Telecare Operations Centre to Monitor Personal Alarms - Find a freedom of information request

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Could I possibly suggest that you direct these questions towards one or some of the following employees: - Assistive Technologies Manager/ Lead, Service delivery manager, assisted living/housing association dept, Care Home support, Adult services, Service manager, Contact centre Manager - or similar roles to those listed above. If you share this email - please do so in HTML as then the text boxes can be ticked In order to assist with this survey, could you please answer the following:

1a. Does your organisation presently provide a Telecare operations centre to monitor personal alarms (e.g. Falls alarms) for your local vulnerable population?

☐ YES

☐ NO

☐ UNCERTAIN

1b. IF the answer is NO or UNCERTAIN - is this a service you may consider offering in the future? ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ UNCERTAIN If the answer to 1a) & 1b) is NO or uncertain - this is the end of the FOI request. Thank you for your response. IF the answer to 1a) is YES please reply to all the questions below.

2a. Do you use an external provider or other government body or private organisation for alarm responder/monitoring services? If so, can you please detail: -

☐ NO -We provide this service ourselves -managed in-house

☐ YES - we use an external provider

2b. If an external provider, please give name of monitoring centre/ provider with any contract start/end date & contact details if known

3a. What type of devices are used in the community? If you can name device supplier/manufacturer this would be appreciated.

☐ Mostly Analogue

☐ Mostly Digital Types of devices:-

4. Do your analogue devices use any of the following protocols?

☐ BS7369

☐ TTOld

☐ BS8521

☐ Tyneter Reach units older 2014

☐ Tunstall devices using ST TT21 proprietary protocol

☐ TT92 open protocol

☐ GSM Tunstall units

☐ Other not listed

5a. Are you presently preparing for the digital switchover?

☐ YES

☐ NO

☐ UNCERTAIN

5b. If the answer is yes, have you any plans to move to a digital platform?

☐ YES

☐ NO

☐ UNCERTAIN

5c. Please feel free to add any additional comments regarding this process and any concerns/ issues you may have about this process… if this is applicable to your organisation.

6 Could you please indicate which software platform is used in the monitoring centre you use?

☐ Not known

☐ Tunstall PNC

☐ UMO Enovation

☐ Jontek

☐ Bosh/Telealarm

☐ ArchAngel

☐ Chubb

☐ Appello

☐ Bold Communications

☐ Neat

☐ Azursoft

☐ ESI

☐ T21

☐ STT0DM8

☐ ENAI

☐ SELMA

☐ Other not named

5. As regards the above - do you know when the contract end date is &/or when the software platform used will be under review?

6. Have you any concerns about your present service? Some possible common concerns listed below, but please feel free to comment -

☐ Ability for call handlers to work remotely during this present lock & maybe future down phase.

☐ The analogue to digital switch-over and how suppliers can play catch up & do you see disruption/challenges in replacing older analogue devices?

☐ Safety of lone workers

☐ Service costs/ budget restrictions

☐ Security of email and chat when discussion client confidential data

☐ Infrastructure costs - considering move to hosted solution

☐ Restriction on choice of alarm devices which could be used

☐ Support and customer service concerns

☐ Alarm signals - failure rates

☐ Concerns re moving from platform supplier & reprogramming individual units

☐ Lack of responder app capability for remote workers

☐ Ease of use & training new starters

☐ Device management/ stock control

☐ Other issues/concerns not listed -

8a - any additional comments re the above possible concerns?

7. What tender framework/ portal does your organisation use for procurement re Telecare devices/services and software?

8. Who is the main person(s)/ decision maker (s) or team - who would be responsible for your Telecare monitoring centre &/or telecare services - name/title/direct dial number/email?

9. Any other comments as deemed useful to this enquiry?

1a. Yes

2a. YES - we use an external provider b. NRS healthcare for Telecare installation and Monitoring (the monitoring Centre is subcontracted to Appello by NRS Contract end date 31 st March 2023

3a. Mostly Analogue

4. Tunstall devices using ST TT21 proprietary protocol

6. Apello

6. Have you any concerns about your present service? Some possible common concerns listed below, but please feel free to comment -

Ability for call handlers to work remotely during this present lock & maybe future down phase.

☐ No concern

The analogue to digital switch-over and how suppliers can play catch up & do you see disruption/challenges in replacing older analogue devices?

☐ Some concern but will work according to TSA Safety of lone workers

☐ No

Service costs/ budget restrictions

☐ Yes

Security of email and chat when discussion client confidential data

☐ No

Infrastructure costs - considering move to hosted solution

☐ No, cost incurred by the provider

Restriction on choice of alarm devices which could be used

☐ No

Support and customer service concerns

☐ No

Alarm signals - failure rates

☐ No

Concerns re moving from platform supplier & reprogramming individual units

☐ Some concern

Lack of responder app capability for remote workers

☐ N/A

Ease of use & training new starters

☐ Some concern

Device management/ stock control

☐ No

8a. No

7. Recommissioning process in underway and is in line with LCC procurement programme.

8. Prashant Agrawal

Partnership Manager, Lincolnshire Community Equipment & Telecare Service (LCES)

Lincolnshire County Council

Orchard House, Orchard Street, Lincoln, LN1 1BA

Email: Prashant.agrawal@lincolnshire.gov.uk