Telephone Suppliers - Support of Social Alarm Systems

What is the issue?
A number of telecare service providers have become aware of a problem following contact from some service users complaining that their alarm was not working. After several attempts at changing the equipment for new and not being able to make a test call, installers finally ascertained that the service user had changed their telephony supplier and that this was the cause of the service disruption.

Recommended Actions
It is recommended that telecare service providers collect and record information from service users in relation to the supplier of their telephony provision. Where this is other than BT, reference should be made to the terms and conditions of the contract with the service user to ascertain whether that telephony supplier’s service supports social alarms. Where the terms and conditions indicate that social alarms are not supported, the service user should be informed that there is a potential risk that the social alarm, when used, may not get through to the 24/7 monitoring centre.

Where the telecare service provider becomes aware that an existing service user wishes to change their telephony supplier to one that may not support a social alarm, procedures should be in place to ensure that the service user is aware that:

• not all telephony suppliers support social alarms
• it is the responsibility of the service user to check this before changing their telephony supplier
• the service user should advise their telecare service provider when any such changes are made

In all cases telecare service providers should ensure that the service user understands the potential risks of their social alarm not getting through to the 24/7 monitoring centre.

Appendix 1 to this note is a Q&A Document that your staff can use to help provide advice to service users asking for guidance in relation to the potential risk issues of using telephony suppliers that do not support social alarms.

Appendix 2 to this note is a proforma customer declaration which could be used to provide a record of the current telephony supplier and confirmation that the service user has been made aware of, and understands, the potential service issues related to using a telephony supplier that may not support social alarms.

2009 Telecare Code of Practice
TSA has included the requirement to hold information on the service user’s telephony supplier in its 2009 Telecare Code of Practice. TSA recommends that any telecare service provider yet to become accredited to the Code of Practice should also hold the service user’s telephony supplier details.