Northumberland County Council has achieved national recognition for the quality of the telecare service it provides.

Following an audit, the team was successful in obtaining accreditation with the TEC Services Association (TSA), the industry and standards body for telecare services in the UK.

The Northumberland Telecare Service offers 24-hour help to around 3,000 Northumberland residents.

People using the service can touch a button on a wristband or pendant to raise the alarm. The service can also install ‘intelligent sensors’, which can detect specific events such as a fall, or the presence of smoke, and automatically raise the alarm.

The signals go to the call centre where trained call handlers are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Northumberland County Council Head of Service for Front of House, Hospital Discharge and Reablement, Margaret Proud, said: “Our telecare service gives people and their families the reassurance of knowing there is someone who can arrange help at any time of the day or night. This gives additional security for their wellbeing so people can continue to live independently in their own home for longer.”

To achieve the accreditation, the team had to demonstrate compliance against key performance indicators including customer experience, safety, continuous improvement, and innovation.

This was the first audit of the Northumberland Telecare Service, and the auditor found it to be well managed with good processes and procedures in place that are known and followed by staff.

The auditor highlighted that staff showed a great deal of empathy with clients and put them at the heart of what they do. The auditor also noted that survey results demonstrate a high satisfaction rate from users, and feedback is used to improve the service offered and its design.

Recently, Appello launched a free online guide that provides useful information for housing and care providers delivering telecare services regarding mitigating the risks of first-time call failures.