Lone worker solution gets the thumbs up from Community Gateway Association

Faced with the problem that its 74 frontline personnel were reluctant to use the bulky lone worker safety devices allocated to them, Community Gateway Association, Preston’s largest housing association, started the search for an alternative which their staff could use without having to carry around an extra piece of equipment.

Identicom , the award-winning, accredited lone worker device, , was chosen as the ideal partner in delivering the right solution.

SoloProtect has supplied 74 Identicom lone worker devices to Community Gateway colleagues whose roles encompass Neighbourhood Officers; Rent Recovery Officers; Community Assistance Officers; Customer Liaison Officers; Support Line Response Officers and other frontline staff. The device which looks like a normal ID badge is easy to use and discreet

When an employee feels they are entering a hazardous situation, they press an alert button, providing important location information to SoloProtect’s monitoring centre. If the red alert is then pressed, the centre’s support staff can discreetly listen in to what is happening and make an assessment as to the level of support required– involving the police if necessary and verifying the user’s location. In the event of a verbal confrontation, the Centre can also record the conversation for future action.

“From time to time our staff do face instances of aggression and we need to ensure they have a means of raising an alarm if they are faced with a potentially hazardous situation”, said Leigh Bentley, Facilities Manager at Community Gateway. “We like the functionality of Identicom as it is simple to operate, very user friendly and provides the best solution for the organisation and our colleagues on the front line”.