Community Alarm Service

Annual Report 2011/2012

Welcome to theCommunity AlarmService Annual Reportfor 2011/2012.The service has beenoperational for 26 years. Weemploy 34 staff members whoprovide a 24 hours a day 365days a year, emergency alarmmonitoring and responseservice.Based in Hyde LodgeWinchester, it provides theservice to more than 2900service users, living inWinchester and thesurrounding district.We provide this service totenants living in our ShelteredHousing Schemes, somesheltered tenants with otherlandlords and to privateservice users via Lifeline andTelecare alarm units withsensors.

Achievements this yearWinchester City Council has beenawarded a corporate CustomerService Excellence Award. TheCommunity Alarm Service is proudto be part of that achievementwhich recognises the organisation’scommitment to delivering highquality services to our customers.

We have successfully achieved thestandards set out in the TelecareServices Association (TSA) Code ofPractice for key areas of servicedelivery. These include CallMonitoring; Installation ofEquipment; Responding Service andService Tailoring. The TSA is theindustry body for Telecare andTelehealth.

The service is exactlywhat it says - ‘A LifeLine’. Thanks

Lifeline customer in southern parishes

Key Performance StandardsCall Response TimeIn 2011/12 we answered more than111,786 alarm calls.

The TSA Code of Practice Target isthat 98.5% of calls should beanswered within 60 seconds and99% within 180 seconds

Over the twelve month periodending 31st March 2012, 98.83% ofcalls were answered within 60seconds and 99.78% within 180seconds.

Responding to visits toService UsersIn 2011/12 the team of RespondingOfficers were called to visit over800 service users.

The TSA Code of Practice Target isthat 90% of response visits shouldarrive at the customer’s homewithin 45 minutes and 100% withinone hour of the call being received.We exceeded that performancetarget, with over 99% of visitsoccurring within 45 minutes and100% within one hour.

Lifeline and TelecareInstallationIn the last year we achieved 100%of all urgent installations within thetarget 2 days and 100% of all nonurgent within the target 15 days.

We also achieved 100% for repairof Lifeline and Telecare units within48 hours.

Annual Review Visits toService UsersOver the course of the year wevisited over 900 Lifeline and Telecareservice users. Staff visited eachservice user to check that the Lifelineequipment is fully operational and toupdate the servicer user’s recordswhere required.

Community Alarm Service

95

96

97

98

99

100

% o

f ca

lls a

nsw

ered

wit

hin

60 s

econ

ds

98.5 99.0699 98.66 98.69 98.56 98.55 98.69 98.66 99.10 99.07

Apr2011

May2011

Jun2011

Jul2011

Aug2011

Sep2011

Oct2011

Nov2011

Dec2011

Jan2012

Feb2012

Mar2012

98.65

Average for MonthOverall Average to Date

TSA Target

Summary of Call Response Time 2011 - 2012

Monthly Response Times to Call Outs April 2011 - March 2012

0

5

1 0

1 5

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

0-1 5 1 6 – 30 31 – 45 46 – 60

No of Calls in Month

Resp

onse

Tim

e to

Cal

l Out

s (m

inut

es) Apr-11

M ay-11

Jun-11

Jul-11

Aug -11

Sep-11

Oct-11

N ov-11

D ec-11Jan-12

Feb-12

M ar-12

Calls per Month for 2011 - 2012Apr7% May

6%

Jun6%

Jul6%

Aug6%

Sep7%

Oct10%Nov

8%

Dec13%

Jan9%

Feb14%

Mar8%

Annual Report 2011/2012

Feedback ServiceQuality

Speed ofResponse

StaffHelpful Good Value

Installation 100% 100% 90% 100%

Monitoring 95% 92.6% 95% 91.8%

Response 92.6% 90.1% 91.4% 92.6%

Customer FeedbackThe Community Alarm Serviceroutinely gathers feedback fromcustomers by seeking the views of5% of customers who have usedthe service, either by having newequipment installed or byactivating their alarm. Satisfactionlevels were high over the past year

This process also enables us toinvite comments from customersabout the service they havereceived and again we welcomecomments whether favourable orcritical as they help us improvethe service.

Complaints andComplimentsComplaints and compliments aremonitored so that we can learn fromthem and improve our services.

We dealt with five complaintsduring the year. One of these inparticular led to us improving theclarity of our annual bills, andanother to review our proceduresfor sending out a responder.

Seven compliments were recordedincluding one which recognised thepeace of mind offered by knowingthe service was availablethroughout the Christmas periodand another which expressedthanks for the “excellent serviceand very helpful staff”.

“Problems withinterference to otherelectric equipment inthe house”

[We were able to resolve thisissue by fitting a filter ontothe equipment]Lifeline customer in southern

parishes

“Very good value formoney, best thing I’vedone. Having mybutton gives meconfidence and thestaff I’ve met all seemso friendly which isnice”

Lifeline customer in Central Winchester

If you have any particular needs which affect how you are able to use or be involved in our services orhow you would like to receive information for example translation, interpreters, Braille, audio tape, large

print, sign language - please contact the Customer Service Centre either by telephone 01962 840 222 or by email customerservice@winchester.gov.uk

Telephone calls may be recorded

Award winning service

For more information on Lifeline and Telecare Services contact:

phone: 01962 856 488 or email: lifeline@winchester.gov.uk

web: www.winchester.gov.uk

� Upgrade of Control CentreAlarm equipment to TunstallPNC6. There are many technologicaladvances in the social alarm andtelecare sector and the Councilwants to ensure our service takesadvantage of the latestdevelopments

� Carry out Service UserSatisfaction Surveys for allusers of the service.A full survey of all customers willhelp to ensure we understandwhat our customers like about theservice and what we need toimprove

� Raise awareness of Telecareamongst Health, Housing andSocial Care Worker and thepublic providing advice andconsultation and givingpresentations.Community Alarm and Telecareservices play a vital role in helpingolder and vulnerable people to liveindependently. The Councilcontinues to work in partnershipwith Hampshire County Council topromote Telecare servicesthroughout the County.

� Continue to obtaininformation from new serviceusers to improve the service.

� To undertake a programme ofequipment upgrades whererequired This will help us maximiseopportunities to embracetechnological developments withinTelecare services, promotingwellbeing for all service users.

� Retain TSA 2009 Code ofPractice accreditation.Operating services in accordancewith the TSA Code of Practice is thebest way to ensure our customersreceive the best possible standardof service from the CommunityAlarm Service.

Objectives for 2012/13

Community Alarm Service Annual Report 2011/2012

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2219

May

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by W

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