Alertacall - Moving on from hard-wired alarm and warden call systems

Introduction Hard-wired alarm and warden call systems were most commonly introduced in the 1960s and 1970s into local authority owned sheltered and supported accommodation. They were designed at a time before most people had access to telephones in their homes and well before the invention of the mobile phone, and thus provided a method for a “warden” or “scheme manager” to communicate with residents at a time when there were few alternatives. Many housing providers who still have hard-wired alarm and warden call systems in place are finding that many of those systems are at the end of their useful life, are becoming difficult or expensive to maintain and offer little by the way of meaningful return on investment. Furthermore, many housing providers now wish to explore better models for supporting older or higher needs people that can also work effectively in their general needs properties, where no hard-wired infrastructure ever existed and there is no reason or desire to install it now. Changes to various funding streams and, in coming years, the telecoms infrastructure itself, are also necessitating further service reviews to explore alternative approaches to improve customer satisfaction and create efficiencies at the same time. This practical guide outlines what is meant by hard-wired alarm and warden call systems and outlines how to implement replacements that offer greater capability. What ismeant by “hard-wiredalarmandwarden call” systems? The way hard-wired alarm and warden call systems are used has changed very little since their they were first introduced and since that time there has been little innovation, despite their limitations and the availability of alternative systems with greater functionality. Part of the reason for their continued use is that for a long period of time there were few or no alternatives, although over time other options have been developed, their low levels of awareness and housing providers not knowing what else to search for has resulted in the established equipment being continually maintained and updated. There is also sometimes a belief that hard-wired alarm and warden call systems may be difficult to remove, and thus “it’s more trouble than it’s worth” to consider alternatives. The reality is that it is normally quite straightforward to remove hard-wired alarm and warden call systems, and in fact some housing providers have already taken this step to improve resident choice (and save money by implementing more effective alternatives). There can also sometimes be concerns about the resident consultation process and that the removal of a hard-wired alarm and warden call system may not be viewed positively by residents. However, in reality many residents actively dislike their hard-wired alarm and warden call system, because it makes their property look institutionalised, it is rarely used and can lead to expensive and unwanted service charges. Residents, too, are often unaware of the benefits to them of more recent alternative systems and approaches and when the removal of hard-wired alarm and warden call systems is communicated effectively there can be a very positive response. www.alertacall.com 3