Capita plc announces today that it has acquired The Security Watchdog Ltd for an undisclosed sum. The Security Watchdog is a leading provider of security and compliance services in the fields of employer consultancy and pre-employment and employment screening.
The Security Watchdog has around 150 clients from a range of sectors including financial services, pharmaceutical, communications and other large corporations. It provides services across 56 countries and territories. The UK market for outsourced screening services is currently worth around £75m annually but is expected to grow as regulation and risk management become an increasing focus for UK firms.
Commenting on the deal, Dawn Marriott-Sims, head of Capita’s workplace services division, said: “KPMG research published earlier this year suggests that more than £2bn annually is lost in UK business because of management and employee fraud in Britain, but the market for employee screening is currently dominated by overseas firms. The acquisition of The Security Watchdog and its integration into Capita will enable us to provide a full service solution to private and public sector employers alike. The acquisition offers genuine synergies with our existing screening and recruitment business and will provide our clients with further opportunities to secure more services from Capita. It will also allow us to bid, independently, for large scale screening and vetting contracts.”
Susie Thomson, The Security Watchdog’s Managing Director, commenting on the deal with Capita said: “Capita plc is a world class company, which is continually developing a wide range of high quality support services. We believe The Security Watchdog will be a perfect fit into the Group’s overall offering. We share the same service delivery ethos which can only bring more value to existing and new clients.”
