News

Preston's Community Gateway Association has become the first housing association in Britain to equip its staff with lone worker protection devices linked to the Skyguard emergency response centre.

The decision was taken following an incident in July when Nuala Sutton, the Association's Lifeline Manager, was returning to her car, parked in one of the estate's car parks and she came across a man firing one of two guns. The man was firing at targets and having made eye contact with him Nuala feared for her life. To use her mobile phone to call for help may have escalated her crisis and her only means of escape was to walk quickly past him.

Diane Bellinger, Community Gateway Association's Chief Executive says: "We take our responsibilities for staff safety very seriously – and know that many of them can find themselves working alone and in difficult situations from time to time."

The organisation has provided 95 of its frontline team with Skyguard's personal safety alarm units – which combine mobile phone and satellite location technology with a help button for calling immediate assistance.

Users will include rent recovery officers, mobile wardens, community caretakers, key holders attending alarm activations, resident liaison officers and facilities and IT staff working out of hours.

Diane Bellinger went on to say: "We looked at every lone worker protection option available and concluded that Skyguard was the only complete service with both the right technology and emergency back-up."

The Skyguard system is triggered by activating the SkyMinder unit which opens an audio link to an experienced operator at the 24-hour response centre, provided by Legion Group Plc. At the same time, the user's exact location is shown on the operator's screen together with personal details of the user (female, 5ft 7ins tall, brunette, diabetic, etc).

The operator first listens in to the situation on the ground before deciding whether to speak to the user or send in help immediately. If help is required, he summons either the emergency services or one of Skyguard's own mobile patrols, depending on the nature of the problem.

The move to provide lone worker protection for Community Gateway Association staff is another first for Preston, whose City Council was the first local authority in England to pursue council housing stock transfer through the Community Gateway approach – a new way of involving tenants in decision-making about their homes and neighbourhoods.

"Social behaviour is as important to the communities we look after as the standard of housing and shared facilities," says Diane Bellinger. "The fact that our people now carry Skyguard's personal safety alarm will, in itself, act as a deterrent to potential difficulties – as well as providing tremendous peace of mind for us all."