Charge Nurse Joe Forster of Mersey Care NHS Trust played a leading role in the development of The Safevent Window. His strict criteria for a window was:

• Anti-ligature

• anti-tamper

• High security

• Low maintenance

• Maximum ventilation

• Preventing the passing of contraband

• Must allow the patient full control without assistance

• A domestic feel

The main contractor (Laing O'Rourke) interviewed all of it's existing window suppliers without success. They then turned to outside contractors without success.

In all, well over 20 well respected and experienced window companies were approached. None of them could comply.

The Project Manager for Laings, Jason Dimelow, knew some of the staff at Britplas and asked if we could help. Within a few days we had the basic idea for the Safevent window. A Sample was made and brought to a meeting that Joe was hosting at Ashworth Hospital. Kevin Gorman explained the principle of the window and Joe agreed that it could indeed be the answer to the long running problems with windows in mental health. After extensive testing the Safevent was approved for use at Rathbone LSU.