Background 

Mitie, the UK’s leading facilities management and professional services company, delivers security services to some of the nation’s most sensitive and complex environments. In 2023 it secured a major contract to provide security officers across a high number of faith-based sites, including places of worship and schools. This brought significant responsibility: to ensure that every officer operated with respect, understanding and confidence in communities often facing discrimination and fear.

The challenge intensified in 2024 when civil unrest saw a rise in Islamophobic incidents, requiring Mitie to deploy a significant number of additional security officers at various locations across the United Kingdom. While its training infrastructure was strong it lacked the cultural specificity needed for such diverse environments. The company had to act quickly, creating a learning solution that was authentic, scalable and capable of building genuine understanding.

Approach 

Mitie partnered with Best at Digital, behavioural scientists, Government Departments and the local community representatives to co-design a digital learning experience built for impact at speed. Over 12 weeks the team combined behavioural insights with consultation to understand what matters most on the ground, from mosque etiquette to gender segregation and religious observance.

“Mitie set a new industry benchmark for culturally intelligent learning, training thousands of officers to protect with empathy, confidence and respect”

The resulting training centred on a 15-minute digital module enriched with dramatised scenarios, real voices and interactive reflection. Accessible via mobile and translated into clear, inclusive language, the learning journey was structured around a “Learn, Apply, Grow” methodology, helping officers not just to understand what respectful practice looks like but why it matters. Content design intentionally targeted the ‘illusion of explanatory depth’, the tendency to overestimate one’s understanding, prompting reflection and mindset change rather than surface-level compliance.

Live Power BI dashboards allow leaders to track completion, compliance and learning impact in real time. Inclusive design ensures accessibility for officers with varying English proficiency, while alignment with Mitie’s wider ED&I strategy makes the programme a foundation for future professional development.

Outcome

The impact was significant. Surveys across our teams of Security Officers showed a 50% increase in cultural sensitivity, 89% felt more prepared to work in faith-based settings and 75% required less support. Learner satisfaction reached an NPS of 91, with one officer noting the programme “helped me understand not just what to do, but why it matters.”

Beyond the numbers the initiative has strengthened community trust and safety, improved collaboration with local stakeholders and reduced incidents of cultural misunderstanding. It safeguarded a significant multi-year partnership and positioned Mitie as an industry leader in culturally intelligent security services. The model is now being expanded across other high-risk and community-facing contracts, creating a legacy of empathy, respect and inclusion.

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