Skyguard Lone Worker Brochure 2015

Europe’s Premier Personal Safety Service

Skyguard provides Europe’s premier personal safety service for lone workers and people at risk

SG MD 303 / Version 5 / September 2015

CONTENTS Title Page What is a Lone Worker?

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Who are Skyguard?

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The UK’s Only Wholly-Owned End-to-End Service Provider

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Certified to the Highest Industry Standards

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What is BS 8484 and Why is it Important?

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Isn’t it Better to Dial 999?

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Trusted and Used by Over Half the UK’s Police Forces

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Solutions for Every Industry

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How the Service Works

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Industry Leading Personal Safety Devices

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Skyguard for Smartphone

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Voice Memo Timer

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Skyguard’s Incident Management Centre

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Customer Service Centre Online Portal

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Skyguard International

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UK Based Aftercare and Support

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Training and Consultancy Solutions

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What Our Customers Say

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1

What is a

LONE WORKER? The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) definition of a lone worker is someone who “work[s] by themselves without close or direct supervision”. This broad definition can include any employee who spends time in an office on their own, travelling between meetings, or even working at home or in a café – either regularly or on the odd occasion.

In fact, the Office of National Statistics estimates that there are nearly 6 million lone workers in the UK. Some estimates put this at nearly 8 million. Many of these individuals work in conditions that expose them to personal danger from work-related violence or verbal abuse, accidents, serious illness or injury. And due to the fact that they are on their own this puts them at a greater risk should the worst happen.

What does this mean for employers?

As an employer, you have a legal and moral Duty of Care to your employees to protect them from unnecessary risk. If one of your employees suffers harm at work as a consequence of doing their job, you could end up in court. And if it can be proven that the systems you employ aren’t up to the job of protecting your employees, you may be in breach of numerous pieces of Health and Safety legislation. This could have disastrous consequences.

Before even considering the cost of fines and litigation, the HSE estimates that it can cost an organisation in excess of £20,000 just to investigate a single physical assault. It can cost a lot less to prevent one.

If an incident does occur, the courts will take the resources available to an organisation into consideration – the Sentencing Council guidelines state that a Corporate Manslaughter fine should be at least £500,000; there is no upper limit on the size of the fine which can be imposed. But it is no defence for an employer to say that they did not have the time, money or resources to reduce risk. There is the possibility of courts imposing publicity orders which can tarnish reputations, and in the worst cases, prison sentences for senior managers found to be negligent.

There are nearly

EIGHT MILLION lone workers in the UK

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Sentencing Council guidelines state that a Corporate Manslaughter fine should be at least Legislation affecting employers: 1.

2.

3.

4.

£500,000

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 The Health & Safety Offences Act 2008

These are only the general laws affecting organisations – in addition, there are whole host of supplementary Health and Safety regulations which apply to specific industries, workplace environments and types of job activity.

Skyguard Can Help The Skyguard service can help fulfil your Duty of Care to your employees. So we don’t just protect lone workers and employees at risk, we help protect employers from potential ruinous litigation, too. What’s more, it’s proven to help increase morale and staff confidence knowing that if they need assistance fast, there is a highly trained professional there at all times to assist them in any emergency.

Skyguard takes a holistic approach to lone worker safety, by offering a range of training and consultancy services designed to complement and maximise the effectiveness of our service.

Naturally, every Skyguard client receives introductory training and ongoing support in setting-up their Skyguard account and using the service. In addition to this, we can also offer bespoke training and consultancy solutions tailored to each organisation’s particular requirements. Our panel of advisors can assist with Risk Assessments, Business Case Development for Lone Worker Services, Policy and Procedure review, and even Conflict Resolution training, if required.

Skyguard can help fulfil your

DUTY OF CARE to your employees

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WHO ARE SKYGUARD? Skyguard is a subsidiary of the Send For Help Group the largest lone worker protection provider in the UK, Europe and globally.

Jan is best known as the founder of the PC World chain of computer superstores which he sold to Dixons Group in 1993.

He subsequently founded Internet Technology Group Plc in 1995, which was sold to Concentric Corp. for $250 Million the largest sale of an independent ISP in the UK!

The Group has a combined subscriber base of over 100,000 lone working end users, across a diverse range of vertical markets. Our senior management team has over 50 year’s The main business focus of the Murray family is now Skyguard collective experience working in Ltd; the company’s profits are being the lone worker protection industry. reinvested back into the business to Drawing from this specialist expertise, enable the company to continually “At Skyguard, we know that when a customer presses a button to we have invested in cutting-edge expand in the UK, and across Europe. request help, that moment is critical technology to develop our own The Murray family’s ambition is to for them. We have therefore used personal safety products, monitoring build Skyguard into the world leader all of our resources to ensure that centre, software and infrastructure. in personal safety services for lone the service we offer at that moment workers and people at risk. is the best in the industry! People’s Established in 2000, Skyguard lives depend on it. conducted three years of market 2011 saw the launch of two pioneering research and product development, product developments to realise the James Murray followed by over £3 million company vision; MySOS – Europe’s Chief Executive of Skyguard investment in setting up the service smallest personal safety device and infrastructure. This led to extensive Skyguard International – the world’s and successful field trials with the first and only service of its kind to Police and other organisations. provide localised emergency response in 36 countries across Europe and South Africa.

In 2008 a new management team and investors were engaged to take the company to the next level. A further £2 million was In March 2013, the company reached profitability as a result invested in 2009 to create new devices, software, and the of significant growth in 2012 which saw Skyguard more than construction of an Incident Management Centre in Surrey – double its customer base. This achievement marks Skyguard the first single-purpose facility in the UK to be certified to the as the UK’s fastest growing lone worker protection supplier highest industry standards (BS 8484, BS 5979 Cat II). and provides a solid foundation for further expansion in the future.

In March 2010 Skyguard Ltd was acquired by the Send for Help Group, owned by Nebula Associates Ltd - the investment vehicle of technology entrepreneur Jan Murray.

JAN MURRAY at the opening of his first

PC WORLD

superstore in Croydon in 1991

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THE UK’S ONLY WHOLLY-OWNED END-TO-END SERVICE PROVIDER As the UK’s only wholly-owned end-to-end service provider, Skyguard has developed every part of our supply chain - from our devices to our Incident Management Centre.

In order to maximise reliability we therefore selected only bestof-breed technology right across our service infrastructure.

Components of the service exclusively owned by Skyguard: •

• • • • • • • • •

Personal safety devices and mobile phone software applications The Skyguard building Incident Management Centre (IMC) IMC Controllers Data storage and systems Alarm receiving software Engineers and product developers Disaster recovery and backup Web-based tools and software Aftercare and technical support teams

This unique positioning not only minimises the risk of exposure for our clients’ employees, but also gives us the flexibility to develop bespoke solutions and customise any element of the service for customers with specific requirements. Having our own in-house engineers, software developers, Controllers and customer services all under one roof, improves communication time between our service elements and augments staff training and procedures. All these things lead to a quicker, more reliable response and specialised expertise; ultimately getting the right help to our customers and faster, when they need it most.

Skyguard’s expertise in and control of, all parts of the service led to our IMC becoming the first in the UK to be certified to the new Lone Worker Device Services standard: BS 8484, in January 2010. This represents a huge achievement considering the standard was only approved in September 2009; inspectors audited the service against a rigorous evaluation process including BS 5979 (Category II) and ISO 9001 for our Quality Management Systems.

A domestic violence victim had been given a Skyguard alarm by her local police force. Shouting and behaving in a threatening manner, the victim’s partner arrived at her home in the early hours of the morning. The victim activated her alarm, prompting Skyguard Controllers to initiate a response from the local police - who arrived at the scene within minutes and arrested the aggressor. Following this incident, the police requested the digital audio recording of the victim’s alarm call from us; this was subsequently used in court to convict the offender. Naturally, we only issue our customer’s personal details to the police once the correct Data Protection procedures had been complied with.

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Accredited to the

HIGHEST POSSIBLE Industry Standards

Protection of your employees, assets and those in your care is a serious business.

At Skyguard, we strictly adhere to the best practices; stringently follow guidelines set by the industry and continually keep up with legislation. We are also innovators in our sector and have played an instrumental part in developing industry standards for better lone worker protection. As a committee member of the British Security Industry Association’s (BSIA) Lone Worker Section, Skyguard advises and works with key industry stakeholders; the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), the British Standards Institute (BSI), and numerous other regulatory bodies.

Our service is constantly monitored, assessed and rigorously tested to ensure that you receive the very best possible service.

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BS 7984:2008 – the British Standard for keyholding and response services, which covers the Skyguard National Response Service;

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National Security Inspectorate’s Guarding Silver – Auditor’s scheme encompassing the two certifications above and all elements of BS 8484;

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Secured by Design – the Police Preferred Specification product design scheme awarded to Skyguard’s MySOS device, which guarantees national police approval of its use. Skyguard’s Incident Management Centre also became the first ARC in the UK to be awarded the accolade;

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BSIA Principal Member - Skyguard is a principal member of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), the UK trade association for the professional security industry.

Skyguard is also a member of the BSIA Lone Worker Section Committee which maintains standards within the industry;

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Security Industry Association (SIA) Licensed – Skyguard Directors are registered license holders with the SIA - the organisation responsible for regulating the private security sector;

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IFSEC Awards Winner – Skyguard are proud to have won an award at IFSEC’s prestigious Security and Fire Excellence Awards 2014. The award was in recognition of our work with Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in the ‘Best Deployment of Lone Worker Technology’ category;

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WEEE Registered – Skyguard is registered with the Environment Agency and an authorised Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive compliance scheme, for the safe disposal and recycling of our personal safety devices;

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NHS Information Governance Toolkit - Skyguard is registered and compliant to Commercial Third Party (Level 2), of the NHS Information Governance Toolkit.

But don’t take our word for it… our accreditations are listed below.

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BS 8484:2011 – the British Standard for lone worker device services; Skyguard is certified to all three elements of the standard; the company, the devices, and the ARC. Skyguard is a key contributor to development of BS 8484, having been closely involved in its preparation from initial drafting through all subsequent versions, to the finished product and the future development of a European-wide standard;

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BS 5979:2007: Category II – the British Standard for Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs); Category II compliance makes possible the highest level of police response;

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BS EN ISO 9001:2008 – the international quality standard which relates to Skyguard’s Quality Management System;

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National Security Inspectorate’s ARC Gold – external Auditor’s scheme encompassing the above certifications;

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BS 7858:2012 – the British Standard for security screening of individuals employed in ARCs; all Skyguard employees are externally screened to the standard, and Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checked;

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What is

BS 8484 and Why is it Important?

BS 8484 is the British Standards Institute (BSI) code of practice for the Provision of Lone Worker Device Services, first published in September 2009 and revised in 2011.

It was originally conceived in 2005 at the request of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), in order to set a standard for the Lone Worker protection industry, thereby reducing the level of false alarms which could drain police response resources.

The standard is made up of three components which apply to service providers: 1. The company - its stability, insurance, premises, staff and financial backing 2. The devices and their fitness for purpose 3. The Alarm Receiving Centre and its capability to monitor lone working alarms

Skyguard is fully certified to BS 8484 As the industry’s only wholly owned, end-to-end provider, this has enabled Skyguard to be fully certified to all three parts of BS 8484:2011, via a thorough and extensive annual audit conducted by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). The standard is important as it adds legitimacy to a new industry in a new market sector, by ensuring only compliant companies can gain the standard, and therefore the highest level of Police response. We do this by using Unique Reference Numbers (URNs) for all the UK’s Police forces (where available) and local numbers for Irish constabularies, giving us direct access to Police control rooms and bypassing the 999 service.* Skyguard continues to work with regulatory bodies and stakeholders in the Lone Worker industry to help shape future iterations of BS 8484 and other applicable standards.

Skyguard has DIRECT ACCESS to all police control rooms, guaranteeing a FASTER RESPONSE in the event of an emergency * Verified alarms are communicated to response services in accordance with the National Police Chief Council’s Security Systems Policy.

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Isn’t it Better to Dial

999?

It is an efficient service, but there are several reasons as to why Skyguard’s service is superior: 999 operators don’t know who is calling, where they are or why they have called.

When answering an alarm, we immediately know who it is, where they are, and precisely what they want done in the event of an incident (because you have provided us with instructions to follow in an emergency). It’s like having your very own emergency service.

No need to explain your situation to the 999 operator first.

We can call Police control rooms directly, where we avoid having to explain the situation to the 999 operator first and waiting for the call to be transferred to the local police operator.

Pressing an alarm button is quicker.

Dialling 999 and speaking to an emergency service operator requires more time and effort than simply activating an alarm button on your phone or personal safety device.

Callers to 999 often cannot convey accurate information about their situation; either as a result of panic, fear, pain or distress. The Skyguard service ensures the emergency services have all the details about an incident and can also be made aware of special circumstances including existing medical conditions.

You cannot dial 999 in advance.

Skyguard allows users to notify us in advance if they are entering a dangerous or threatening situation. This can be done in several different ways: - by leaving a Voice Memo (Amber Alert) message giving details of who you are meeting and where you are going… by raising an alarm and asking the Controller to stay on the line until you are safe, or summon help should an incident arise.

999 operators will only report details of an incident to the emergency services.

With Skyguard, not only will our Controllers contact the emergency services, but they can also call colleagues and follow instructions according to the requirements you have given us. Details can be updated by the user in realtime 24/7, and changed as often as necessary.

With over 100,000 hoax calls to emergency services each year, hoax calls are a real problem for 999 operators.

Skyguard helps take some of the pressure off the service; our experience from working with our police customers over many years has allowed us to develop our Controller training and procedures in order to minimise false alarms.

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Trusted and Used by

OVER HALF OF THE UK’S

POLICE FORCES to Protect the Most Vulnerable in Society Our service is proven in use on a daily basis.

Over the last fifteen years, Skyguard has enjoyed a close working relationship with our Police customers across the UK, allowing us to gain a deep understanding of how they operate. We’ve visited their control rooms and they’ve visited our Incident Management Centre in order to exchange knowledge and develop best practices. Drawing from this vast experience has led us to be recognised within the industry as the leading provider of personal safety alarms to UK Police forces.

That’s why our service is used and trusted by over half the UK’s Police forces to protect the most vulnerable in society. We have provided such a service to over 7,000 victims of domestic violence, kidnap targets and those in witness protection programmes.

“The ‘virtual sanctuary’ that the devices provide means that not only can at-risk persons remain living in their own homes, which is always preferable, but also offers them the same level of protection whenever they leave the house. Furthermore, the information provided by the units and their support services helps us to respond to incidents rapidly and efficiently, thereby ensuring that we meet our primary objective of providing the best possible service to all members of the public.”

Detective Inspector Tim Corner Wiltshire Police Public Protection Department

An employee of a corporate customer raised an alarm as he was being threatened by a member of the public whilst doing his job as a car park attendant. One Skyguard Controller listened whilst another followed the client’s escalation procedure: first call the Police and then call the employee’s manager.

The Police despatched a unit to the location we had provided them with, and the manager called his employee’s mobile phone. The car park attendant told his manager that he had moved to a different location because the aggressor told him he was going to return to kill him.

Skyguard Controllers monitored the situation the whole time and could therefore provide the Police with the employee’s updated location. Minutes later, Police arrived at the new location and instructed our Controllers to close the call as the employee was safe. Our Controllers relayed this information back to the manager, who could then make arrangement to bring his employee back to his office.

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SOLUTIONS for Every Industry

Our personal safety service has the size, flexibility and scope to cover hundreds of different personalised solutions across a wide array of industries. Here’s an overview of the kind of services we can provide, and to whom.

NHS

POLICE

Over 100 NHS Trusts now use Skyguard on a daily basis to protect their lone workers. With NHS budgets being squeezed, Trusts are under more pressure to save money and resources where possible, without compromising service or safety of staff.

We provide Police forces with a rapid solution to protect the most vulnerable in society. Over half of the UK’s Police forces use and trust the service to care for domestic violence sufferers, kidnap targets, stalking victims and those on witness protection schemes.

COUNCILS

HOUSING

More thank 150 Local Authorities across the UK use Skyguard to protect their employees ranging from; Social Workers, Enforcement Officers, Committee Officers, Building Control Officers, Environmental Health Officers, Benefits teams and many more

We understand that visiting customers in their own homes, often alone can lead to cases of threatening behaviour and violence. At Skyguard, we protect thousands of lone working Housing Association employees across the UK.

CORPORATE

RETAIL

It’s not just public sector lone workers that we protect 24/7. Skyguard provides Europe’s premier personal safety service to some of the world’s largest corporations, including Banks, Hauliers, Hotels, Estate Agents, Manufacturing and Utility companies to name but a few.

Retail is the largest private sector in the UK with nearly three million workers employed. In tough economic times, employers are under pressure to cut costs wherever. This means an increasing number of retail jobs require people to work alone, often feeling isolated and vulnerable.

As the only service provider operating in every lone worker and at-risk market, Skyguard can provide or develop a solution that addresses your organisation’s particular needs.

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How the

SERVICE WORKS GPS Satellite & Mobile Phone Network Location of device

SOS

Skyguard Personal Safety Device

Alarm Activation

or smartphone app

Customer Service Online Portal Position Reports Online Tracking Update User Info

Incident Management Centre Identify:

Includes Mandown Two-way audio link Audio recorded for evidential purposes

Who you are Where you are Your problem Personalised contacts

Voice Memo (Amber Alert)

Escalation • • •

Emergency Services National Response Service Your Contacts

You’ve been the victim of intimidation or attack, had an accident, or suffered a severe health problem. But help is there at the touch of a button.

So you activate your Skyguard personal safety device. Your alarm is sent (via mobile phone technology) to professional Controllers at Skyguard’s purpose-built Incident Management Centre, manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

your vicinity, and if it’s safe to do so, talk to you to advise and reassure you. We will asses the situation quickly and follow your personalised emergency instructions. We can summon the emergency services, our own 1,000 vehicle strong National Response Service, or someone designated by the client (such as a Duty Manager), and guide them to you. We also digitally record the audio and actions we take which can provide vital evidence should the incident go to litigation.

As soon as the alarm is raised, we’ll know who you are, your profession, any medical conditions and even what you look like (if you’ve supplied us with a photo). And because your device uses GPS satellite technology, we’ll know exactly where you are; your actual position will be cross checked against your home or work location. We will listen to what’s happening in

Our Controllers understand that a rapid response to an emergency is absolutely critical – any delay could mean the difference between life and death. For this reason, every alarm call we receive is treated as life-threatening, and managed until the response service is there, or we are satisfied the threat has been neutralised.

One of Skyguard’s devices was being used by a UK Police force to protect a witness in a murder trial. The victim activated his Skyguard alarm when he was attacked by youths in a secluded street late at night. Our Controllers contacted the local Police control room immediately and passed on the victim’s identity, his exact location and the information they could hear from the audio link. Within just six minutes of the alarm activation, Police officers arrived and arrested the youths. The victim suffered only minor head injuries; it’s likely his injuries could have proved more severe - or even fatal - had the response not been so swift.

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Industry Leading

PERSONAL SAFETY DEVICES Lone workers and vulnerable individuals are employed in a wide variety of professions, often facing very different types of risks during their daily routine. That’s why Skyguard has developed a range of ways to connect to our service, offering a choice of devices and mobile phone applications that provide individuals with an effective solution whatever their personal circumstances may be.

MySOS - Europe’s Smallest Personal Safety Device Skyguard’s exclusive dedicated personal safety alarms are fitted with the latest mobile phone and GPS technologies, ensuring your call for help is just a button press away. The MySOS is fully certified through external audit to BS 8484 (the standard for lone worker devices), and accredited to ‘Secured by Design’.

Key Features

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Up to two speed dial buttons which connect directly to contacts of your choice (e.g. a supervisor or carer)

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One button alarm activation

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•

GPRS technology provides fast and effective alarm transmission, with SMS as a backup

Optional automated and manual position reports allow the device to be tracked, if required

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GPS technology enables our Controllers to see accurate user location during an alarm, with cell locating as a backup

On demand position request allows a nominated mobile phone to view the device’s location on a map in real-time, by simply sending a text message

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Device will vibrate discreetly to indicate when an SOS alarm is initiated and again to confirm when it has connected to the IMC

Includes a contract SIM card pre-configured to each device, (roaming SIM cards are also available for areas of low network coverage)

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Can be worn discreetly as a pendant, ID badge holder (see below), attached to a belt, or keyring

•

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2-way audio allows us to communicate with the user

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Voice Memo (Amber Alert) function allows the user to leave a message, providing additional information in an emergency

Mandown Skyguard can also offer dedicated devices featuring “Mandown” technology, which will automatically raise an alarm in the event of sudden movement and impact, suitable for those users who work at height or have risk of falls.

Custom Integration As Skyguard is the UK’s only end-to-end lone worker service provider, we have complete control over the supply chain. Therefore, we can connect any type of device into our platform and Incident Management Centre, including intrinsically safe, ATEX rated devices; IP rated ruggedised devices and Satellite phones.

Each Service Package Includes...

N

N ew en ow ha ev & I nc en m ed sm pr fu all ov nc er e tio w d na ith lit y

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Free personal safety device or mobile phone software application

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Free unlimited emergency calls to our Incident Management Centre

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Free unlimited voice memos, test calls and data (MySOS)

SKYGUARD FOR SMARTPHONE Quick and Easy Software Download

For clients who require protection without wishing to carry a separate device, Skyguard offers a range of software applications which can be installed on a mobile phone or PDA. Our software can be downloaded ‘over the air’ in a quick and easy process, transforming your GPS enabled smartphone into a fully functional personal safety device.

The nominated alarm button overrides the handset’s keypad lock, allowing quick and easy access during an emergency.

The software runs in the background, allowing the use of other functions on your handset at the same time. With two-way audio, GPS positioning, Voice Memo function, discreet alarm confirmation and of course, our 24 hour backup and assistance, Skyguard’s mobile software application is unrivalled. What’s more, no additional equipment or capital outlay is required, resulting in substantial cost savings.

Our software developers are continually adding to the range of supported handsets and operating systems as new models are released onto the market. We can even provide a solution for clients using handsets without GPS capability.

Voice Memo Timer Skyguard’s Voice Memo Timer is a voice-based service that allows the user to log their daily activities and set a timer alarm on Skyguard’s system, conveniently from their mobile phone. The user simply leaves a Voice Memo message (Amber Alert) with details of where they going and types on their handset the number of minutes they wish to set for the alarm timer. If the timer is not cancelled, it will automatically raise an alarm to Skyguard’s IMC. Here, our Controllers will listen to the message and follow the user’s personalised escalation procedures. The service also enables the user to instantly raise an SOS alarm to our IMC, anytime, at the press of a button.

The Voice Memo Timer service will work on any mobile phone regardless of age, operating system or technology.

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Complete access to our secure Customer Service Centre Portal, to manage your user/device details, reporting and mapping tools

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Dedicated Account Management and Customer Support teams

Our contract terms are extremely flexible allowing you to choose the length of commitment which suits your organisation.

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Skyguard’s

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT CENTRE At the core of Skyguard’s service is our state-of-the-art, UK based, 24/7 Incident Management Centre (IMC). Here our highly-trained and experienced Controllers continually respond to alarms and manage life-threatening emergencies.

They summon the emergency services and our own National Response Service on a daily basis on behalf of our customers.

Yet in the last three years, none of these have proved to be false alarms due to their rigorous training and the procedures they follow.

Our Controllers undergo an intensive three week in-house training programme, followed by a series of strict graduation exams which they are required to pass; only then are they are allowed to manage live alarms on their own. All alarm calls are reviewed by our IMC Manager on a weekly basis for quality control purposes, which also highlights if any refresher training is needed. In addition, each Controller receives quarterly performance reviews, along with an annual review where refresher training is mandatory.

At any one time, there are at least two nominated Duty Managers available on-call 24/7, to deal with serious incident management, business continuity and disaster recovery situations. As all Skyguard personnel are based in one building, staff from other departments which are fully trained on IMC procedures can be deployed as an additional contingency, should the need ever arise for a major national emergency.

house technical backup and support is always on hand. We also monitor our systems 24/7 via server software, and onsite (and therefore able to resolve any technical issues immediately) Skyguard engineers perform hourly end-to-end system checks.

Since communication is vital to our service, we use an Avaya PBX telephone system, with evidence-quality voice recording of all calls, in and out. A dedicated, resilient telephony SIP Trunk connection handles all incoming alarms and outgoing calls to response services. This is backed up by multiple analogue phone lines, mobile phones and fax lines. Internet communications consist of a 100Mb broadband line with a 10Mb diversely routed backup via a separate telephone exchange and service provider.

We operate an interim Disaster Recovery site within a 2 mile radius, and a full Disaster Recovery site located outside of the county boundaries (less than an hour’s drive away). This means that all of our servers and databases can be duplicated both on and off site to ensure full data and disaster recovery, and the continual running of our service in the event of component failure. Should any of our servers fail, our systems will switch to the duplicate server with zero downtime.

Sufficient Controller work stations are always online; at least half of them are fully manned at all times. A four hour UPS battery activates immediately should a power cut occur. This is backed-up by 80kVA auto-start diesel generator. All our IMC electrical wiring is duplicated and installed to the most stringent standards. All our device alarm numbers can be switched quickly to a new database or location, too; and in-

Skyguard’s Incident Management Centre was the first in the UK to be awarded the prestigious

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Our IMC became the first in the UK to be certified to the new Lone Worker Monitoring Service standard: BS 8484, which included the highest standard for Alarm Receiving Centres: BS 5979 (Category II) In order to keep your data and our staff safe, our IMC complies with British Standards BS 8484, and BS 5979 (Category II), and offers protection from:

• Smoke • Explosion

• Fire

• Vandalism

• Flooding

• Gas attack

• Lightning strike

• Ram-raid

• Unauthorised public access

Our IMC provides this level of protection via the construction of:

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Perimeter fence

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Steel plate lined walls & ceilings

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Access controlled gates

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Door alarms

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Videophones

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Attack alarms to our partner ARC

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16 external & internal recording CCTV cameras

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Fire alarms & appliances

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Airlock door

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Lightning conductors

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Ram-raid bollards

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Smoke & carbon monoxide detectors

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Vibration sensors in all walls & ceilings

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Air handling unit

What’s important is not just the physical protection of our IMC, but the fact that every aspect of our service has been devised to specifically manage personal safety alarms, (not building alarms or CCTV monitoring normally associated with Alarm Receiving Centres). This dedication to a personal safety service means our Controllers can focus solely on the customer’s emergency without the distraction of other alarm types which would require different emergency procedures.

On behalf of our police customers alone, our IMC has protected an estimated 7,000 victims of domestic abuse, kidnapping and those on witness protection programmes. Many of these have led to arrests and successful prosecutions in court, facilitated by our audio recordings of incidents and the speed of police response that our service provided.

‘Secured by Design’ accreditation, guaranteeing national Police approval.

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UPDATE YOUR DETAILS IN REAL TIME, 24/7 via Skyguard’s Customer Service Centre Web Portal Our clients also benefit from our custom-built web portal, the Customer Service Centre. This secure interface allows client administrators or end-users to create and update their account details in real-time, 24/7. As the portal is based ‘in the cloud’, it can be accessed conveniently from any internet connected computer or mobile device and does not require any specific software to use.

Our system also allows device settings to be configured remotely, such as optional tracking interval times and speed dial numbers.

Screenshots

Clients can input their own emergency procedures, tailored to their organisation and department, or personalised to each employee. The system also allows organisations to create their own duress codes – a code word or phrase which a user can say to notify the Controller of a certain type of emergency, without alerting an aggressor.

Devices can even be assigned to a different user at the click of a mouse – ideal for clients who share a pool of devices for their shift workers. Any changes are updated immediately onto Skyguard’s system and made available to Controllers during an alarm. This zero latency ensures we always hold accurate user information, including allergy details and other medical conditions, which could prove vital to the response service.

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The Customer Service Centre further empowers client administrators with access to a full suite of usage and management reports, which can be exported for further analysis or even scheduled to automatically email nominated staff. For a visual representation of user activity, satellite and street maps can be generated showing the locations, dates and times of alarms, position reports, and battery low warnings.

All the reports and maps can be fully customisable by date range, department, user, and alarm type. All functions of the portal have been designed to be highly intuitive and user-friendly, backed up with a support section containing video tutorials, searchable FAQs and help documents.

Skyguard understand the sensitive nature of client data; for this reason we’ve developed the system to allow clients to set hierarchical access rights for administrators, departmental heads and users, to suit their requirements. For the same reason, our clients’ data can only be viewed by our Controllers during an alarm activation.

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE Skyguard’s Service is Exclusively Available in 36 Countries Across Europe and South Africa

Skyguard’s service is now exclusively available in 36 countries across Europe and South Africa – providing first class emergency assistance for lone workers and executives travelling abroad.

Localised Emergency Response – the first and only service of its kind in the world to provide localised police, paramedic and fire response in 36 countries across Europe, the Russian Federation and South Africa. Ideal for the travelling professional, the service provides 24 hour international protection via our global network of partner Alarm Receiving Centres.

Cross-Border Coverage – during an emergency we’ll continually monitor and assist you across borders (where the service is covered), ensuring effective protection on the move. We will communicate with emergency services of the relevant national jurisdictions, to summon help wherever it is required at the time.

Tailor Your Existing Service – we can tailor your existing Skyguard service to incorporate our international cover, at any time and with little or no disruption to your employees.

Three Ways to Connect – the service is currently available via our MySOS and MySOS Mandown personal safety devices, or as a smartphone software download. No special or additional equipment is required.

VIP Package Option – our Skyguard Premier service offers a VIP style package with further additional benefits, making it ideal for high-net worth individuals who travel for business and leisure.

Skyguard International provides localised emergency response in the following countries:

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Andorra

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Hungary

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Romania

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Austria

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Ireland

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Russia

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Belgium

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Italy

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Serbia

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Bulgaria

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Latvia

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Slovakia

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Croatia

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Liechtenstein

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Slovenia

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Czech Rep.

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Lithuania

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South Africa

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Denmark

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Luxembourg

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Spain

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Estonia

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Monaco

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Sweden

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Finland

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Netherlands

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Switzerland

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France

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Norway

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Turkey

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Germany

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Poland

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Ukraine

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Greece

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Portugal

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UK

As part of our vision to be the global leader in personal safety services, Skyguard is committed to increase the number of countries our service operates in – please refer to our website for an up-to-date list or speak to your Skyguard representative.

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UK Based

AFTERCARE & SUPPORT As a complete end-to-end lone worker service provider, Skyguard provides ongoing support and after-care through our UK based, in-house, Account Management and Customer Support teams.

Each Skyguard client benefits from their own dedicated Account Management team, comprising of a local, field-based Area Sales Manager, and an office-based Account Manager; both supported by our Sales Director. Your Account Management team are available to assist with any sales or billing queries, and will arrange regular client review meetings and conference calls.

For any technical or operational issues, clients have full access to our dedicated Customer Support Team as the primary point of contact during office hours; backed up by escalation to our Technical and Product Teams for second line support. Our Support teams are contactable via a variety of different methods to suit the client; telephone, email, fax or within our online client portal.

Skyguard’s bespoke web portal, the Customer Service Centre, empowers client by allowing them to administer their devices, user profiles and management reports themselves, in real-time. Customer Support are on-hand to assist with setting up clients’ online accounts and can give advice on best practice guidelines.

Customer Support can also arrange a wide range of tailored training sessions for client administrators, end users and trainers, as required.

”The staff at Skyguard are always very responsive, knowledgeable and friendly.

Trust is paramount to provide this type of service and I have been most impressed by the level of support we get.”

Kirsty Parkinson, Quality and Compliance Manager for Smiths Gore

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TRAINING & Consultancy Solutions

The Skyguard range of personal safety devices, mobile applications and accompanying services have been proven in use on a daily basis, to provide highly-effective protection for lone workers and other vulnerable individuals.

However, a personal safety solution is only as effective as the knowledge of person using it, and the dependability of the Health & Safety procedures an organisation has in place.

Skyguard takes a holistic approach to lone worker safety, by offering a range of training and consultancy services designed to complement and maximise the effectiveness of the Skyguard service.

As the UK’s only wholly owned end-to-end provider Skyguard employs our own in-house trainers with the relevant knowledge, skills and experience to deliver high quality training to clients’ end users, administrators and trainers. Our trainers will use a variet of methods to ensure

that end users are proficient and comfortable with using the service features.

Skyguard have found that the more interactive a training session is, the more productive it is, and therefore we encourage end users to participate in practice exercises during training.

Naturally, every Skyguard client receives introductory training and ongoing support in setting-up their Skyguard account and using the service. In addition to this, we can also offer bespoke training and consultancy solutions tailored to each organisation’s particular requirements.

We work with clients to assess their specific requirements in terms of both the product/service features and training, to create a personalised solution that works best. We take this approach not only during the initial stages, but on an ongoing basis throughout the lifetime of the contract.

Skyguard provides training, consultancy and advice on the following areas: • • • • • •

Risk Assessment / Audit Project Management & Implementation Lone Worker Awareness & Personal Safety Training Physical Restraint / Intervention Training Health & Safety Legal Advice Refresher Training

• • • • •

Business Case Development for a Lone Worker Service Train the Trainer Conflict Resolution / Management Training Policy & Procedures Review / Consultation Advice on New Technology & Devices

“The training and support that we received during the roll-out process was very professional.”

Mark Perkins, Health and Safety Manager, Circle Housing Property Services

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What Our

CUSTOMERS Say About Skyguard “The reliability is a major factor obviously. The service is simple to set up and easy to use but it needs to work for people to trust it. Skyguard, quite simply, works.”

Andy Turner, Risk & Assurance Manager, Yorkshire Coast Homes

“By switching to Skyguard, we were able to have an efficient system which was affordable.”

Jill Nixon, Stockport NHS Trust’s Office Manager, Community Nursing

“We have a couple of pooled (shared) devices for late workers. Someone can come along to me and ask “have you got a spare device because I’m working late tonight?” It’s a good option to have.

All I have to do is drag and drop the shared device onto the user in the CSC and they’re instantly covered – it’s that easy.”

Barbara Tomlin, Facilities Manager, Gallions Housing Association

“We were impressed by the reliability of the device and the monitoring by Skyguard 24/7. The device is compact and easy for our drivers to use.”

Jamie Walker, Contract Manager, Gregory Distribution

“To know where employees are at any one time in the event of an emergency is priceless.”

Sandra Farrington, Facilities Manager, Harlow Council

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“The MySOS is small, easy to use and has brilliant tracking of staff whereabouts - all of which is very important as it provides peace of mind knowing users have backup and support in case of an emergency. It’s also incredible value for money.”

Mike Somers, Regeneration Officer, Brent Council

“The support is excellent. I recall an incident where a member of staff needed to call for help as a dispute between tenants was getting out of hand, so he activated his alarm and got through to Skyguard’s call centre who covertly assisted, dispatching the Police in the process.”

Sarah Moulding, Havebury Housing Partnership Health, Safety and Facilities Team

“Our officers regard their Skyguard devices very highly for the reassurance and security they provide. In fact, they have come to see them as essential tools for their work.”

Ian Lockett, Supervisor For The Northern Sector Of Cheshire East Council Parking Services

“Skyguard’s MySOS was the obvious choice as it incorporates the latest technology, whilst being easy to use and offers good value for money.”

Jayne King, Head of Security, Portering and Reception Services, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

”

“There are savings for the police as these devices often lead to rapid arrests, which have a sobering effect on many attackers and reduce the rate of repeat offending. Additionally, most atrisk individuals can be protected in their own community, thereby eliminating the cost of moving them to safe houses.”

Anita Mckenzie, South Yorkshire Police Domestic Abuse Co-Ordinator

“The training and support that we received during the roll-out process was very professional, and any questions we had were answered promptly by the support team.”

Mark Perkins, Health & Safety Manager, Circle Housing Property Services

To find out more, tell us your requirements or to request a live demonstration of our service, email sales@skyguard.co.uk give us a call on 0845 0360 999 or visit us at www.skyguard.co.uk

Europe’s Premier Personal Safety Service

Skyguard House 457 Kingston Road Epsom Surrey KT19 0DB tel 0845 0360 999 fax 0208 7863 334 sales@skyguard.co.uk www.skyguard.co.uk Registered in England No.4107459

Skyguard Limited is part of the Send for Help Group.

© Skyguard Ltd. 2015. E & OE