First2HelpYou, and our alarm receiving centre, First County Monitoring, hold the highest possible levels of accreditation in the lone worker sector. You can be confident in our service, our devices, and our practices.
The industry standard, NSI gold certification demonstrates that, not only are we compliant to the relevant product and service standards, such as BS8484: 2016, but also that we are rigorous in our approach to our quality management systems, holding ISO9001: 2015 accreditation.
BS8484: 2016 is the code of practice for suppliers of lone worker safety services. It makes sure the quality of the devices, monitoring, and management systems is, not only high, but consistent.
It focuses on:
Devices | The Company | The Alarm Receiving Centre | Training | Response Times
ISO9001: 2015 demonstrates that we run a tight ship! We have proper processes for managing development, recruitment, management, and customer feedback.
The standard was updated in 2015 to make sure management take responsibility for the way the company is run, which is why First2HelpYou pass the audits so easily. Our senior team don’t leave everything up to other people. They are hands on and oversee every element of the service.
It is their passion that drives them, and their experience that guides them.
Our alarm receiving centre, First County Monitoring, hold BS5979 Cat 2. This means that we are able to provide a ‘level 1’ emergency response service by using a police Unique Reference Number (URN).
A URN is faster than a 999 call because when the police are called, the operator knows more information than usual, such as the location, name, and situation. This means vital help can arrive at the scene much more quickly than if your lone worker called 999 themselves.
Of course, a level 1 Police response isn’t always appropriate. Our alarm receiving centre can provide a full range of support to ensure your lone worker gets the help they need.
We take the security of your staff and their details seriously. We also rely on the integrity of our staff, which is why we never employ someone who hasn’t passed rigorous BS7858 security screening, and holds a current Disclosure Scotland certificate.
Not only that, but all our staff and Directors are screened by the SIA (Security Industry Association) so you can be confident our staff are honest, honourable people. Your data, and staff, are safe with us.
We understand that you are giving us a lot of very personal information about your staff and your business, and we would never want to breach your trust. All your data is held in ISO27001 compliant data centres.
We are fully compliant with the most up to date Data Protection regulations. You can request a copy of our policy by filling out the contact form here or emailing us on support@first2helpyou.co.uk
For lone worker devices to be compliant with BS8484, they must be able to:
-Provide an accurate location of the lone worker
-Have two way communication between the alarm receiving centre and the user
-Be discreetly activated
-Reassure the user that there is a live operator listening and responding when activated
-Be able to sustain a connection with the alarm receiving centre
The company providing the lone worker services, including the alarm receiving centre, must be able to demonstrate that they:
-Are of sound financial standing and adequately resourced
-Have a suitable environment for listening to the alert
-Have properly screened staff, compliant to BS7858
-Manage personal data in accordance with Data Protection regulations
-Employ thoughtful, demonstrable procedures for device testing, roll out, and on-going support
Our alarm receiving centre, First County Monitoring, need to demonstrate they:
-Are able to provide a level 1 emergency response, when appropriate, by holding police Unique Reference Numbers
-Have fully trained staff and adequate procedures and guidelines for managing alerts
-Monitor and minimise false alert and provide feedback to the customer
-Provide a report of all genuine Red Alerts within a specified timeframe
-Are certified to BS5979
-Operate 365 days a year, 24 hours per day
First2HelpYou have demonstrated that, not only are our staff regularly and thoroughly trained, but also that our users are trained in:
-The device’s capabilities and limitations
-The excellent First2HelpYou service
-Using the device
-General lone worker safety tips
As part of BS8484: 2016, the lone worker safety provider has to be able to demonstrate that they respond to alerts within specified time frames. This means that we will answer an alert to your staff within industry standard times.
Knowing their red alert will be answered quickly will make your staff feel safe and supported, and we can be on hand to provide help as soon as needed.
The NPCC supply industry guidelines to all lone worker safety provides, compliance to which enables the alarm receiving centre to utilise the URNs.
Not only do we adhere to the guidelines, but we also have expert staff, in the form of an ex Senior Police Officer, Nick Hunter. Nick is an expert in not only NPCC guidelines, but also general legislation, including BS8484: 2016 and data protection. Have a look at our team profiles to find out more.