Published:
Heriot-Watt has joined a new partnership with universities across Scotland to reinforce the safety and wellbeing of their communities.
The SafeZone Alliance Scotland provides 24-hour support at the touch-of-a-button to students and staff belonging to seven institutions, including; Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling.
For several years, Heriot-Watt has used the free, app-based system, SafeZone where anyone in need of help can alert the University’s SafeGuarding team all year round.
With the SafeZone Alliance Scotland, students and staff from participating institutions can access a range of services from whichever university is closest and best placed to respond. This includes emergency assistance, mental wellbeing support, crime prevention help, and general advice for anyone who has a particular safety concern or feels vulnerable in any situation.
“The SafeZone Alliance concept takes our universities into a higher league in supporting our duty of care,” said Les Allan, Director of SafeGuarding Services at Heriot-Watt University. “For universities across Scotland, our capacity to support our communities is now multiplied even further with our collaborative use of SafeZone.”
The introduction of the SafeZone Alliance Scotland follows the success of a similar scheme in Manchester, which is now in its second year. The Scotland, Manchester and wider Alliance members will also work together, further extending the support and safety services available to more than a million individual users.
Professor Malcolm Chrisp, Deputy Principal Education and Student life at Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are proud to partner in this new Alliance and to provide an extra layer of care to staff and students not only from this university but from other institutions across the country.
“The Alliance allows us to extend our reach to ensure assistance is made available quickly and easily, whenever it’s needed.”