Dedicated Mobile Phone for ITCH County Controllers

This facility was pioneered by Alison Crerar in Scotland and is now in use in many counties. Alison described it so well that I have freely adapted her words in this introduction!

A dedicated mobile phone line can be useful, a) to separate ITCH business from the rest and b) so that when the organiser needs a break, another member of the team can easily take over the helpline, c) to avoid publishing a private or business phone number (also, to avoid putting CC’s name, or address on publicity material that is to be displayed in public places).

Leave the mobile switched off all the time except when retrieving messages; all calls will then go to voicemail and you will not be interrupted in your daily work. Retrieve voicemail at least once per day whenever possible. It’s important to retrieve the voicemail promptly, not just for the clients’ sake, but because mobile networks only store a small number of messages (usually10), for a short time (3 days each).

When choosing a phone package for this purpose, it’s good to get one that does not make a charge for accessing voicemail (over and above the standard call charge). In practice (as at 21/12/2001) this means going for One2One. With the use of a PIN, messages can also be retrieved via another phone but, of course calls are chargeable; this can be useful if you are temporarily in an area where your phone is unusable or if you cannot physically get the phone to your stand-in.

Procedure.

The CC should purchase the phone and reclaim the cost via expenses in the usual way. The mobile phone will be the property of IT Can Help. Current cost is about £79 (as at 21/12/2001)

Take great care not to lose it as to re-advertise a new number would be very expensive as well as inconveniencing clients.

Set up a PIN on the phone and for voicemail – use the same PIN for each. Email [email protected] with the telephone number, PIN, PUK and IMI numbers for central recording. Avoid changing the PIN! For simplicity, the same pin number should be used for the phone and for accessing voicemail from another phone.

Keep the phone switched off, except when accessing voicemail, so that client calls go to voicemail.

It is to be used only for the purposes of accessing ITCH client messages. Do not use it for calling clients as it is expensive and ITCH does not have the resources to reimburse for the high cost of calls made. (Voicemail is free!)

You must currently make one call every four months approx or the number will be lost!

If you cease to be county controller please pass the phone on to a responsible member of ITCH and notify your AO or a member of the Steering Group.