Harp

Providing a Secure Environment for People During their Rehabilitation

HARP is a UK based charity funded by donations that provides emergency housing and long-term solutions, enabling people to rebuild their lives and live independently in the community. HARP can house up to 122 people at any one time in their properties.
Requirement

HARP refurbished the Bradbury Centre, their day centre and night shelter in 2013. They wanted a modern solution that would better serve their visitors, making them feel safe and secure whilst undergoing their rehabilitation journey.

It was important that the solution would create two clear zones within the building: one for the night shelter, which has 18 bedrooms for permanent residents, and the day centre, where people come to have a hot meal, collect a food parcel or have a shower. HARP’s Property Manager says: “The people we take in may have been sleeping rough for a while. HARP wanted to create a safe environment where they would feel comfortable.”

HARP hired local security company Blake Fire & Security Systems to find a solution that would meet their requirements. With 35 years industry experience, Blake Fire & Security Systems specialise in the design, installation and maintenance of electronic security systems and were therefore perfectly placed to recommend a solution.

 

We got involved with the Bradbury Centre at the beginning of the refurbishment. HARP had a number of requirements and Paxton’s product range seemed perfectly suited to meet them all.

Mat Finch, Access Control Manager

 

Solution

Mat Finch, Access Control Manager says:“We got involved with the Bradbury Centre at the beginning of the refurbishment. HARP had a number of requirements and Paxton’s product range seemed perfectly suited to meet them all.”

Blake’s installed Net2, Paxton’s leading networked access control system to manage the centre. Net2 electronically controls access to the main entrance of the day centre and night shelter, the interconnecting doors, as well as the bedrooms and staff areas on one network. This means that the system can be administered simply from one central PC.

An Entry Vandal Resistant panel was fitted to the night shelter entrance, with monitors in the two offices to permit access to residents after hours. The extra level of security using the built-in video camera for visual recognition has been a real benefit to staff.

Blake’s also installed Net2 PaxLock on every bedroom door with an energy saving reader in each room. Net2 PaxLock is a wireless door handle which has been designed to replace an existing handle, used with the energy saving reader it is an ideal solution for an organisation that wants a secure solution whilst keeping costs down. The lighting and electricity in the rooms will only work if a card is in the reader, when the card is removed everything is turned off.

HARP’s Property Manager says: “The solution was perfect, staff don’t have to carry around hundreds of keys and our visitors can easily have their own space. If anyone loses their card, they can be cancelled and reissued with no disruption or extra cost to the charity from changing locks”.

Result
Since the initial installation, Blake’s have fitted Paxton at Vancouver House, the next step in rehabilitation from the night shelter. Like Bradbury House, each bedroom is fitted with a Net2 PaxLock and an energy saving reader.

HARP’s Property Manager says: “The rooms are secure and create a private space. When residents leave, they drop their card into Reception so we always know who is in, or out. We have 122 beds altogether and we will be looking to install Paxton at all our sites eventually.”

 

Type of site

  • Charity – Day Centre & Night Shelter

 

Location

  • Southend, UK

 

Number of users/doors

  • 15 staff
  • 33 volunteers
  • 29 residents
  • 48 doors
  • 8 showers

 

Solution required

  • Keyless solution
  • Visual visitor verification

 

Result

  • Control of staff and visitor areas
  • Secure environment for people in rehabilitation
  • Energy saving readers in bedrooms

 

Paxton products used

  • 41 Net2 Plus controllers
  • Net2 Pro software
  • 34 Net2 PaxLocks
  • 29 Energy saving readers
  • 9 Net2air Bridge
  • 7 Marine readers
  • 7 Metal readers
  • 2 Desktop readers
  • P50 reader