Enhancing Safety and Communication at Dorset Centre of Excellence

Having worked with the Dorset Centre of Excellence since 2023, Chat-Com was recently approached by the Senior Leadership Team to explore ways to further enhance teacher and pupil safety through the school’s radio network.

Working collaboratively with teachers and on-site staff, Chat-Com undertook a detailed planning process to identify the school’s specific requirements and the benefits an enhanced system could deliver. As a result, over 20 bespoke radio programming profiles were created to meet the school’s operational needs, and the upgraded network was successfully rolled out at the start of February.

The network now provides full coverage across the entire 55-acre site, including all buildings and outdoor areas, ensuring that communication between teams is never compromised, regardless of location. It has quickly become a vital tool in strengthening safety procedures across the school.

Each radio has been individually programmed, allowing staff to instantly see who is communicating on each channel and respond accordingly. Display radios also include an internal phonebook feature, enabling staff to contact specific colleagues at the press of a button. This ensures private conversations remain confidential and are not broadcast across the wider network.

A key requirement was that radios operate silently unless they are needed to call for assistance to minimise disruption and avoid distracting pupils. Although it is rarely needed, staff can now send discreet ‘one-to-one’ alerts to Reception and the Senior Leadership Team if assistance is required, without escalating potentially sensitive situations, or broadcasting the issue to others who don’t need to be notified. The Senior Leadership Team can then respond via a private call, preventing unnecessary disruption to other staff and students.

Non-education teams on site — including Estates, Leisure, and Farm staff — also benefit from enhanced communication and safety features. A lone worker alert system has been implemented for staff working independently for extended periods. In the event of an alert, notifications are sent directly to management display radios, and the microphone on the activated device automatically opens, allowing responders to assess the situation in real time.