“The Infopoint help point is making a difference to members of the public, who can now access a wide range of services should they be needed”
Gillian Scott, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
To find out more, call Infopoint on 01223 420020
Ulster Hospital
Ulster Hospital are using Infopoint help points to provide 24/7 crisis support to members of the public in their multi-storey car park.
At the vast majority of sites where Infopoint help points are installed, our service is entirely paid for by the local taxi operator whose number appears on the unit. But where no taxi service is required, we can also supply, install and maintain Infopoint units directly, paid for by the site.
One such example is Ulster Hospital, part of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. Following a number of serious incidents of self-harm in and around the hospital’s multi-storey carpark, a risk assessment recommended that, alongside other measures, a free phone offering 24/7 access to a crisis support helpline should be installed.
Our solution
The Trust wished to make use of our vandal-resistant, highly visible help points. However, rather than include a taxi option, they wanted to dedicate all six stored numbers to providing support services. Consequently, they chose to finance the unit themselves, paid for as a service via a low monthly fee.
We installed an Infopoint 6 unit in Ulster Hospital’s multi-storey carpark. It provides free calls to Lifeline, Women’s Aid, Alcoholics Anonymous and 999 emergency services, as well as the hospital’s own Security Centre and Shopmobility scheme. Each of these services is selected via a large, user-friendly button.
In addition to the Infopoint unit itself, we also designed and installed a custom-made backboard. At the Trust’s request, all signage carried the five languages most spoken in the surrounding area – English, Lithuanian, Polish, Arabic and Romanian – ensuring wide accessibility and maintaining the Trust’s commitment to equality and diversity.
The result
“The Infopoint help point is making a difference to members of the public, who can now access a wide range of services should they be needed,” says the South Eastern Trust’s Gillian Scott. “We’ve had no issues or problems with the Infopoint unit, and Infopoint themselves have been very good at keeping in contact and responding to our requests.”
She continues: “The help point is there as a preventative measure. It’s in a visible, public area with open access 24 hours a day. So if there’s anybody needing help, they can use it as a first point of contact.”