The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) received the final report for its security services review which began in April 2018. The review was conducted to fulfill the SHA’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment for patients, visitors, staff, physicians, and volunteers in all its facilities across the province.
“While there are many security challenges in a healthcare environment, we are proud of the role our security teams play to help manage those challenges. As a new organization, we are excited to be able to leverage our collective strengths to further improve security, especially with a provincial lens,” says Andrew Will, Vice President of Infrastructure, Information and Support for the SHA.
Tony Weeks of BigLeap Consultation and Advisory Services was contracted as an external consultant to review the current state of security services across the SHA and to develop recommendations for the future. The consultations consisted of multiple focus group sessions across six geographic areas, including Métis and Indigenous groups and patient and family advisors, as well as a security survey for staff and physicians. In addition to the focus group sessions and the province‐wide security survey, in person, phone and video conversations were held with several internal and external stakeholders.
“The review explored ways of improving safety in the workplace by implementing best practices in security services. The new security program will be built with a focus on staff and patients, who deserve the safest possible environment, free from danger or threat,” stated the report’s author, Tony Weeks.
“The report findings challenge leaders and staff to think differently about the future of security services as it relates to the SHA,” he added. “This is an opportunity to build something new, using fresh ideas and leading practices to go beyond traditional security models.”
The report highlights 27 recommendations for consideration within the context of a centrally managed security services program. The recommendations will guide thinking as progress is made towards an optimized protective services model that meets the needs of the facilities served by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
The details and options for consideration within the report provide a deeper understanding of security services across the province, an understanding of stakeholder perspectives, an assessment of various staffing models and financial benchmarks, a view on community crime, and specific actions that will support an enhanced provincial security program.
Some highlights of the recommendations include:
Development of a leadership structure to support an integrated program
Centralization and standardization across many aspects of security services in areas such as security infrastructure and technology, investigations, equipment, reporting, training, and standards.
Establishment of a Provincial Security Advisory Council to provide a feedback mechanism with key stakeholders.
Development of policies in the areas of workplace violence and safety.
The report outlines several areas and ideas for improvement to help the SHA build a new provincial structure to support an integrated security program across the province. It also recommends that the SHA develop a business case to assess staffing model options, including consideration of in‐house delivery, contracted or a hybrid model. Exploring these alternatives will assist the SHA in selecting the best staffing approach to optimize the delivery of security services.
