Doro woman knitting image

Doro Care UK has launched a new telecare service model and welfare call checking service across East Sussex in response to the coronavirus pandemic and many people self-isolating.

Doro has provided the telecare contract on behalf of East Sussex County Council (ESCC) since 2005, with telecare being installed in clients’ homes by an engineer. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and many clients self-isolating, it is not always possible for an engineer to enter the person’s home.

After quickly reviewing their processes and procedures, Doro and ESCC launched a new service called ‘Drop to Door’ to ensure telecare could still be installed quickly and safely in residents’ homes.

Doro’s customer services team now complete all documents over the phone and arrange a suitable time to deliver the equipment to the door for self-installation. The engineer then arrives at the property, knocks on the door and places the equipment and paperwork at the door.

The engineers are able to wait onsite while clients carry out the installation, in case they need any guidance or support.

In addition to this new ‘Drop to Door’ service with ESCC, Doro, working alongside NHS Cheshire CCG, also launched the COVID-19 Discharge Service during the pandemic, which enables speedy hospital discharges across Cheshire.

Thomas Skilton, Project Manager – Housing & Support Solutions, East Sussex County Council, said: “Early on during the Covid-19 pandemic Doro were proactive in offering their support in any way they could.

“Not only did they adopt a number of measures to protect their workforce and therefore maintain a continuous service but they adapted a number of their standard services to ensure they could be continued with the least possible disruption.

“Doro also mobilised a number of staff to support the Council in contacting some of the most vulnerable adults in the area to ensure they were safe and receiving the support they required. Their assistance during this very challenging time has been very much appreciated.”

The telecare provider has also started carrying out welfare check calls for almost 1,000 vulnerable clients, with the potential for this to increase to over 2,000.

Welfare check calls are made by Doro’s contact centre advisors to ensure support is in place to people who have been identified by the NHS as someone at risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19. This is because they have an underlying disease or health condition that means if they get the virus, they are more likely to be admitted to hospital than others.

The safest course of action is to stay at home at all times and avoid all face-to-face contact wherever possible, Doro emphasises, except for carers and healthcare workers who they must see as part of their personal and/or health care.

During the pandemic, Doro says its welfare calls are therefore a vital lifeline to ensure vulnerable clients have access to essential services and provisions such as food and medication and whether they would benefit from telephone support whilst isolating. Signposting to other vital services for issues such domestic abuse, support for children or carers is also given.

Clients that need urgent assistance are referred to NHS volunteers, who can help with such needs as medication running out or lack of food.

Case study

Mr B has three small children and was struggling to get shopping as the Government food parcel was not being delivered on a regular basis and he would like someone to help with the shopping. The case was classed as urgent as Mr B was becoming increasingly anxious that his family had next to nothing in food and he was unable to get a priority slot with his local supermarket. He was referred to an NHS volunteer through Doro’s service, who was able to carry out shopping on behalf of Mr B.

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