Dardan Security (Systems) Ltd - Experts & Thought Leaders

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation, it’s the day that friends, families, communities, and workplaces come together to talk, listen and change lives. It is about being open to the idea of talking, everyone has mental health, and by having conversations about it people can help themselves and others. It’s not about encouraging people to talk about a mental health problem if they don’t want to. Not always easy to talk Asking others how they’re doing are simple ways to start conversations about mental health and show the people in one's life they’re prepared to talk and listen without judgment. If someone does open up about their mental health, Dardan knows it might not always feel easy to know what to say. But it doesn’t have to be awkward, and being there for someone can make a big difference. 5 ways of approach There is no right way to talk about mental health; however, Dardan Security has 5 tips that can help make sure a person is approaching it in a helpful way: Ask questions and listen. Think about time and place – sometimes it's easier to talk side by side than face to face, try it while walking or cooking. Don’t try and fix it – unless someone has asked for advice directly, just the ability to listen and be there can be very powerful. Treat them the same as anyone else – having mental health struggles doesn’t define a person. Be patient.

Dardan is thrilled to share the recent news that its Head of Client Services, David Leonard, and Head of Human Resources, Rita Golovina have both recently completed a CIPD Level 5 in People Management. Both David and Rita have critical roles in our business when it comes to People Agenda so these qualifications go one step further towards gaining a deeper understanding of the professional behaviors that lead to organizational success. Through this course, David and Rita would study 3 core units + 3 specialist units + with the choice 1 optional unit. The Head of Communication, Lindsay Batoryk, spent some time with David to get feedback upon completing the course.  Course and application  CIPD Associate Diploma qualifications are classed as Level 5 qualifications, meaning they’re roughly equivalent in difficulty to a foundation degree in HR practice, where users can specialize in a people-related discipline. Both Rita and David have completed a level 5 in People Management. They started in October 2020, but users are given 15 months to complete it. Dardan offered them the opportunity to pursue this as part of an overarching determination that as leaders of people in a people industry, they should be proficient in that role. Rita and David hold the highest HR Qualifications in the business, while other Operational Managers and Contract Managers have been offered the opportunity to complete level 3 qualifications, as well as ACAS training.  Reason for doing the course David has a sense of achievement developed through managing people, leading/designing change programs For David, it was the sense of achievement and the validation of years of core knowledge David has developed through managing people, leading/designing change programs, and otherwise operating as an HR professional in all but name. Critically, it is the highest-level qualification David has ever completed, and it has been several years since he last engaged in anything academic. Biggest challenge Time and scholastic ability. All work was undertaken in their own time. Compiling 4000 to 5000-word bodies of work when out of practice and not being particularly strong academically was extremely challenging, often done late at night and early mornings over the weekends, while balancing the role of parent and spouse. What’s next? David will complete IOSH next and would like to look at completing level 7 in Learning and Development.  This industry places a great amount of value on the men and women who work in the industry being both passionate and knowledgeable about risk and security, however not until working for Dardan have David worked for a security company that has recognized that the chief commodity is people and that in professionalizing managers, they make them better leaders, who ultimately enable their teams to succeed.

Dardan are proud to sponsor the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF). Comprising of rural landscape and the urban centers of Peterborough and Cambridge, the County is famous for its University. In recent years the incredible boom in high-tech business including Software, Research, and Development, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech, has brought incredible wealth and prosperity to some areas, but unfortunately not all. Matching generous people As a county, Cambridge has a greater imbalance of wealth and poverty than any other UK county. CCF is the county’s charity which aims to grow local philanthropy, matching generous people and organizations with the region’s most important community causes. They do incredible work and Dardan are proud to be in partnership and support their objectives. A crucial part of their approach is to understand the challenges and opportunities that exist. This is the purpose of Vital Signs 2021, whose goal is to ‘take the pulse’ of the community, highlighting challenges, priorities, and opportunities for action. Poor education standards It highlights the challenges faced by those in the most disadvantaged areas of Peterborough Ultimately, the value of Vital Signs® is to inform the CCF funding strategy, to inspire philanthropists, and to build conversations with people who, like CCF, are passionate about making a difference most effectively. The data gives a glimpse into the challenges faced by people in Cambridge (and Peterborough) who do not live in affluent areas and therefore, possibly relates to many of their own people. It highlights the challenges faced by those in the most disadvantaged areas of Peterborough and the Fenland, stressing the challenge of social mobility (Fenland was ranked ‘worst in the country’), poor education standards in the rural areas, paucity of public transport and that homelessness in Peterborough is 4 times greater than that of Cambridge, with the use of foodbanks doubling since 2016. Most deprived areas The most shocking data reveals that people living in the most deprived areas of Cambridgeshire, can expect to live 13-14 years less than other areas in the County. In 2019, data suggests that 1 in 5 of all female deaths was due to mental or behavioral disorder and that the suicide rate in the Fens and Peterborough is significantly higher than the national average. However, in South Cambridgeshire was significantly lower than the national average. It is good to know that organizations and charities, like the CCF are doing everything they can to relieve the impact on the most deprived areas of the county. They are incredibly proud to be one of the sponsors.