Braintree District Council has developed a Keep Safe Card scheme
for anyone living in Braintree District with a learning
disability. It ensures that they feel safe and
confident outside of their home and that they can access help
when its needed.
Initiated by Braintree District Council, this scheme offers
telephone facilities to people with a learning disability, who are
in trouble or distress when they are out and about in the town.
Shops, businesses and other venues are displaying a yellow
"Keep Safe" sticker to show they belong to the scheme. Scheme
users carry key contact numbers on "Keep Safe" cards or
keyrings; this enables them to reach the help they need.
The project is designed to make people more aware of their
personal safety and to seek help if they need it. It will
also help those providing assistance, such as shop assistants,
librarians and the Police, to access support for the user of the
card and understand how to make them feel safer.
If the vulnerable person needs assistance, whether
they are lost, or in a situation that means they need some
extra support, they can use the card to access this help.
The card holds basic information about the individual such
as how they communicate and any emergency contacts such as parents
or carers.
This project has a whole community approach involving Braintree
District Council, Essex County Council, Braintree Mencap Society,
Braintree District Neighbourhood Watch, Essex Police, local
community groups, volunteers and local businesses.
Funding has been awarded from the following:
Essex County Council Adult Health and Community Wellbeing
provided funding to Castle Point Association of Voluntary
Services , "Be Safer Group" to be the lead agency
across Essex County, which has funded this scheme.
Essex Police Lost Property Fund.
Greenfields CH who have supplied 150 personal attack alarms to
aid the set up of this project.
If you would like to find out more please contact Kryshia
Fuller, Community Wellbeing Team at Braintree
District Council on 01376 552525 on ext 2313 or
email
kryshia.fuller@braintree.gov.uk