Edinburgh Napier joins new Scotland-wide partnership for safety and wellbeing support

Edinburgh Napier is among seven Scottish universities joining a new partnership, aiming to provide safety and wellbeing support to students and staff at the touch of a button.

The SafeZone Alliance for Scotland, which also includes the University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, and the University of Stirling, launches this month, and follows the success of a similar scheme in Manchester.

It is based around an existing service for ENU students, who can use the free SafeZone app to connect with the University's 24-hour security team.

Students and staff from participating institutions will be able to access a range of services from whichever university is closest and best placed to respond - including emergency assistance, mental wellbeing support, crime prevention help, and general advice for anyone who has a particular safety concern.

When someone requests help or support through SafeZone, it will be sent to the appropriate Alliance members' safety and security team. It means that a student visiting another university's campus will benefit from the same level of rapid protection they receive at their own institution.

CriticalArc, the firm which provides the SafeZone service, also has plans for Scotland, Manchester and wider Alliance members to collaborate further, extending the support and safety services available to more than a million individual users.

CriticalArc's Chief Operating Officer, Darren Chalmers-Stevens said: "The Manchester SafeZone Alliance has proved to be a huge success, and now Scotland's leading universities have come together to create the first nation-wide safety and support umbrella for students and staff.

"As the Alliance concept spreads further, students will increasingly benefit from rapid assistance not just at their own universities, but whenever they are travelling and working remotely."

CriticalArc's SafeZone technology is a unified platform for safety, security, emergency management and wellbeing support. It is now used by more than half of UK universities.

Among the technology's many capabilities and benefits, it enables users with the SafeZone phone app, or a dedicated personal alarm, to request immediate assistance for themselves and others.