The Social Care Top 30 Awards were introduced to showcase and recognise real leadership and excellence in the sector, recognising influential leaders in social care. At the 2024 event held on 15th October, the Premier Supplier Technology Home Care award went to a strategic partnership between Medequip Connect, Access Health Support and Care (HSC) and London Borough of Sutton & Sutton Housing Partnership for their innovative work replacing outdated telecare models to provide residents with modern technology aiding independent living.
With the focus on moving services from reactive care models to proactive and preventative solutions, this award-winning collaborative project has seen more inclusive, less intrusive sensor-based services transform the care experience for thousands of residents, enabling people to feel safer while staying independent.
London Borough of Sutton had traditionally relied on reactive pull cord and button systems for emergency alerts, which failed to give a more holistic view of the individual’s wellbeing on a day-to-day basis. They were seeking a solution to support independent living together with the ability to offer insights to help detect the early signs of health issues, thereby providing more proactive health and social care solutions across the health, social care, and housing sectors.
Through collaboration with Access HSC, the solution was designed to include assessment, installation of alarms and sensors designed to detect changes in behaviour such as increased inactivity, 24/7 contact centre and preventative pathways including 45-minute TEC responder service and NHS 2-hour Urgent Community Response, triggered in response to data from the sensors.
In addition, an app for family and caregivers gives real-time data to provide reassurance and alert in the event of changes facilitates early interventions.
The solution has been co-produced with Access HSC, working closely with local health and social care leaders, ensuring this aligns with Sutton's Health and Adult Services vision. In addition, Medequip Connect’s commitment to social value is demonstrated by initiatives like the community shop, which provides employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and also apprenticeships.
“We believe our industry needs more collaborative partnership working like this, sharing knowledge and learning to achieve a joined-up approach to Technology Enabled Care. This is a big step in the important move towards leveraging proactive and preventative solutions, enabled by advances in digital technology. Our thanks go to the London Borough of Sutton and the Sutton Housing Partnership, for their role in creating an innovative vision that harnesses the power of these solutions to make a real difference in people’s lives.” Stephen McKee, Head of Business, Transformation and Consultancy for Medequip Connect.
Andy Sparkes, Managing Director at Access HSC, comments, “We're thrilled to be recognised at the Social Care Top 30 Awards. Our strategic partnership with Medequip Connect and the London Borough of Sutton represents a significant step forward in leveraging technology to enhance independent living. Together, we have deployed this first of its kind proactive and preventative solution at scale, representing the potential of what can be achieved with a true move from analogue to digital, hospital to community and reactive to proactive, aligning closely with the Labour Party's 10-year plan.
“This TEC approach exemplifies how collaboration between suppliers and local authorities can address pressing challenges in social care. By delivering personalised and efficient support directly to individuals' homes, we're reducing hospital admissions and promoting greater independence so individuals can live healthy and fulfilling lives within the community.”
The solution is effectively going beyond technology, transforming lives, easing the workload of professional carers, giving greater peace of mind for families and delivering improved care outcomes.