Telecare specialist Appello has been chosen by East Renfrewshire Council to upgrade its analogue warden call system.

This contract win means Appello’s end-to-end digital telecare product, Smart Living Solutions, will be installed across East Renfrewshire’s eight sheltered housing developments, which support over 200 residents.

Smart Living Solutions is a warden call system, which facilitates call functionality between residents, onsite staff, and often an offsite emergency response centre.

It offers almost instant, reliable digital communication; high-quality digital speech clarity; secure video door entry to see who is visiting; communication options for residents, including video calling; an ‘I’m OK’ function and optional Wi-Fi hotspots; online management for remote working and valuable insights; and the flexibility to integrate with other services and products.

Appello says its telecare solution enables staff to benefit from an easy-to-use management system, so they can carry out their duties efficiently and offer proactive support to residents.

Craig Barlow, Managing Director at Appello, commented: “We’re thrilled to partner with East Renfrewshire Council and help them embrace the benefits of an end-to-end digital telecare service.

“Smart Living Solutions has been specifically designed for the digital network and is tried and tested within group living schemes across the UK, so we were well placed to meet what was rightly a robust specification for their new digital warden call system.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with East Renfrewshire to enable a smooth transition – as well as ensuring they can make the most of all that Smart Living Solutions offers for both their residents and staff.”

East Renfrewshire Council’s main aim with the upgrade is to ensure compatibility with the new digital network and safeguard the reliability of their telecare services. This means they need to replace their current warden call system, which uses analogue technology, with a fully digital solution.

The council had identified a number of essential criteria for their digital warden call system, including:

• Simultaneous call handling with priority for critical alarms, such as smoke alarms, over less urgent alerts.
• An ‘I’m OK’ feature so residents can easily communicate their wellbeing to wardens.
• The ability for staff to work remotely and manage the system efficiently, including assigning peripherals to tenants and generating reports on aspects such as volumes of calls.

It was also vital the chosen solution was compliant with the latest industry standards for communications, in particular supporting Now-IP, the recommended protocol for group living schemes.

East Renfrewshire Council’s council leader Owen O’Donnell said: “This is an important step forward in our digital journey and I’m sure our residents will reap the benefits of this improved, digital service. Installing a fully digital solution will ensure that the service remains fit for purpose and we can continue to provide excellent care for those who need it most in our communities.”

Appello recently launched a free guide for housing and care providers delivering telecare services about how to mitigate the risks of first-time call failures.