We have just heard about a low-cost service offered by Bristol City Council that is applicable to all UK practitioners.
It might be of interest if you’ve ever felt at risk, either from your clients or simply because you work on your own.
It’s called ‘Lone Worker Protection’ and we’re thinking about implementing it at our own practice.
Essentially it’s a ‘check-in’ service, whereby you check in to the system at a particular time to demonstrate you are safe. You might wish to use it when you’re meeting a client for the first time, if you’re working at your premises late at night, or if you’re visiting an unfamiliar location.
Here’s how it works:
1. You ring a special number, and log yourself into the system.
2. You record the destination and set a ‘check call time’.
3. At the check call time you ring the same number.
4. If you don’t ‘check in’, the system will attempt to contact you three times.
5. If you don’t answer, an operator will follow whatever procedure you specify – for example they may contact a next of kin.
Interested? You can find out more about it on Bristol Council’s website.
