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.
At this year's ITEC conference, our Project Manager for Digital Telecare, Vivien Danks was invited to speak at the session 'From Delivery to Demonstratable Value: Simplifying the Benefits Realisation’.
The delivery of Technology Enabled Care tackles part of the overall challenge, but it is crucial for Service Providers to demonstrate quantifiable outcomes in order to establish trust and to progress beyond pilot initiatives.
Vivien explored the importance of showing measurable benefits to Local Authorities to secure continued investment and enable scalable, long-term solutions.
Celebrating Success for Housing: Link Group and Castlehill Housing Association Achieve Digitally Migrated Award Status
We are delighted to congratulate Link Group and Castlehill Housing Association on becoming the first Housing Associations in Scotland to achieve Digitally Migrated status through the Digital Telecare Housing Implementation Award Scheme.
Both organisations reached all five milestones required for full digital migration, delivering end‑to‑end digital telecare services and demonstrating excellence in leadership, resident engagement, and technical transformation. Their achievements were confirmed jointly, with both Housing Associations recognised for completing their digital transitions in the same week.
Link Group has demonstrated outstanding commitment, pioneering modern digital dispersed alarm solutions and placing residents at the heart of their transformation journey. Their forward‑thinking approach sets a new benchmark for innovation across the housing sector.
At Castlehill, this success reflects exceptional determination and collaboration, overcoming complex operational and technical challenges to implement a fully digital telecare service. Their progress has already received sector‑wide recognition.
This achievement is not only a milestone for Link Group and Castlehill, but also an important moment for Scotland’s digital telecare landscape. We extend our warmest congratulations and look forward to continuing to support and celebrate their ongoing innovation.
Analogue to Digital Countdown:
10 months to go
March: Responder Service Benefits - A Modern Approach to Supporting Independent Living
With just ten months remaining until Scotland’s analogue to digital telecare transition deadline, responder services are playing a pivotal role in supporting vulnerable people to live independently.
Telecare responder teams, whether professional or informal, provide vital assistance ranging from wellbeing checks and equipment installations to medication visits and emergency support, effectively reducing ambulance callouts and avoidable hospital admissions.
As Scotland continues to lead the way in telecare innovation, the integration of digital technologies and best practice models presents opportunities to further improve service quality and efficiency. By tackling workforce training gaps and administrative hurdles, telecare responder services can ensure safer, more autonomous lives for citizens, delivering substantial benefits both to individuals and the wider healthcare system.
The January 2027 analogue switch‑off is approaching fast and housing providers and telecare teams should now be well underway with digital migration planning.
What’s happening now:
Communication providers are contacting residents, including Prove Telecare engineer visits.
BT asks teams to support bookings, keep ARC data updated, and provide clear escalation contacts.
Analogue line prices will rise in April, July and October 2026 to drive migration.
PDPL remains a temporary option, but won’t work once ARCs move to digital‑only protocols. Scotland is progressing well, with almost 90% of dispersed telecare now digitally ready, though housing remains a key challenge.
📩 Using PDPL or 2030 analogue products? Let us know: digitaltelecare@digitaloffice.scot
Scam Awareness: Guide to Avoiding Fraud and Scams for Older People
In the age of digital connectivity, the internet has revolutionised how we live, offering an array of opportunities to stay connected, learn new things, and reach out to friends and family. However, as our reliance on technology grows, so too do the risks, particularly for older members of our community. Sadly, many scammers target older people because they may be less familiar with online platforms or more trusting.
We work in partnership with Trading Standards Scotland and are delighted to promote Cyber and Fraud Hub's A Guide to Avoiding Fraud and Scams for Older People to help address these concerns. This comprehensive guide is designed specifically to help older adults navigate the digital world safely and confidently. It sheds light on the most common types of online scams, highlights warning signs to be mindful of, and provides practical advice on what to do if fraud is suspected.
We encourage you to read and share this guide with friends, family, and anyone who could benefit from its insights. Together, we can create a safer digital environment for all.
The CHI in Local Government programme was highlighted as a key priority at this year’s FutureScot Health and Social Care Conference on 12 March, with contributions from Jonathan Cameron, Deputy Director for Digital Health and Care at the Scottish Government, Nicola Dickie, Director of People Policy at COSLA, and Christine McLaughlin, Co‑Director of Population Health at the Scottish Government.
Claire Ross, our CHI Project Manager, provided an update on the programme’s context, vision and aims, alongside the expected outputs and delivery timeline. If you would like to know more about the programme, please get in touch at info@digitaloffice.scot
Telecare Service Review – Thank You for Taking Part
A huge thank you to all Telecare Service Providers who took the time to complete the recent Telecare Service Review. Your contributions are invaluable in helping us build an accurate national picture of current service delivery, highlight areas of strength, and identify opportunities for improvement as we continue progressing through Scotland’s digital telecare transition.
We’re now in the final stages of completing the full report. Keep an eye out, this will be available soon. Thank you once again for your engagement and continued commitment and support.
Stay Connected: 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 15th April 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.
Workshop: Decommissioning Warden Call to DAU's, Monday 30th March 2026,10am
At the last TSP meeting, James Gray from East Dunbartonshire Council delivered a valuable presentation on their recent transition from a warden call system to dispersed alarm units.
The session prompted significant discussion, and James has kindly offered to return to provide further insight into the decision to implement dispersed units rather than procure a new warden call system.
If you would like to attend the event, please register your interest using the link below.
Call For Academic Proposals: Evaluation of Evondos Medication Dispensing Robot in Scottish Care Services
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) has launched a call for academic proposals to independently evaluate the Evondos E300 Medication Dispensing Robot (MDR), to improve medication adherence and streamline care in Scottish health and social care services.
The evaluation aims to determine the MDR's effectiveness in enhancing medication routines, freeing up resources, and improving outcomes for individuals, as well as exploring how the valuable data generated can support future care planning and integration with the national Telecare Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
With up to £40,000 in funding available, DHI seeks responses from Scottish Higher Education Institutions with experience in service evaluation, cost benefit analysis, and a solid grasp of Scotland’s health and social care landscape.
Proposals should outline methodologies, team expertise, and provide a clear approach to delivering on the project’s objectives, with submissions due by 6th May 2026.
Human Bytes Webinar: Scotland Telecare - The Process, Learnings and Results,
Wednesday 22nd April
In 2025 Scotland implemented a national wide telecare platform with the ambition to have a common response centre for better patient care and health economics, with full data and quality transparency at all Human Bytes Academy levels.
Our Business Relationship Manager, David Brown, has been leading this project and just received the Digital Leader Award for his achievements. The results are impressive and, in this webinar, David will discuss the process, learnings and results.
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