Safety app protects charity workers
We Are Beams (known as Beams) are a UK charity working to support the disabled children, young people and their families across Kent. As part of their Direct Payment Support Service, Beams are commissioned by the local authority to help families use the funding provided to meet their individual circumstances and needs.
The service is provided by a team of lone workers who visit clients at their homes to offer support and advice. Travelling by country roads and working behind closed doors, Direct Payment Case Workers are exposed to both environmental anti-social behaviour risks.
“Lone working allows us as a charity to support as many families in the community as possible to take the stress out of the process. However, we understand that lone working does come with a set of risks and we want our employees to feel safe and secure as they do so,” said Karen Dorling, Direct Payment service manager.
StaySafe from Safe Apps is now helping the charity by: providing session check-ins to indicate lone workers are safe; quick and easy access to a panic alert in an emergency; discreet and duress panic options for volatile situations; and in house team monitoring.
Employees also received training on all the app features, in particular the discreet panic alert. A discreet panic allows a lone worker to send an alert out of view if they find themselves in a volatile situation, while the duress PIN can be used to appear as though the app has been switched off if confronted by an aggressor.
All employees are set up in the StaySafe Hub and a rota ensures someone is always monitoring the Hub back at the office. Not only does this ensure that there is always someone available to respond to alerts, Beams have also found that being responsible for each other’s safety has improved team morale and wellbeing.
