The Hospice of the Valleys has been open since 1986 and offers the very best in specialist care for those affected by life threatening illnesses. The Hospice's team provides 24 hour care, seven days a week, to more than 500 people across Gwent and South Wales. Located north of Cardiff in Tredegar, Gwent, the Hospice has a dedicated team of more than 130 volunteers, including highly skilled professional care nurses, doctors and therapists, who provide the invaluable attention needed by patients across the local and South Wales Community.
Guardian24 worked with Orange; as their preffered Lone Worker Supplier for the public sector, to provide the Hospice's team of 20 specialist home care workers with a lone worker solution providing access to emergency help at the press of a button if needed.
The Challenge
More and more people in the UK now work alone, either away from their organisation's base or outside traditional 9-5 hours. Employers have a responsibility for their lone workers' safety and the Hospice needed to ensure it was fulfilling its legal obligations and giving its employees the peace of mind that emergency help could be accessed at the touch of a button if needed.
The Solution
During discussions with Orange and Guardian24 about possible solutions, Hospice of the Valleys decided that all 20 specialist home care nurses would be provided with the Guardian24 standard service, a lone worker solution that can be quickly and fully integrated with any mobile device. If at any point a nurse feels threatened, they can raise an alarm by pressing a discreet one-touch button to alert the Hospice and, if required emergency services can be immediately dispatched.
Additionally, the specialist home care nurses can now log relevant information about their activity, location and concerns on their Orange mobile phones, provided by the Hospice. Using speed-dial functions on their mobile phones, employees can alert colleagues back at base about potential issues, without exposing themselves to unnecessary risk.
In addition, the specialist home care nurses can quickly let colleagues know when they have arrived and entered a client's home, and when they are expected to leave. This helps the Hospice keep track of where employees are, and if there are any potential issues that require investigation.
The service from Orange and Guardian24 also allows for the recording of discussions, which could later be used as evidence if needed if an incident did occur. The Lone Worker solution can also operate on a timer mechanism. Failure to respond to the timer, for instance after visiting a client, will send an alert back to base.
The Benefits
The project has been so successful that Hospice of the Valleys is now looking to integrate future developmentsin GPS technology to physically track staff throughout their shift. Most important for employers is the knowledge that, wherever they are, the reach of Orange'sintegrated data network is enabling the lone worker solution, giving them the assurance that they can always stay in touch with their colleagues and emergency services if needed.
''Our specialist care nurses play a critical role in suporting and enhancing the lives of patients in the local and South Wales community. Often, this means treating patients in their own homes. With 20 nurses working across such a large area, the solution provided by Orange and Guardian24 means we know where they are at all times, reassuring them and us that they are protected while doing their valuable work.''
Andrew Richards, Chief Executive, Hospice of the Valleys
''Hospice of the Valleys is making a big difference to individuals and families across the country. The team there is managing its responsibility for the safety of all its lone workers, and providing the peace of mind the peace of mind that emergency help is one touch away. By teaming up with Guardian24 we are able to help organisations like the Hospice manage the safety of their employees, by using our network and partnership with a best in class provider to deliver the latest innovations in lone worker technology.''
Russell Davis, Director of Corporate Sales, Orange UK
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