Skyguard Provides the First Service in the UK to Help Special Needs Pupils Travel Independently

EPSOM, England, February 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Skyguard has been working with the City of Edinburgh Council to develop a pioneering new initiative which has led to a special needs pupil becoming the first in the UK to travel to school on his own, by using Skyguard's GEMshield personal safety alarm.

Craig Nibloe, from Pilrig Park School, can now travel independently without the need for school transport, which allows him to have the opportunity to go to college to complete further education courses.

The City of Edinburgh Council has become the first local authority in the UK to train special needs pupils to use a personal safety service. Skyguard's service is more commonly used by Councils and businesses to protect lone workers and 'at-risk' individuals, as well as Police forces who issue the devices to the highly vulnerable such as domestic violence victims. The success of the initiative could lead to other special needs schools in the UK using the service in conjunction with their Local Authority. Traditionally, special needs pupils are taught self travel by teachers who have to accompany them over an average eight week period as they travel from their homes to school.

However, thanks to the Skyguard service, the need for staff to accompany them is eliminated and training is completed a lot quicker, with teachers able to train more pupils.

The pupil carries the pocket-sized device whilst the teacher is able to rely on Skyguard's online customer portal to pinpoint the pupil's location. The device can also be used as mobile phone allowing pupil and teacher to call each other, for example if the bus is running late. An SOS button provides vital backup in an emergency, allowing trained controllers at Skyguard's 24/7 Incident Management Centre to immediately locate the pupil, talk to him if it's safe to do so, and follow their personalised escalation procedures such as contacting their school, family members or the emergency services as appropriate. The pupil's relevant information such as medical history and emergency contacts can be updated in real-time, 24/7, using Skyguard's online customer portal.

Craig said: "I always wanted to get the bus to school by myself but wasn't able to. I'm really pleased I can now do that on my own and go to college."

Cllr Paul Edie, Health and Social Care and Housing Leader for Edinburgh, said: "This Council has really embraced this new technology, which is transforming people's lives and making a real difference to them."

Will Murray, Skyguard's Marketing Director adds, "We are delighted our service is being used by Edinburgh Council in such an innovative way. Not only does this improve the lives of special needs pupils by giving them greater independence, but it also allows Councils to save valuable resources and use their budget more effectively in helping special needs children in the areas they need it most."

About Skyguard

In 2003 Skyguard began a 3 year market research and technology design programme, sourcing the right devices and developing the best possible software for its requirements. Following a GBP3m investment in 2006, the service infrastructure was developed. Extensive field trials with the police and other organisations followed and, in 2008 a new management team and investors were engaged, taking the company to the next level. A further GBP2 million was invested in 2009 to create new devices, software, and the construction of a dedicated state-of-the-art Incident Management Centre in Surrey.

For further information contact: Will Murray, Marketing Director, Skyguard Ltd, Tel: +44(0)208-786-3305, Email: will.murray@skyguardgroup.com