Welcome to our newsletter, where we provide you with the latest from Digital Telecare for Scottish Local Government. In this edition, we bring you a recap of the events within the Digital Telecare Programme over the past month, along with insights of upcoming activities.
If you have any queries regarding any of the content within this newsletter, please get in touch.
David Brown wins Digital Leader Award at 2026 Digital Health & Care Awards
David Brown, Digital Telecare Business Relationship Manager, has been named the Digital Leader of the Year at the 2026 Digital Health & Care (DHAC) Awards.
David’s award reflects not only personal leadership, but the collective achievement of the Digital Office, its partners and the wider telecare community, demonstrating what can be delivered through clear vision, collaboration and a shared commitment to protecting Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens.
The Digital Telecare Programme Team was also honoured to be named a finalist in the Digital Health and Care Team of the Year Award category, recognising the progress achieved across the national programme through collaborative work with our partners.
The ITEC awards highlight the positive impact of technology enabled care in the UK. David's inclusion on the shortlist recognises his leadership in Scotland's analogue-to-digital telecare transition, managing a complex, multi-year programme under a "Once for Scotland" approach.
The winner will be announced on 16 March at the ICC, Birmingham. Best of luck, David Brown🤞
February’s edition focuses on the transition from analogue to digital telecare across Scottish housing associations and councils, highlighting collaborative approaches to modernising the service.
Key examples include East Dunbartonshire Council’s project to replace warden call systems, East Lothian Housing Association’s needs-led model reducing costs, and Castlehill’s streamlined service delivery. It notes emerging trends such as asset audits and flexible, tailored telecare solutions driven by funding changes.
The Digital Telecare Programme offers guidance, case studies, and peer learning to support providers ahead of the January 2027 deadline. For more information and guidance, The Housing Resource pack can be accessed on the Digital Telecare Playbook.
We were delighted to attend Chubb Fire & Security's first Collaboration Event for Scottish Shared ARC customers alongside SkyResponse AB on 25th February 2026.
The event, hosted by Stirling Council and Neil Harding, Key Account Manager at Chubb, provided a great opportunity to connect with partnership organisations who have joined the national platform.
David Brown, Digital Telecare Business Relationship Manager, gave a presentation on Scotland’s digital strategies, focusing on harnessing innovation and shifting telecare to become a more proactive service.
It was also great to see suppliers across the sector joint the event, with The Access Group, Mobius Networks Limited, and CSL Group attending in the exhibition space.
Spotlight: Housing Blog
Our February Housing Blog highlights the ongoing transition in housing telecare, focusing on practical steps and real-life case studies. Key themes include the move from analogue warden call systems to digital dispersed alarms, asset auditing, and collaborative approaches between housing associations and local authorities.
Examples from Highland, Link Group, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, and Castlehill show positive outcomes, tailoring telecare to residents’ needs, reducing costs, and providing choice. The blog offers guidance, links to further resources, and encourages sector leaders to engage with the Digital Telecare Programme for support and inspiration.
The CHI number is Scotland's unique health identifier and using it consistently across services could help reduce duplication, improve data quality, and support more joined-up care for people who use services.
Following the award of funding in late 2025, the CHI in Local Government Discovery programme moved into delivery. A dedicated Project Manager joined in mid-January, and we have now confirmed scope, mobilised the project team, and begun detailed discovery.
We are analysing priority use cases - including new social care referrals, hospital admissions and discharge pathways - to understand current processes, pain points, and the opportunities that better use of the CHI number can unlock.
Engagement is underway with potential early adopter organisations across local authorities, NHS, Health & Social Care Partnerships, third and independent care providers. These early adopters will help shape our approach and ensure the work delivers real value. Programme governance structures are also being established to guide delivery and maintain alignment with wider national programmes.
Telecare Service Provider (TSP) & Meet the Supplier (MTS) Meeting: 11th March 2026
Mark your diaries for our upcoming TSP & MTS meeting, which will take place on Teams on Wednesday 11th March 2026 at 10am and 10.30am.
These gatherings present an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow TSPs, discuss ongoing projects, and review our collective progress to date. We will feature guest speakers, facilitate focused discussion, and highlight key work within the telecare community.
On Thursday, 12 March 2026, our Chief Digital Officer, Martyn Wallace, will deliver a presentation at the Digital Health and Care Transformation Conference taking place in Edinburgh.
David Brown will also be attending the conference, participating in a panel discussion focused on Living Safely at Home and innovative technology solutions to enhance community-based care.
Connecting for impact | Digital Lifelines Scotland conference
The third Digital Lifelines Scotland conference, Connecting for impact: community-driven digital solutions for people at risk of drug harm, is taking place on 18 March 2026 at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh.
This in-person conference will focus on the latest place-based, system-change phase of the Digital Lifelines programme, exploring how cross-sector collaboration, person-led co-design and digital services are being used to reduce drug-related harm and improve access to support.
The afternoon session will be opened by the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol, Ms Maree Todd.
Attendees will gain insight into the role of digital inclusion, harm reduction, integrated service models and digital innovation, including how these approaches align with the new Drugs and Alcohol Strategy for Scotland.
