Abloy UK has partnered with Grantfen to supply a new security system to Mersey Care Foundation Trust’s new medium-secure unit, Rowan View.

Opened in 2020, the purpose-built facility consists of 123 beds over eight wards.

The £53m development represents the trust’s ambition for a new centre delivering innovative treatments to improve recovery times for people with mental health and learning disabilities.

The challenge

To provide convenience and safety to all guests, visitors and staff; Mersey Care’s new development required a full security solution that encompassed CCTV, video intercom, and access control. 

In addition to managing complex access requirements spanning many different levels of authorisation; the trust also wanted to ensure the integrity of the doors was maintained in restricted areas of the building. 

This would not be effectively provided with a purely-mechanical key system, which would lack traceability and create issues if keys were lost or misplaced. 

Such a scenario could also lead to key duplicates, making it harder to limit access, and potentially lead to escalating costs if the entire suite of keys needed to be replaced. 

The solution

To provide a complete security solution for Rowan View, Abloy UK and Grantfen worked together to create a bespoke, unified system incorporating CCTV, video intercoms, and access control. For maximum convenience, the CCTV was designed on the Genetec platform, allowing for the right camera selection for each individual application. 

It also incorporates cameras from Axis, Bosch, Hanwha and Oncam.

To supplement this, Abloy UK provided CLIQ technology to create a sophisticated access control and key management solution. 

CLIQ combines digital and mechanical technology, delivering the benefits of proven physical security and full digital management. 

It also helps to increase individual accountability, as keys are programmed to provide permission based on approved levels of access. 

This, in turn, creates a traceable system, enabling Rowan View to see who used which key, and when. 

And any lost or misplaced keys can simply be deleted from the system, eliminating the risk of unauthorised access or escalating replacement costs. 

In addition, the futureproofed technology means the system can be expanded as required and software upgrades are included.

Abloy UK also worked to ensure the system was compliant and in line with legislation for patent protection. 

Neil Hughes, system integrator channel manager at Abloy UK, said: “Rowan View is an exceptional state-of-the-art facility, and it required an impressive security system to match. 

“Thanks to the partnership with Grantfen, I believe we’ve achieved this, providing effective key management and convenience to all users of the building. 

“There are now over 30,000 CLIQ products installed in healthcare settings across the UK.”

Rowan View security manager, Gill Elms, adds: “Throughout this project we have worked closely with Grantfen and Abloy UK to ensure the system met the operational and security requirements of Mersey Care.”