Investment theme: Moving on from abuse
Purpose:
To cover the cost of 9 laptops (£4050) to allow remote working and keep data secure, in addition to 3 electric shredders (£105) for discarding client notes securely.
Year of grant: 15/4/2020
FR Number: FR-0052947
Amount awarded: £4155
Location: LERWICK
Full description
Our Board Members are particularly struggling to undertake their duties for and responsibilities to Shetland Rape Crisis throughout the pandemic. Two of our frontline workers are also being hindered by slow IT equipment.
Their usual pattern of work involved regular visits to the centre to work on secure SRC laptops. This is now not possible. The spare laptop they used is now with our Support & Advocacy Volunteer who needs it full time and cannot share with them anymore due to contact restrictions.
This means they are now using personal equipment, where they have it, to undertake their duties. They, and I, have identified this as a high risk for the organisation. It is totally inappropriate for them to be using personal laptops for this sensitive work where security is far more easily compromised and mistakes more likely to be made. Some of the Board Members don't even have personal laptops and are working on their personal phones, which further increases the risk.
Some are also working in homes with insecure wifi, and we have identified the need to purchase wifi boosters for some to allow them to continue working.
Also two of our frontline workers are working on old laptops that are struggling a bit with VC appointments.
We are primarily looking for funding to buy secure laptops for our Board Members, two additional new laptops for staff who have very old and slow equipment, plus some wifi boosters where needed.
A strong, resilient and functioning Board is more important than ever to keep the organisation delivering important frontline support. And it is important for frontline workers to have equipment that works well to deliver VC support.
In addition, we also need to purchase some shredders for frontline workers homes. Our policy is strict re: client notes - these must be shredded immediately after appointments. We have secured some funding to purchase secure filing systems for homeworking, but currently no budget for scaners.
