Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership Successfully Implement the Shared ARC Platform.

The Clackmannanshire & Stirling Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP), working in close collaboration with Stirling Council and Clackmannanshire Council have made exciting progress within their Analogue to Digital (A2D) Switchover project.

On 6th February, the Stirling Council 24/7 team's Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) call handling system, which serves both Clackmannanshire and Stirling MECS (Mobile Emergency Care Service), was replaced with the Shared Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) Platform.

With the implementation of the Shared ARC Platform across Clackmannanshire and Stirling, approximately 3,500 MECS service users now benefit from a comprehensive digital Telecare service. This digital Telecare service includes a digital alarm unit, pendant, and peripheral devices within users' homes, which communicate via the mobile phone network or internet connection to the digital ARC. Service users can activate the alarm at any time, day or night, to speak with ARC call handlers and receive necessary assistance. If needed, MECS Responders will visit and assist them at home.

This is a great achievement and means that Clackmannanshire and Stirling are amongst the forefront of Scottish HSCPs and Local Authorities in delivering the analogue to digital switchover of telecare. Since securing capital funding in 2022, teams from across the HSCP and partner bodies have collaborated successfully to create long-term benefits for supported individuals. This effort culminated in the successful migration from the old ARC to the new digital ARC, completed on schedule and within budget as planned. The ARC call handling team, Clackmannanshire MECS, Stirling MECS, IT departments in both areas, and the new ARC supplier worked diligently to prepare and execute the migration.

The full digitisation of the MECS service means that:

• The MECS service will continue operating as BT and other telecom providers transition local telephone exchanges from analogue to digital.
• Having more people receive the digital MECS service is expected to be both simpler and more cost-effective, providing individuals with the confidence and support associated with the service.
• Offering more digital devices through the MECS service, tailored to individual needs, can help more people live independently at home for longer, in a cost-effective way.
• The Shared ARC Platform demonstrates enhanced reliability due to its foundation on a secure and dependable platform hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS, already utilised by millions of service users across Europe, has established itself as a robust technology.
• There are substantial advancements in resilience, including the capability to redirect calls to other local authority call handlers or vice versa during a disaster event

Key elements of the A2D & ARC project include:

• Funding was secured from the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government to establish a Programme Manager role, overseeing both the Clackmannanshire and Stirling switchover projects. Each council managed funding, procurement, and delivery independently.
• Submitting Business Cases to secure the necessary capital funding in Clackmannanshire and Stirling.
• With a grant from the Scottish Federation for Housing Associations (SFHA), methods were developed to connect existing smoke and heat detectors in Clackmannanshire and Stirling properties to the MECS alarm unit and ARC. The Programme Manager shared project insights at an SFHA conference.
• Implementing full digital alarm unit rollout in Clackmannanshire and installing connected interlinked smoke and heat detectors in all non-council properties where MECS users requested them.
• Stirling has achieved a 98% rollout of digital alarm units. The remaining 32 analogue alarms can now switch to digital using internet connections instead of mobile networks. MECS units are installed and connected to smoke and heat detectors in 69% of properties, with the remaining 379 expected to be completed by March 31, 2025.

Lawrence Hay, Head of Customer Service & Performance, Stirling Council, said: “The 24-7 Customer Service team and the MECS teams have demonstrated unwavering support and dedication in implementing the new Chubb and Skyresponse MECS Telephony system while continuing to maintain their usual high standards of customer service. Their hard work and commitment have been instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition and the successful deployment of this new digital platform, an achievement they should be incredibly proud of.

This new system will significantly enhance the teams’ ability to support vulnerable service users, providing more reliable and efficient assistance while creating opportunities to introduce a greater range of support technologies in their homes over time. Additionally, it will streamline internal processes, improve access to data, and enable colleagues to deliver exceptional service with greater ease.

Their incredible efforts and teamwork are making a meaningful difference, supporting the most vulnerable citizens in living independently and embracing digital technology in their daily lives.”