Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership Awarded Bronze Digital Telecare Implementation Award

We are delighted to confirm that Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) have been awarded the Bronze Digital Telecare Implementation Award in recognition of the progress they have made on their analogue to digital telecare transition project.

To achieve Bronze status through Route 2, a Telecare Service Provider must have successfully deployed digital-ready alarm devices to at least 50% of all dispersed and group alarm users. This is the first major milestone in the transition to digital telecare and sets the foundations upon which the rest of the digital telecare transition will rest.

Scott Kennedy, Dundee HSCP Telecare Organiser, said: "This milestone reflects the collective effort, care, and professionalism of our team. We’re proud to be delivering a service that genuinely improves the lives of vulnerable people in our communities."

Dundee’s HSCP Social Care Response Team has been around for over 25 years. They provide 24 hour around-the-clock emergency care for over 5,000 vulnerable adults living within their own homes in Dundee, with almost 3,000 of these service users having dispersed alarm units within their homes.

Their Control Room staff answer over 30,000 calls per month, and their Social Care Response Service (SCRS) deal with an array of daily calls from personal care to falls. Their SCRS team work closely with emergency services, including Scottish Fire and Rescue, and alert them when one of their service users’ smoke detector activate.

Within their SCRS, they have a Telecare team which is made up of 4 Telecare Assessors who attend to assessments every day and install telecare equipment to suit each individual’s needs.

Dundee HSCP's SCRS management developed a comprehensive rollout plan in collaboration with the Telecare Assessors. This plan involves dividing Dundee into five distinct areas based on postcodes DD1 to DD5. A spreadsheet was developed to assist Telecare Staff in planning their daily rollout schedule and monitoring the status of individuals who have been transitioned and those who have not. Every day, a Telecare Assessor arranges appointments and visits service users' homes to switch over alarms.

The team faced issues in parts of Dundee with low cellular coverage, slowing the deployment of new digital alarms. However, by working closely with their Telecare Supplier, they received antennas that boosted the signal.

The SCRS Management team collaborates closely with the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government and maintains regular meetings with Project Managers, Chris Duffy and Sharon Hannah, who consistently provide support and guidance. Dundee HSCP noted that achieving the 50% deployment milestone would not have been possible without their assistance.

Matthew Fox, Dundee HSCP Telecare Assessor, said: "We’re on a roll! Great work getting us to the halfway point.”

Rachel Jamieson, Dundee HSCP Telecare Assessor, said: "We’ve hit the 50%-mark, great progress and a big step forward in making homes safer and smarter for our service users.”

We extend our wholehearted congratulations to Dundee HSCP and look forward to continuing to work with them as they progress towards the Silver Digital Telecare Implementation Award.