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A city council has launched a poster campaign aimed at cutting truancy further to help improve exam results. Research shows that missing just two per cent of lessons can cause a one-grade drop in GCSE results, so Southampton’s education chiefs want to drive home that it is vital for children’s prospects that they attend school. Unauthorised absence rates at the city’s secondary schools are more than double the national average, and officials want to send a clear message to parents. Tensor can help improve attendance at school with a scaled-down model of our time and attendance networks. WinTA PC Clock is a simple PC based booking system ideal for schools that allows pupils to accurately record their own individual registering data. They are simply presented with an input screen on their PC allowing them to clock in and out. PC Clock's analysis module consists of a simpler version of Tensor's acclaimed WinTA Lite time and attendance software. Automatic and definable reports showing clockings can be viewed and printed by teachers.  

Considering whether further guidance is needed on how long data collected by CCTV should be retained is one of the issues being tackled by proposals announced by crime prevention minister James Brokenshire. He commented that these systems play a vital role in the prevention and detection of crime. He added that it is “important they’re used in a way that does not invade law-abiding people’s privacy or undermine the public’s confidence in them. Your company can have confidence in Tensor’s ability to provide CCTV and other access control solutions as we have a number of certifications and accreditations. For instance, Tensor was welcomed as new members to the BSIA (British Security Industry Association) in November 2003. The British Security Industry Association is the trade association for the British security industry. More than 500 members are responsible for more than 70% of UK security business. All members must be registered to ISO 9000 with a UKAS accredited inspectorate and must comply with relevant British Standards and Codes of Practice.  

The police force is urging owners of rural properties to be on their guard following a spate of thefts. Farms in west Cumbria are particularly being targeted, and the latest incident saw a quad bike being stolen from a farm in the Loweswater area. Inspector Dennis Kelly urged the public to report suspicious activity immediately. “Always take down the registration details of suspicious vehicles, as this can form a key piece of information for subsequent police investigations,” he commented. Companies that own isolated and/or rural sites can use Tensor’s security devices, including CCTV monitoring, gates and turnstiles, and access and visitor control for protection. A Tensor system allows rapid communication when any delay occurs, such as when unauthorised personnel attempt to access a restricted area. The system can stop vehicles or personnel at the relevant barrier and disallow entry or exit until they identify themselves via their smart card and/or biometric fingerprint. Full control is given over who is allowed access through any controlled point at any time of the day.  

Police confirmed they have put a plan into operation to hunt down a prisoner who has gone on the. Officers think Leon Passmore could have gone to ground around Swansea after he failed to return to a jail in Monmouthshire where he is serving six years for robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. Welsh police cautioned the public not to approach Passmore, who has served almost two years of his sentence. Using our tried and tested Visitor Pass system, Tensor’s Prison Pass allows HM Prison Service officers to quickly check the identity and monitor the movements of visitors. It is a low cost, easy to install, computer based pass system for registering each visitor, both on and off site. Running on a PC using your Windows™ operating system, Prison Pass allows the pre-booking of legal representatives, contractors and inmate visitors with maximum speed and minimum fuss. A photograph taken by a digital or eyeball camera is printed on a bar-coded pass using a high speed printer so each visitor is easily identified.  

Car giant Honda is one of many companies to have been hit by the knock-on effect of the tsunami disaster in its native Japan. Honda has just resumed manufacturing at its Japanese plants, but added that production of component parts and vehicles would only be at 50% of the planned level. This includes the firm’s plant at Swindon. It said its flexible working policy would allow it to make up for the lost production later in the year using 'banked hours'. A world class firm needs a world class clocking recording product. The Tensor T32xx Time and Security Station is simply the best at what it does, and incorporates Smart Card Time & Attendance recording, Access Control and labour hours analysis. It has digital outputs to control door locks, fire alarms, wall clocks, and so on; plus digital inputs for door monitoring, PIR's (passive infra-red detectors) and alarms. Other optional features include: mobile phone SIM card support, MiFare Smart Card technology, GPS automatic location and speaker output.  

Camera surveillance technology is helping police investigate the disappearance of a BBC Bristol and Somerset radio presenter. Peter Rowell was filmed on CCTV walking out of a supermarket car park on Tuesday of last week. Det Ch Insp Ian Norrie said: "We know from CCTV his location up to about 9.45am [on Tuesday]. Since then we've had no confirmed sightings and we are unaware of where he has gone.” Mr Norrie urges anyone who has seen Peter to contact police. Recent advances in technology have revolutionised the security sector and, in particular, the methods available to monitor movement. Not only affordable by big business, a Tensor digital CCTV system works extremely well as a standalone system, and can also be fully integrated with any previously installed Tensor access control or visitor monitoring equipment to provide a surveillance and security network that is second to none. It is a PC based, multi channel video surveillance system that utilises the most advanced compression technologies to bring you the highest picture quality and video performance.  

A council pamphlet has outraged union bosses who are demanding an immediate apology over what they say are completely unfounded claims. The Southampton Council ‘City News’ pamphlet alleges many “militant” union members who protested at a meeting to debate the council’s plans to balance the books had come from outside Southampton “to cause trouble”. The Unison union is threatening legal action over council plans to axe 250 jobs and cut workers’ pay by between two and 5.5 per cent. Tensor can help you select the right time and attendance system for your organisation’s specific needs enabling your business to run more efficiently. The WinTA systems not only automate and reduce the costs of employee attendance but the software reduces the administrative work of managing paper clock cards or time slips and removes the associated clerical inaccuracies and errors. All-in-one job booking, job costing and user-definable working patterns or rosters is included. There is also an Export to Payroll function linking to Sage, Pegasus and other major payroll systems.  

Some of the existing public toilet facilities are under threat for budgetary reasons at one local council. The town of March in north Cambridgeshire currently only has two sets of toilets and both facilities are well-used. The town’s governing district council wants to balance the books and toilets are an easy target. It is feared the loss of Broad Street’s toilets would damage visitor numbers during well-attended events such as the Summer Festival and the St George’s Day fair. Tensor's toilet turnstiles have a coin mechanism which can be programmed for virtually any combination of coins with a secure cash box to hold the coins, as a means of boosting council coffers. Without compromising the safety of those who use the turnstile, speed and reliability are provided even during rush hour periods. Coupled with a set of smart cards, flow capacity is significantly increased compared with any swipe card system, as the card is read in under ¼ second and does not have to be removed from a wallet or purse.  

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) from across the southern region gathered for a mass meeting in preparation for a protest march in the capital over job cuts. The FBU, which contains 700 members in Hampshire alone, met to discuss central funding cutbacks to the service. The FBU says the cuts will be the worst in living memory. Firefighters joined other public service workers for the mass rally which took place in London on Saturday, March 26. Tensor's security, visitor control and time and attendance products can be integrated with fire roll call software that will automatically generate a report in the event of a fire or other emergency. This represents the biggest priority for any safety-conscious employer. A typical two door access control application using a Smart Card reader to gain entry and exit has the advantage of recording who entered and who left the building, essential for accurate fire roll call. The ‘break glass’ units unlock the door from the inside in an emergency.

A new report is the first one to look into front-line policing. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary report, called Demanding Times, is designed to help forces compare their performance. It has been published in the wake of announcements from forces nationally about cuts to their budgets. For example, Devon and Cornwall said last month that it aims to save about £47m over four years, which could see 700 officer posts lost. Tensor’s Time and Attendance systems make it simple for businesses to manage their employees. During recessionary times, you might be employing fewer people but it is important those you do have are being utilised to the best possible effect. The first step in this efficiency drive should be to know when and where everyone is and are they available for work. Designed for smaller companies, Tensor’s WinTA Lite system operates a single time clock and can record employee details for up to 250 people. It handles Time and Attendance, Working Time Directive, multiple shifts, flexitime and job costing.  

Tensor had a stand at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) 2011 Exhibition, the UK’s premier platform for showcasing world leading public security applications and technologies. This was held from 22nd to 24th March 2011 in Farnborough, Hampshire. In partnership with the UK Trade & Investment Defence & Security Organisation, this exhibition is the UK’s only closed event for the engagement of UK and international police and security professionals with the pinnacle of the UK security industry. Tensor Chief Executive Ashley Smith said: “Once again, the HOSDB show was a fantastic event for Tensor, providing our company with many unique opportunities. Due to the secure nature of the HOSDB show, we were able to discuss the detailed security requirements of many public sector organisations and overseas equivalents, in strict confidence.” He continued: “Many attendees were delighted with the Tensor products demonstrated on the stand and how Tensor’s integrated security solutions can benefit their organisations.” Now in its 31st year, HOSDB 2011 involved more than 400 companies showcasing the latest specialist security products, technology and services. It focused on the Home Office priority areas such as Security & Counter Terrorism, Crime and Policing, Border Security and Immigration Control. Senior government and security officials hosted a series of workshops and briefings providing insight on key areas of government planning and strategy as well as information on current and future programmes. The event is attended by prior Home Office agreement only, enabling visitors to discuss requirements with the companies such as Tensor, who can demonstrate more sensitive equipment in confidence.

Liverpool City Council leader Joe Anderson said of a new multi-million pound business and retail development on the city’s docks: "It will deliver a major boost to the city's economy." He added: "We have to turn down a lot of conferences and there are a lot of people asking for exhibition space alongside the conferences.” Mr Anderson said the waterfront complex, which could open within three years, would allow the city to compete with the rest of the UK. If your business is growing and moving offices, you need clocking and payroll expertise from Tensor’s smart card time and attendance systems. Contactless smart cards are used to operate your time and attendance systems. The smart card microchip is a passive device which holds a unique factory encoded ID number that cannot be duplicated, making it very secure indeed. As a smart card enters the clocking reader's electromagnetic field, it is automatically activated by the field's energy. Each ID number has built-in security and integrity checks ensuring that it cannot be misread.