Home » Case Studies » The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (BCN) is a charitable organisation that manages more than 3,300 hectares of land, across 125 individual locations. As part of a collective of 47 Trusts, it contributes to the largest people-powered environmental initiative in the UK, working for nature’s recovery on land and at sea.

In order to fulfil its essential services, the Trust employs a team of 100 staff members, each bringing specialised expertise in fields ranging from conservation and research to education and engagement.

Engaging Communities

Each year, the Trust engages with thousands of children through their education and community teams, providing opportunities to enjoy and connect with wildlife. Amongst their work, they organise training workshops and advise landowners on how to manage land for wildlife.

These tasks take them to far and wide locations, interacting with a range of people, often alone. While much of their work is conducted without incident, there have been instances where staff members have encountered threats and intimidation, highlighting the vulnerability of frontline workers.

Identifying Risk Factors

Back as far as 2009, Su Jenkins, Human Resources Manager for The Wildlife Trusts BCN had identified that employees out in remote locations faced an increased risk to their safety and wellbeing. Lone workers are exposed to a wide range of dangers including verbal and physical confrontation, sudden illness or accidents. The simple nature of being lone workers also means that these employees may be left without help in an emergency, further heightening the risk.

As a responsible employer, Su was entrusted to look for a personal safety service that enabled staff to call for help quickly, easily and discreetly in any emergency.

“We employ staff who travel a lot and work on nature reserves in a range of rural and urban settings. They interact with the public who use those reserves and whilst the vast majority of these meetings are very positive, some can be difficult.”

Empowering Safety with Peoplesafe

Peoplesafe emerged as the ideal technology provider, standing at the forefront of the employee safety industry, already safeguarding over 250,000 employees across 3,500 organisations.

The Wildlife Trusts BCN stressed the importance of using the service in remote locations, given the diverse environments their staff frequently navigate. Following comprehensive evidence that this crucial aspect was covered, the Trust made the decision to implement Peoplesafe technology.

Choosing the Right Solution

The Wildlife Trusts BCN chose to implement the MySOS device, a small, discreet, palm-sized personal safety alarm. With the simple press of one button, the user’s details are transmitted to Peoplesafe’s Alarm Receiving Centre – a 24-hour manned, UK-based control room where trained Alarm Controllers exclusively handle Peoplesafe user’s alarms. With two-way audio communications and GPS tracking, they can summon the right response, directly to the user’s location, wherever, whenever.

The Wildlife Trust BCN’s also chose to roaming SIMs, ensuring seamless connectivity even in remote or low-coverage areas. This feature guarantees that employees remain connected to Peoplesafe’s Alarm Receiving Centre regardless of their location.

This comprehensive safety solution provides employees with reassurance and peace of mind, knowing that they have a direct link to help in emergency situations.

“The units give the staff confidence to go to work, knowing that if something does happen they can get support.” – Su Jenkins, HR Manager

Efficiency and Adaptability

The Trust was also impressed that the service allows for ‘multiple pooling’ of staff members per device. Users can be re-assigned to each personal safety device via the online Nexus portal. Changes are made in real-time using a simple, user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. This flexibility ensures optimal utilisation of resources and enhances safety coverage for employees across various locations and shifts.

Su added, “the service we get from Peoplesafe is excellent. Not only did the price suit our organisation, the devices met our needs; they’re compact yet robust.”

Endorsement of Peoplesafe

All 47 Wildlife Trusts regularly meet to discuss ideas and since Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust have been using Peoplesafe, Su has recommended rolling out the devices across the whole of the UK.

“Since using Peoplesafe, I have recommended them to other Wildlife Trusts and conservation organisations because of the service and the suitability of the unit.” Su summarises, “we’re staying with Peoplesafe, because they are so easy to work with.”