Launchpad Reading is a local charity that prides itself on offering a comprehensive ‘wrap around’ service to some of Reading’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

The charity was set up as a soup kitchen in 1979. Since then, Launchpad Reading has continued to broaden its brief and expanded the number of services it offers to its end users.

Its core project is to offer housing and housing-related support. But for many people this is simply not enough because they struggle with other problems that prevent them from changing their lives, such as mental illness or substance abuse. So, Launchpad Reading has added a range of other secondary services to support those people that may find themselves excluded form society, for whatever reason. The core outreach staff are crucial to the ongoing success of the charity.

This year the Launchpad Reading team are planning numerous fundraising activities, including the premier of a film that features 20 of their clients along with professional performers. They even plan to set up a choir for their users.

With such a hectic schedule, an admin issue like staff safety can easily fall to the bottom of the To Do list – particularly for small charities, which are, understandably, monitoring expenditure very closely.

Fortunately Launchpad Reading does not take such a short sighted view and has made the safety of its front line staff a priority. Last year the charity bought 30 licenses from lone worker safety specialist Lookout Call to ensure it had a rigorous lone worker safety scheme in place.

Why Lookout Call? “Although we are not expecting anything serious to happen to our staff members, Lookout Call is an excellent safety net that offers robust lone worker protection,” says Ian Caren, CEO Launchpad Reading.

“Our staff are often out visiting clients and with Lookout Call we have a record of where they are and who they are seeing. The timed alarms are fully automated so we can be confident that if something unexpected were to happen, managers would be contacted and help could be sent.”

Ian explains that, although staff were hesitant to use the system at first, they have now described it as “very reassuring”.

“Our staff measure success on our clients reaching their goals and getting the most out of their lives,” explains Ian.

“As a responsible employer it is imperative for us to have an effective lone worker safety system in place that allows our staff to carry out that important work. Lookout Call has ticked all the right boxes, in terms of price, flexibility and support.”