Q&A – Inside the Peoplesafe ARC [Webinar]
During our recent webinar providing an insight into what goes on behind the scenes in the Peoplesafe Alarm Receiving Centre we received a host of questions. Some were answered during the session, but we didn’t get the chance to answer all of them. We’ve collected all the questions and provided answers.
Webinar Recap
Escalation Plans & Contacts
Is the escalation plan set by a manager or by the user?
Escalation plans can only be created by people with the Administrator, and Alarm Response Admin roles in Nexus. However, you may find it useful to include the user(s) when creating an escalation plan for them.
https://nexussupport.peoplesafe.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/13552693821841-How-to-create-an-escalation-plan
Can updates be sent to specific members of the escalation team only?
The escalation plan sets out the instructions to the alarm controllers on who to contact, so yes, who is updated is determined by the plan itself.
Duress words are clearly visible on Lighthouse – does it also have the actions for these words?
Yes, the two actions covered by Duress words are “Monitor” and “Call Police”.
Do you put in an emergency contact e.g. a next of kin, in the escalation plan rather than someone from our company?
The escalation plan should include relevant Managers or points of contact within the business who could assist Peoplesafe if they are unable to make contact with a user. They will also be contacted in the event of an incident should the user request it.
When would you contact the next of kin (personal escalation contacts) instead of the work escalation?
The next of kin will always be a last resort as a point of contact unless stated on the Alarm Response Instruction. If we had tried all contacts within the escalation plan, we may revert to administrators on the Nexus portal for further assistance. We are conscious that a call to a next of kin could cause concern so we advise ensuring your escalation plan has people that are available to assist.
Will the company escalation contacts be called out of hours or would it be only the personal emergency contacts (i.e. next of kin)?
We advise that an out of hours option is added to the escalation plan. If there isn’t, then we would call the escalation plan that is on the profile at any time of day. If you wish for us to call the next of kin out of hours, this would need to be stated on the plan, and next of kin added to all user profiles.
How do we determine what the “office hours” are – is there anywhere you can enter them on Nexus?
Office hours are typically when majority of people are working or should detail the different shift patterns (e.g. earlies, lates, days, nights). The escalation plan is where office hours can be provided, therefore giving guidance to the ARC on who to call and when.
We don’t have an internal out-of-hours escalation process as most people sign off at their usual finish times. How would we deal with this?
You can add next of kin’s to the users profiles and put an instruction in the escalation plan for Peoplesafe to use that as the escalation after a certain time. There may be occasions that we would still call after hours, especially if there had been an incident with a member of staff as we would want to notify a Manager or escalation contact of the situation. Reminders to colleagues that they are responsible for their device/app is also advised so that they understand what would happen after hours.
Are escalation contacts informed about false alarms of their team members?
No, escalation contacts will only be notified when the alarm is verified or if the user fails to respond, then the alarm will be escalated.
Would you recommend that we have a special instruction added to all our users if we would like the ARC to listen in initially/wait before speaking?
Standard process is that the Controller will always wait for a minimum of 10 seconds before speaking. We understand that customer requirements can be unique and responses may need to be tailored for specific situations or certain teams within your user base. Adding that information as a special instruction in the Alarm Response Information section helps the Controller to respond appropriately.
Where can I find the Special Request screen and is this one for the whole of the organisation or needs to be set up for each individual?
Add the special requests here: Alarm Response Information > Alarm Response Instructions.
Then to apply to the whole organisation, head to Company Profile > Settings and choose the instructions set up.
https://nexussupport.peoplesafe.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/22148703108753-How-to-create-Alarm-Response-Instructions
Test Line
Are planned tests done by the customer or the ARC?
Planned tests are carried out by the users. We recommend carrying out a test using the device test line once a month or once a quarter. This service will replicate the same actions as pressing the SOS button but without raising an alarm to the ARC. Instead, you will hear a recorded message, and it will ask you to record a message yourself to check that the mic is working. It will then play the message back so you can hear it and check that the speaker is working. Finally, it is possible to check the GPS functionality by pressing the power button to get an SMS message sent with a What3Words link.
https://nexussupport.peoplesafe.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/34231060252561-Testing-your-Device
For Managers or Admins, there is a column in the Usage Report where you can see if users have been calling the test line to check their device.
How do you test the device if both call buttons have additional features?
If you have additional features on both device call buttons, using these features shows that the device is connected to the system and ready to use in an emergency situation.
How do you test the service using an app?
To test the Peoplesafe mobile app, first see if the GPS light in the top right is green/amber. Then tap the ‘Settings’ cog icon and select ‘Log Activity’. If the call connects, you can then check the microphone, audio and GPS location.
Also, you can call the test line: +442035356639
https://nexussupport.peoplesafe.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/41327758785297-Testing-Your-Phone-Optional
Nexus Profiles
Where do I add medical conditions?
When editing a user profile, there is a section for ‘Physical & medical information’. One of the fields in this section is titled ‘Medical conditions’ where you can select from a dropdown list.
Is it useful/important to add any medication being taken for stated medical conditions?
Yes, any additional information you can provide is helpful and could influence the treatment or response provided.
Why are certain questions (e.g. blood type) requested on a user profile?
This information is not a mandatory field on the user profile. The way we view it is that the more information we have the better service and response we can provide, particularly in an emergency. We understand that staff may not want to share this information, which is why this and similar fields are optional.
How do profiles work if you don’t have individual devices, but share them amongst a team?
Create a profile that’s called either ‘Shared Profile’ or ‘Team Profile’ and within there you can use the distinguishing features field to list out all the individual users that may be using that one device and any relevant additional information. One thing to make sure each user does is to: leave a voice memo or start a timer every time they pick up that device which will tell the Controller which user they’re dealing with.
https://nexussupport.peoplesafe.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/13552812396049-How-do-I-share-a-device-between-users
https://nexussupport.peoplesafe.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/13552711130129-How-do-I-add-multiple-people-to-one-device
ARC Response & URNs
Does the URN to individual police forces allow you to contact other emergency services as well?
A URN is specific to individual police forces. Where the police are required, they will then coordinate other emergency services as required. For scenarios that do not require police involvement, we will go directly to the appropriate emergency service via 999.
Can you contact the specific local police constabulary in Northern Ireland?
Yes, we have a Unique Reference Number (URN) for Northern Ireland.
What is the estimated response time for police attendance?
Our pick up time for an alarm is less than 5 seconds and our URN status ensures we can go directly to the relevant police constabulary for the area that the incident bypassing the triage process of 999. We are therefore able to supply everything to the police for immediate dispatch in less than 4 minutes.
Are these calls recorded and available to be used as evidence in a police investigation?
Yes, all calls are recorded and would be available for evidential purposes.
Is the listen-in service available on all devices?
The listen-in/monitoring service is available on all our solutions. Users can access it by pressing the SOS button and telling the Controller they would like to be monitored.
What security questions do the ARC ask the caller to determine it is the real user?
By default, the ARC will confirm the user’s name and organisation. Optionally, administrators can choose for users to identify themselves using additional information from their profile, such as Date of Birth (DoB), a PIN, or a Code Word.
Is there a charge for using the National Response service?
Yes, this is a paid-for service. Please contact your account manager for details.
Alarm Trends
Is there a service/industry that logs the most verbal/physical incidents calls to the ARC?
Currently we are seeing the most verbal and physical incidents in both retail and housing.
What do you think is the reason for recent rises in incidents?
There isn’t a single cause, but a combination of social, economic and workplace-specific pressures that have fuelled the rising trend of incidents. Certainly, the increase in the cost of living has created a baseline of stress and anger. People under financial strain tend to have shorter tempers. Capacity issues from slashed budgets and understaffed services lead to longer waiting times and delays. Overworked teams are struggling to deliver, particularly against a backdrop of changing expectations where many customers are now accustomed to on-demand, instant digital experiences. Political tensions around immigration and other issues have also impacted tolerance levels across society. Perhaps, most positively is that more people are using our service to raise precautionary incidents and safeguard themselves when they don’t feel safe.
