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 450 Days Left Until the End of the Digital Telephone Migration.
Our Digital Telecare Programme is here to support all Scottish Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and Housing Associations in preparing for this transformation.
Whilst BT has extended their migration deadline to 2027, other telecom companies are unchanged and we remain committed to counting down to the 2025 deadline to ensure all Scottish Telecare Service Providers are ready well in advance.
Transitioning to digital services before the 2025 deadline is crucial to avoid any interruptions. Our dedicated Digital Telecare team is armed with the resources and expertise to help you on your journey to digital.
Shared ARC Platform Wins Collaborative Procurement Initiative at the GO Awards.
The Shared ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre) Platform, a pioneering initiative developed to modernise telecare services, has been honoured with the GO Excellence Award for Collaborative Procurement.
This award highlights the commitment of the Shared ARC Platform team and Scotland Excel to enhancing public service delivery through innovative, multi-tenant cloud solutions.
Case Study: Telecare Transition in Highland Sheltered Housing Schemes.
Highland includes 39 sheltered housing schemes managed by The Highland Council, encompassing over 500 properties, along with several amenity housing developments. These properties are primarily located in urban areas, though some are in more rural settings. Previously, services to these housing schemes were managed by nine different housing teams.
In this case study, we take a look at how The Highland Council approached decomissioning their warden call system for dispersed alarm units.
Tell us Your Housing Association Communication Providers.
The Digital Telecare Programme is dedicated to assisting Housing Association and Scottish Local Authorities transition telecare from analogue to digital. Despite BT’s extension to the deadline, other communication providers are moving ahead quickly.
Sharon Hannah, the Project Manager focusing on housing services, is supporting this critical shift and liaising with housing to ensure a safe and effective move to digital is reached.
Communication providers have varying dates and opportunities, to gauge the impact of PSTN switch-off across Scotland, Digital Telecare, working alongside SFHA/ TecH are trying to compile a comprehensive list of housing associations and their corresponding communication providers. We need your help!
Please touch base with the relevant department within your organisations, IT, Finance, etc. and to gather up which communication provider manages the infrastructure used to support telecare, fire alarms, lifts, doors, intruder, etc. and let us know.
Your participation in gathering this data is crucial to our success!
Get in touch below with the name of your housing association and your communication supplier(s).
Virgin Media O2 Resolves Persistent CLI Issue with Comprehensive Global Fix.
Vivien from the Digital Telecare team collaborated with affected partnerships and CSL to address an issue where the CLI number was truncated, with the last three digits replaced by “000” on certain SIMs, making it difficult for call handlers to identify service users.
After partnerships shared call data with CSL and Virgin Media O2 (VMo2), VMo2 identified the problem as a network-related CLI issue.
The issue was initially traced to a faulty switch, leading VMo2 to reroute calls around it. Although this seemed to resolve the issue temporarily, it reappeared in Falkirk and persisted in Caerphilly.
Further investigation suggested that a network upgrade might have removed the initial fix, causing recurring issues across multiple switches.
On October 2nd, VMo2 implemented a fix by adjusting settings on the Northern switch, which impacted Scotland. Since then, no further CLI mismatches have been reported in Scotland. VMo2 continues to monitor the situation closely.
Thanks to the TSPs for providing essential evidence and to Max from CSL for his negotiations with VMo2 to help achieve a positive resolution.
Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Membership Renewal.
As digital migration progresses, we're ensuring our governance processes stay aligned and that we maximise meeting value. With this in mind, we're reviewing the TAG meeting format and membership for 2025.
Starting in January, TAG meetings will focus more on telecare innovation and technical aspects of new products and services. Each meeting will feature a "show and tell" segment, alongside a review of Digital Telecare Playbook items.
We’re also reassessing TAG membership to align with the group's new focus, aiming to include representatives from diverse areas within the sector who can contribute valuable expertise to the discussions.
We have identified the below skills/experience we are looking to have in the group:
IT/Cyber/Connections
Telecare
Housing
Assurance
Risk
Governance
Health & Social Care Innovation
To register your interest in joining the group, please complete the form below by December 12, 2024. After this date, we’ll review submissions and notify you of next steps via email.
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’re not yet involved, join us! Data submissions and meetings are held quarterly, with upcoming dates below. These meetings offer a chance to connect and collaborate with other HSCPs in the Telecare Benchmarking group.
Digifest 2024: Digital Telecare Satellite Sessions
Innovating Telecare: The Shared ARC Platform | 28th November from 11:30 - 12:30
Join us for an 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 will highlight 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
Catch the recorded session with the Digital Telecare Programme, available on the Digifest event page from the 2nd of 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, and see real examples of Power BI dashboards in action.
-1.png?upscale=true&width=400&upscale=true&name=Testimonial%20(1)-1.png)
