| The Security Institute’s Wilf Knight award recognises a unique piece of research in a security management based subject |
Now in its fifth year, The Security Institute’s prestigious Wilf Knight Award is presented annually at the Security Excellence Awards in recognition of a unique piece of research into a security management based subject. This year’s event took place on the 23rd October at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, London, and the proud recipient of this highly sought after and hotly contested accolade was Adam Jones, who walked away with a glass engraved trophy and £500.
Nominated by his course tutor, Phillip Wood, head of faculty enterprise and security at Buckinghamshire New University, Jones’ dissertation was titled Violence in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department: Does a Pro-Security Culture Reduce Risk of Violence in an Accident and Emergency Environment? An Analysis of the Barnet and Enfield Hospitals Trust.
A&E departments have to deal with violence and aggression from patients on a daily basis, and despite a pro-security culture there has not been a reduction in these types of incidents since the inception of NHS Protect. Jones’ study examined what a pro-security culture actually means to the NHS, discussed its interpretation and went on to suggest an appropriate strategy based on his findings.
The judging panel felt that his work has value not only to Barnet and Enfield Hospitals Trust but also to any organization with an interest in developing a secure working environment and limiting the risk of violence within it. The dissertation was awarded a grade of 74 per cent and gained the only distinction ever awarded for the course.
Jones is currently employed as a senior consultant for 4C Strategies, a leading international provider of risk management solutions. He began his working life in the army and this was followed by a 20-year career in the UK Prison Service and the New Zealand Department of Corrections.
After moving back to the UK, he was keen to pursue other interests and joined the NHS as a security management specialist. It was while in this position that he enrolled in the MSc in Business Continuity, Security & Emergency Management at Buckinghamshire New University. To expand his skills further, he needed to seek experience in London and subsequently joined the Barnet and Chase Farms Trust in Enfield.
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Wilf Knight’s widow, Patricia Knight and Emma Shaw, CSyP, chairman of The Security Institute presented Jones with the award alongside Brian Sims, one of the SEA’s judges. Shaw commented, ‘I’d like to offer my congratulations to Adam, who is a very worthy winner, given the very high standard of entries this year. There is always the potential for a degree of controversy in exploring security issues within a public sector environment. However, during his study he was sensitive to the needs of the organizations and participants involved in the research, while also being clear about his overall aims and objectives. I think that there is a lot we can all learn as a result of his interesting and thought provoking work.’
David Paterson from Leicester University was highly commended for his thesis entitled “Is there a link between staff job satisfaction and the level of shrinkage within a retail store? A Comparison of Staff Satisfaction and Shrinkage.” He completed an MSc in Security and Risk Management and was nominated by Dr Matt Hopkins.
Major Crossley McEwen was commended for his paper “Nuclear New Build: A Move towards a Securer Future for the United Kingdom?” which he wrote at the Department of Management and Security, Cranfield University. He was nominated by Dr Anna Maria Brudenell.