Discover. Plan. Do.

Welcome to our newsletter, where we provide you with the latest from Digital Telecare for Scottish 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.

Less Than 400 Days Left Until the End of the Digital Telephone Migration.

Landscape Review of Telecare in Scotland. 

Alongside Scottish Government and COSLA, we commissioned Farrpoint to undertake a National Telecare Landscape Review.

This comprehensive study aims to provide a clear and detailed overview of telecare services across Scotland, capturing the processes, workforce, and data underpinning these vital services. 

This collaborative effort has been made possible thanks to the invaluable contributions of organisations and individuals across Scotland.

Careium i10 Smoke Detector Total Battery Failure.

Careium are investigating a number of their Smoke detectors that have shown total battery failure without sending any low battery warning.

We would recommend all smoke and heat detectors are tested at a service user review as a minimum and as often as possible when checking or installing equipment in service users homes.

We are working closely alongside Careium for a resolution and to try to help us, and Careium identify if this is a wider issue, please could we ask that anyone that currently has a Careium i10 Smoke detector to make themselves known to the Digital telecare team, and to adopt a process of testing a sample of at least 10 Smoke and heat detectors as soon as possible, and to make us aware of your findings. 

South Ayrshire HSCP Awarded Platinum Digital Telecare Implementation Award.

South Ayrshire HSCP has achieved the Platinum Digital Telecare Implementation Award, making them one of the first telecare service providers in Scotland to reach this significant milestone!

From gaining their Bronze Digital Telecare Implementation Award in September 2023, South Ayrshire HSCP has shown incredible commitment to advancing their services in preparation for the analogue switch-off. Through dedication and innovation, they've transitioned to a fully digital telecare service—enhancing safety, accessibility, and support for individuals who depend on telecare in the region.

Councillor Hugh Hunter, Health and Social Care Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council, praised the team, saying, “The team in South Ayrshire have worked extremely hard to roll out the required changes as part of this award. Huge congratulations go to the telecare team, as well as the Digital Office and our partners who have supported this work.”

Congratulations to everyone involved in this achievement!

Case Study: Falkirk HSCP's Transition to Chubb Cloud Care Control Platform.

In late 2023, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) embarked on a major system upgrade, moving to the digital Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), Chubb Cloud Care Control System, powered by Skyresponse.

This strategic decision was primarily driven by the HSCP’s need to replace their aging hardware within the next 3 to 5 years. Falkirk HSCP also recognised the long-term benefits of migrating to a cloud-based solution, particularly around resilience and disaster recovery.

In this case study, we explore how Falkirk HSCP approached this transition, the benefits of the Chubb Cloud Care Control Platform, and their plans for innovation.

Angus HSCP Join the Shared ARC Platform.

We're happy to share that Angus Health and Social Care Partnership is the latest organisation to join the Shared ARC Platform!

Now having officially signed their contract to adopt the Chubb Cloud Care Control System, powered by Skyresponse, Angus have now commenced onboarding and implementation activities.

Welcome aboard! 

Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Membership Renewal.

As digital migration continues, we’re aligning governance processes to maximize meeting value. With this in mind, we’re updating the TAG meeting format and membership for 2025.

Starting in January, TAG meetings will focus on telecare innovation and the technical aspects of new products and services. Each session will include a “show and tell” segment and a review of Digital Telecare Playbook items.

We’re also revising TAG membership to reflect this new focus, aiming to include representatives with diverse expertise across the sector.

We’re seeking skills and experience in:

• IT/Cyber/Connections
• Telecare
• Housing
• Assurance
• Risk
• Governance
• Health & Social Care Innovation

Can all members of the TAG use the form below to express interest in joining. Please complete the form below by December 12, 2024. We’ll review submissions and notify you of next steps via email.

Edinburgh HSCP Awarded Gold Two Digital Telecare Implementation Award.

Edinburgh HSCP has been awarded the Gold Two Digital Telecare Implementation Award!

To achieve the Gold Level Two Implementation Award, a Telecare Service Provider must have successfully rolled out a live digital telecare service to 50% of service users and is operating successfully without serious issues or call failures for at least 6 weeks.

Pat Togher, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, said: “This award is testament to the hard work and commitment of our telecare team who are delivering this programme. It also demonstrates the Partnership’s ongoing commitment to digital transformation, to improve services for people and communities across Edinburgh.”

Telecare Data Benchmarking With SHN.

The Telecare Benchmarking project, funded by Scottish Government Digital Health and Care (DHAC) and delivered with Scotland’s Housing Network (SHN), aims to drive service improvement through collaborative data collection and evidence-based analysis.

If you would like to more information on the benchmarking group or would like to join the group, please check out our webpage below:

Tell us Your Communication Provider.

The Digital Telecare Programme is supporting Housing Associations and Scottish Local Authorities in transitioning telecare from analogue to digital. Despite BT’s deadline extension, other communication providers are progressing quickly.

To assess the impact of the PSTN switch-off across Scotland, Digital Telecare, in partnership with SFHA/TecH, is compiling a list of housing associations and their communication providers. We need your help!

Please connect with your organisation's relevant departments (IT, Finance, etc.) to identify the communication providers managing telecare, fire alarms, lifts, doors, intruders, etc., and share this information with us.

Contact us below with your housing association and communication supplier(s).

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Digifest 2024.

DigiFest24 combines a programme of free-to-attend, virtual and in-person satellite sessions, from October 2024 onwards and a virtual conference, featuring panel discussions and sharing good practice on 4-5 December 2024.

This event takes a multi stakeholder perspective setting out the direction of travel for digital health, housing and care in Scotland and shares work from Scotland, the wider UK and internationally.

A number of fantastic Satellite Sessions have taken place on the run up to DigiFest24. To register for upcoming sessions, head to their website below:

Catch up on Our Digital Telecare Satellite Sessions.

Innovating Telecare: The Shared ARC Platform | Event Recording

Catch up on our exclusive showcase of the recent implementation of the Shared ARC Platform, a cloud-based solution designed to seamlessly integrate a wide range of telecare services. This event highlighted the platform's key benefits, including simplified integration, enhanced interoperability, and scalable cloud capabilities.

Data-Driven Services within Telecare | Available on the Digifest Events Page from 2nd December

In this insightful session, we delve into the vital role of data in enhancing services for citizens, showcasing how data collection and analysis drive smarter decision-making and improved service delivery. You’ll discover the benefits of the Telecare Information Framework, learn about data benchmarking, see real examples of Power BI dashboards in action, and how we can use this data to demonstrate the benefits of telecare.