 offences. I would like to reassure residents that it remains a low-crime area although we have to stay vigilant to try and reverse this trend." We offer security and access control products that are second to none. From door access control to barriers to surveillance systems, we have something for every wallet. In fact, the readers or scanners work with smart cards that stay in your wallet or purse meaning authorised personnel can gain entry in a quarter of a second – and that you just flash your wallet once when paying for the product! For details on CCTV surveillance cameras, please contact CCTV Surveillance Ltd via this link.