Keeping mental health units secure for patients, staff and visitors

folder_openEmergency Services & Health

Did you know that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience mental health problems each year? And while the most common types of problems people have are anxiety and depression, 3 in every 100 people will self-harm in their lifetime, and 17 in 100 have suicidal thoughts. Although the overall number of people experiencing mental health problems is not rising significantly, worries over job security, money and benefits can make it harder for people to cope. It is, therefore, no wonder that the demand for mental health services in the UK has increased in recent years.

The dark days of so-called lunatic asylums are thankfully behind us. Indeed these create a haunting image, de-humanising and prison-like, where leg-irons and manacles were common-place. However, asylums slowly began to reform in the Victorian era as patients started to be viewed as just that, rather than criminals to be restrained. The need, therefore, to create a secure environment with perimeter fencing is not a new thing. However, as patients were no longer bed-bound (or worse), creating a secure environment became increasingly important.

Today, patients in secure hospitals will usually have been sectioned by the Mental Health Act. Depending on the level of security needed, different security fencing and perimeter security will be needed. This is not only for the safety and security of patients but also for visitors and staff. Whether the hospital is high, medium or low security, vigilance remains a priority. And different fencing options are more or less appropriate.

Here at Zaun, we offer a range of high-security fencing solutions. Experts are on hand to perform a site survey and offer the very best and most appropriate solution no matter what level of security you need from fencing that has been licensed by the UK Association of Chief Police Officers and has been tested and approved by, among others, the Building Research Establishment and the prison service, to bespoke products tailored to your existing perimeter security systems. We can also provide perimeter fences to act as a clear demarcation area protecting a unit’s environment. So whatever the need, we have the solution.

Looking for security fencing for your mental health unit? Contact Zaun today!

About Zaun

Zaun Limited is the sole remaining manufacturer of welded and woven mesh fencing systems that manufactures the entire system in the UK.  Zaun makes the mesh, fencing panels, posts, clamp bars and fixings at its state-of-the-art five-acre production facility in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.  Products have been tested and approved by testing organisations including CPNI, LPCB and Secured by Design.

Zaun works very closely with all stakeholders within the business including employees, local, national and international suppliers and a long-established customer base of fencing contractors to design, manufacture and supply high-quality fencing systems, increasingly often providing expertise in integrating PIDs and other systems into holistic security solutions.

Zaun was founded in 1996 and remains a private company solely owned by co-founder Alastair Henman with a regional office in Dubai. They are certified to the ISO 9001 quality standard. It is also a member of the Perimeter Security Suppliers’ Association (PSSA), of which Alastair Henman is a director.

Zaun is a proud British manufacturer and founder member of the Made in Britain campaign, a key player in the UK fencing market and one of the fastest-growing companies in an increasingly competitive industry.

Latest Blogs

The Future of Physical Security

The Future of Physical Security

Fencing for Farms

How can Duo8 perimeter fencing help with farm security?

electric perimeter fencing electric fence topping

Points to consider when selecting perimeter fencing

School Security Fencing

4 security solutions every school should consider

Menu