Operating in Scotland, the North East of England, Yorkshire, and the Midlands, Avant Homes employs over 700 staff. Being a leading residential developer, they take pride in building their customers sustainable homes to provide them with a better quality of life. This commitment extends to their employees, recognised as an integral part of the business.
Diverse Roles
Avant Homes employs numerous types of staff, all working in different fields. Whether in customer-facing positions or as remote workers journeying between locations, each job carries its own distinct set of responsibilities and risks.
Customer-facing positions such as sales agents and customer service representatives interact directly with clients, presenting risks associated with meeting unfamiliar individuals and working in potentially unpredictable environments. Other remote workers, such as construction site supervisors or inspectors, face risks related to navigating different project sites, often in isolated or hazardous conditions.
Challenges of Lone Working
Despite how different their responsibilities are, these roles all share the risks inherent in working alone, which include not only physical safety concerns but also potential difficulties in accessing support. If an employee were to fall ill or experience an injury during this time, accessing help could be challenging, potentially escalating the situation.
Choosing Peoplesafe
After analysing their organisational requirements, Avant Homes decided to distribute Peoplesafe’s technology to over 150 of their employees. The company discovered that utilising a Peoplesafe device was the perfect fit, providing a discreet form of support and a method of improving employee wellbeing at a cost-effective price.
“Choosing Peoplesafe’s service came down to the superior devices and the ease of use.”
Sarah Higgins, Learning and Development Specialist
Ease of Use
By simply pressing the SOS button on the keyfob-sized device, Avant Homes employees can trigger an alarm which is then received by an Alarm Controller at Peoplesafe’s Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Operating 24/7/365, the Alarm Controllers are on hand and trained in dealing with difficult situations.
Using the device’s two-way audio functionality, they will listen for 10 seconds to assess the situation. They will then initiate tailored escalation procedures outlined on the user’s Nexus profile. This approach ensures that response actions are aligned with the specific risks faced by the user, no matter their role.
Fall Detection Functionality
A feature of the Peoplesafe service that stood out to Avant Homes was fall detection. This feature offers an additional layer of protection, especially for those working at heights or in hazardous locations. In the event of a slip, trip or fall, the device automatically triggers an alert to the ARC who will then monitor and respond to the alarm. This ensures that if a user becomes incapacitated and is unable to raise an alarm manually, they can still access professional help.
“The fall detection functionality provides us with peace of mind that if a member of staff fell due to becoming ill, an alarm would automatically trigger.”
Sarah Higgins, Learning and Development Specialist
A Recommended Solution
We asked Sarah if she would recommend Peoplesafe to other organisations, she answered:
“yes, definitely. The support I have personally received from Peoplesafe’s support team has been excellent. They made setting up teams and reporting groups within the online portal very easy and hassle free”
