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Practical guide · Lone Worker Alert

The Panic Button,
ready when it matters.

Install the phone app, add your callback number, configure an agency escalation chain, understand every control, and run a safe test.

9 minute readReviewed 21 July 2026Care staffManagers
If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
The Panic Button is an escalation aid, not an emergency service. It does not replace an accredited lone worker alarm. It needs an internet connection, mobile signal, and a person answering your agency's on-call phone.
01

Start with the path that applies to you.

Staff set up their own phone. Managers set up the agency response behind it. Both parts must be ready before a live alert can do its job.

For care staff

Put the button on your phone

  1. 01Open the Panic Button and sign in
  2. 02Install it on your Home Screen
  3. 03Add your own callback number
  4. 04Send a planned test with your manager
Go to staff setup ↓
For admins and registered managers

Make sure a human answers

  1. 01Enable the Lone Worker Alert module
  2. 02Add the agency's on-call numbers
  3. 03Put backup numbers in the right order
  4. 04Train responders to answer and press 1
Go to manager setup ↓
The 60-second explanation

One tap starts a call chain.

The app records who pressed the button, calls the first agency on-call number, and gives the responder the colleague's name. When a personal callback number is set, the responder can press 1 to accept the alert and connect straight back. If nobody confirms, the system moves through the saved numbers in order.

A green “sent” screen means the call chain started. It does not mean a person has answered yet.

Lone Worker Alert
!
Alert on-call team
Calls your on-call number and reads out your name.
Get a call back
A normal-sounding call to your own phone.
Get a call back
02

Install the Panic Button on a phone.

It is a progressive web app. There is nothing to download from an app store. Install it from the Panic Button website and it opens full-screen from its own icon.

Use this exact address
pb.cqcreadiness.com
Open Panic Button ↗
Before you start
Use the phone the staff member carries on visits. The agency must have enabled Lone Worker Alert, and the staff member needs their usual CQC Readiness sign-in. Keep an internet connection throughout setup.

iPhone or iPad

Safari
  1. 1
    Open Safari, enter pb.cqcreadiness.com, and sign in.
  2. 2
    Tap the More button, then Share. Depending on your Safari layout, you may see Share directly.
  3. 3
    Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen. If it is missing, open Edit Actions and add it.
  4. 4
    Turn on Open as Web App, then tap Add.
  5. 5
    Find the Panic Button icon on the Home Screen and open it once to check it reaches the alert screen.
Apple's current instructions ↗

Android phone or tablet

Google Chrome
  1. 1
    Open Chrome, enter pb.cqcreadiness.com, and sign in.
  2. 2
    Tap More at the right of the address bar.
  3. 3
    Tap Add to home screen, then Install.
  4. 4
    Follow the on-screen prompt to finish installation.
  5. 5
    Find the Panic Button icon and open it once to check it reaches the alert screen.
Google Chrome's current instructions ↗
You should only need to sign in once
The installed app keeps a device session ready for future use. You may be asked to sign in again if the session expires, an admin removes your access, or you use Sign out on this device.
Using a managed company phone?
Device policy can hide installation options. The Panic Button still works in the browser while your IT administrator allows the web app or installs it for the team.
03

Set your personal callback number.

This is your own work mobile or landline, not the agency's on-call number. Each team member sets their own.

  1. 1

    Open Settings

    Open the installed Panic Button and tap Settingsat the bottom of the alert screen.
  2. 2

    Enter your number

    Under Your callback number, enter a valid UK mobile or landline, such as 07700 900123.
  3. 3

    Save and check

    Tap Save number. Return to the alert screen. The amber reminder to add a callback number should be gone.
Settings
Back
Your callback number
07700 900123
A UK mobile or landline. Leave it blank to remove your number.
Save number
During an alert

The call can offer the on-call person a press-1 connection straight back to you.

For a quiet exit

The Get a call back control rings this number with a natural check-in message.

If you leave it blank

An alert can still be logged, but responders are told to check the app for your details.

You can also set the same number in the full platform under Settings → Lone Worker Alert. Saving it in either place updates the same personal number.

04

Set the agency number and escalation chain.

An admin or registered manager controls where alerts call. Staff cannot change the destination from the Panic Button.

  1. 1

    Enable Lone Worker Alert

    In the full CQC Readiness platform, open Modules, find Lone Worker Alert, and enable it for the organisation. The first-run setup asks for the first on-call number.
  2. 2

    Open the full on-call list

    Go to Settings → Lone Worker Alert. Under On-call numbers (your whole agency), add the UK numbers your response team really answers.
  3. 3

    Build the chain

    Add up to five numbers. Give each an optional label, such as On-call manager or Director backup. Use the up and down controls to put them in call order, with the first responder at the top.
  4. 4

    Save and test

    Tap Save on-call numbers. Arrange a test with the first and backup responders, then confirm that press 1 connects the call back to the staff member.
How one alert moves

The first press-1 stops the chain.

1
First on-call
The top number rings first, for about 25 seconds.
2
Press 1
The responder accepts and is connected to the colleague when a callback number is set.
3
No confirmation
The next saved number rings. The chain continues in order.
4
No one accepts
The chain ends after the list or its four-minute limit, and agency admins are notified.
Do not use an unattended switchboard
Every saved destination should reach a real person out of hours. One number is allowed, but it leaves no backup if that phone is unavailable. Add at least a second responder.
Press 1 is the acceptance signal
Merely answering is not enough. The recorded message asks the responder to press 1. Train the on-call team to do this immediately, then speak to or call back the colleague.
Manager controls in Settings
+ Add another number
Adds the next responder to the chain, up to five.
↑ and ↓
Move a number earlier or later in the call order.
Remove
Takes that responder out of the chain.
Label
Helps managers recognise the destination. The label is not read aloud on the call.
Save on-call numbers
Stores the full ordered list for every future alert.
Clear the list
Switches live agency calling off. Alerts will still be logged, but no on-call call can be placed.
05

Know what every button does.

The controls are deliberately different. The red alert calls the agency. The purple callback control only rings your own phone.

Alert on-call team

Starts a three-second countdown. If it completes, the app records a Lone Worker Alert and begins the agency call chain.

Use when you need your on-call team to respond.

Cancel, I'm OK

Stops the countdown before anything reaches the server. The app confirms that no alert was sent.

Use only when the first tap was a mistake.

Send now

Skips the rest of the three-second countdown and sends the alert immediately.

Use when you do not want to wait for the countdown.

Get a call back

Calls your own saved number with a normal-sounding check-in, giving you a reason to speak and step away. It does not alert the agency.

Your personal callback number must be saved first.

Safety info

Opens the full safety statement. The permanent 999 reminder stays visible even while it is closed.

Read this before the first live use.

Send test alert

Runs the real call flow with a message that clearly announces a test. It creates a test alert for managers to review and resolve.

Tell the on-call team before pressing it.

Settings

Opens your personal callback number and the device sign-out control. It does not expose the agency escalation list.

Agency numbers live in the full platform.

Sign out on this device

Ends Panic Button access on that phone by removing its device session. It does not delete your main CQC Readiness account.

Use before returning or reassigning a phone.

What if the red button is pressed twice?
A second press by the same person within about 30 seconds is treated as an accidental duplicate, so no second call is placed. After that short window, another deliberate press starts a fresh alert and a fresh call chain, even if the earlier alert is still open.
06

A sent alert still needs a human response.

The on-screen confirmation tells the staff member what the system managed to do. Managers then own the welfare response and the record.

On the staff member's phone

Read the result, not just the colour.

Lone worker alert sent
The first call was queued and the on-call team is being called. This is not proof that a person has accepted.
You just triggered an alert
The duplicate press was ignored. The earlier alert remains the one in progress.
Alert logged, but no call was placed
The agency number or calling service is not ready. Contact a manager and use the agency's normal escalation route.
Call could not be placed
Try again. If it keeps failing, call the on-call number directly. In immediate danger, call 999.
For the on-call team and managers

Accept, check, record.

  1. 1
    Answer and press 1
    This accepts the alert, stops escalation, and normally connects you straight to the colleague.
  2. 2
    Check the colleague is safe
    Speak to them or call back immediately. Follow the agency's lone worker procedure and call 999 when required.
  3. 3
    Open Lone Worker Alerts
    In CQC Readiness, managers open the alert to see the person, callback number, acknowledgement, and call timeline.
  4. 4
    Record and resolve
    Write what happened, who responded, whether the colleague was safe, and any follow-up. Then tap Mark resolved.
Acknowledged is not resolved
Pressing 1 confirms that an on-call person took responsibility for the alert. A manager must still check the outcome and mark the alert resolved in CQC Readiness.
There is an audit trail
Managers can see each call attempt, its result, the acknowledgement, and the final resolution notes. The alert detail can also be printed.
07

Test the complete chain, not just the button.

A useful test proves the app, the personal number, every on-call responder, and the manager follow-up all work together.

  1. 1
    Warn the responder
    Agree a time and tell the first on-call person the test message is coming.
  2. 2
    Check the staff number
    Open Panic Button Settings and confirm the personal callback number is correct.
  3. 3
    Send test alert
    Tap Send test alert. Let the countdown finish or tap Send now.
  4. 4
    Press 1
    The responder should hear that it is a test, press 1, and connect back to the staff phone.
  5. 5
    Test the backup
    With consent, let the first number go unanswered and confirm the next number receives the call.
  6. 6
    Close the record
    A manager opens the test alert, records the result, and marks it resolved.

Test after changing the escalation order, replacing a company phone, adding a new staff member, or changing the person on call. Your agency should also choose a regular test schedule that fits its lone worker procedure.

08

Fix the common problems.

The app is deliberately honest when it cannot send or call. Use the message on screen to choose the next step.

The app says I am offline. Did my alert send?

No. The Panic Button never treats a cached screen as a sent alert. Reconnect and try again. An alert was sent only if you saw an on-screen confirmation after pressing the button. If you are in danger, call 999.

I cannot see Add to Home Screen or Install.

On iPhone, use Safari and check Edit Actions in the Share sheet. On Android, use Chrome and open Add to home screen from the More menu. A managed phone may have installation blocked by agency policy, so ask your IT administrator. You can still use the website in the browser.

It says the module is not switched on or I do not have access.

Ask an admin or registered manager to enable Lone Worker Alert for the organisation and check your role. Sign out and sign in again after access is changed.

Calling is not yet switched on.

A manager should check Settings → Lone Worker Alert and save at least one valid UK on-call number. If the number is present and the message remains, the CQC Readiness calling service still needs provisioning. The alert may be logged, but no call is placed until both parts are ready.

Get a call back is disabled.

The app has no valid personal callback number for you. Open Panic Button Settings, enter your own UK number, and save it.

The on-call person answered but the next number still rang.

The responder must press 1 when prompted. Answering alone does not accept the alert. Also check that the staff member has a personal callback number, because this enables the normal press-1 connection flow.

Does it work without mobile signal or internet?

No. The staff phone needs an internet connection to send the alert, and the call depends on mobile or phone service. It is not a replacement for 999 or an accredited monitored lone worker alarm.

Can a staff member change the number the agency is called on?

No. Agency on-call destinations are saved by an admin or registered manager in the full platform. The Panic Button never accepts a destination number from the person pressing it.

Still need help?

Send us the exact message you see.

Include the phone type and whether the issue happened during install, sign-in, a test, or a live alert. Do not email service user information or sensitive visit details.

Email support
This guide is public and may be shared with your whole team. CQC Readiness is an independent compliance tool and is not affiliated with the Care Quality Commission.
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