Earlier this year Ealing Council took the difficult but necessary decision to transfer its Careline telecare alarm monitoring service to be managed by colleagues in Harrow.

Last week Councillor Polly Knewstub, the council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives, went to visit Harrow Careline to hear how the transition is going.

Ensuring that vulnerable residents continue to receive the support they need to maintain their independence is a top priority for the council’s adult social care department. The Careline decision was made due to concerns about the council’s financial inability to modernise the service to be fit for purpose and the standard that residents deserve; it was not possible considering the level of investment necessary and the significant pressures on the council’s social care budget.

Councillor Knewstub was keen to understand more about the telephone monitoring services Ealing residents are receiving from the Harrow Careline service and meet the people who are at the end of the phone providing reassurance and help to vulnerable residents in an emergency. Careline can help with all sorts of problems, from the medical – for example, a fall, or a sudden illness – to safety concerns; maybe you suspect you have a bogus caller or need to contact the emergency services. It could even just be when vulnerable residents need a bit of reassurance or a chat. At any time of the day or night, someone will be at the end of the phone line to help.

Councillor Knewstub said: “I was delighted to meet the Harrow Careline team and learn more about the high-quality service they deliver to Ealing residents. They have already got to know many of our 1600 residents in receipt of the monitoring services, and I was really impressed with the compassionate way they reassure and support residents when they need it most.”

A friendly voice

The service runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and in the last month has seen nearly 50 calls a day. In addition to the telecare service, Ealing Council has also commissioned external home care agencies to provide an on-site response service, with a total of 19 calls to date. As part of the service improvements over 50% of residents in receipt of telecare monitoring have been provided with up-to-date equipment as part of the national programme to switch from landlines to digital technology.

Councillor Knewstub continued: “We are now getting lots of useful feedback that will help us support our residents even further in the future. For our residents knowing a friendly voice, as well as back up if you need it, is only a click away is invaluable. I have every confidence that this is what our residents can enjoy.”

Get in touch

All Ealing residents in receipt of adult social care support who need telecare telephone monitoring services now receive it via the Harrow Careline service, while joint work between adult social care and housing teams has continued to support residents in sheltered accommodation to choose and arrange telecare services either from Harrow Careline or an alternative provider.

If you would like more information about the Careline telecare monitoring service or to request an assessment for telecare you can call Ealing Council’s adult social care assessment referral centre on 020 8825 8000 or email ARCadultreferrals@ealing.gov.uk .