TSA TEC Blog
Welcome to the TSA blog. Browse the articles below or use the tags to list articles relevant to a particular subject.
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A great first virtual ITEC Conference with Interoperability and Collaboration front and Centre
Date: 18 May 2021Yorbl Technologies and Yorcoms Group CEO Peter Reed-Forrester begs questions around TSA's first virtual conference back in March: would TSA be able to handle this new way of doing things? Would they set it up and manage it in a way that both exhibitors and delegates could find it, navigate it and
Response to the ADASS TSA Commission
Date: 16 May 2021The Commission findings were given extra weight by key industry leader contributions from Microsoft, PA Consulting, Tunstall, OLM Systems and AXA Taking Care. Here, they offer additional insights progressing the agenda and practical applications for Local Authority to integrate technology into
The Role of Digital Social Care in Integration and Innovation
Date: 10 May 2021By Rafael Bengoa Chair of the ADASS TSA Commission and Co-Director of The Institute for Health & Strategy in Bilbao Download the ADASS TSA Commission report on integrating technology into social care here . In the next 25 years, the number of people aged 85 and over in the UK will almost
How We Can Provide Good Home Based Care in the Next Decade
Date: 4 May 2021John Compton - Strategic Advisor at Ethel Healthcare sets out three key elements to progressing the quality of care, but begins with asking and listening to the response to the question "what would make your life better?" As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, how can we to think about
The Hubble Project
Date: 15 April 2021The Hubble Project, managed by the National Care Forum (NCF) - the trade body for not-for-profit care providers – seeks to inspire and encourage care providers to introduce and maximise the benefits of TEC. Liz Jones, NCF’s Director of Policy, describes the project and shares lessons learned.
How proactive and prevention planning will be key to people remaining in the communities they love
Date: 19 February 2021ITEC CONFERENCE INSIGHTS Dr Lynne Douglas, Chief Executive at Bield Housing and Care believes one of the strongest themes as we come out of the pandemic is the positive impact of proactive community based interventions and greater emphasis on proactive and prevention planning to ensure people
As Winter Pressures Become Year-Round Can Tech Improve Resilience?
Date: 12 November 2020Deepak Samson of Ethel Care urges the inclusion of patients, service users and family carers in the conversation around staying independent and from a service delivery point of view, the deployment of technology to enable that independence. Even before pandemic hit, most of us were aware of the
Can We Humanise Data for Better Home Care Technology?
Date: 10 November 2020David Lynes, Managing Director of Unique IQ talks about his vision for joined-up data in care networks. Where software providers work in collaboration, not confrontation, aligning systems with the shared purpose of supporting the delivery of outstanding home care. But who has the responsibility
Are we speaking the language of integration or confusion?
Date: 30 October 2020As we continue to develop relationships with related sectors Adrian Scaife from Alcuris suggests a framework of common themes to help move towards greater integration. I’ve just finished reading a new report from Public Policy Projects called Connecting Services, Transforming Lives The Benefits
How Tactics for Growth and Innovation Saw Taking Care Thrive Through Covid-19
Date: 9 October 2020Steve Gates, Managing Director of Taking Care discusses their tactics for growth and innovation and how by listening to customers and being adaptable, flexible and resilient, the organisation has maintained momentum in meeting growth goals, despite Covid-19 . " In the age of Covid-19, Taking Care
My First 40 Days In 'Office'
Date: 30 July 2020BOOK ON HERE FOR THE TEC QUALITY WEBINAR - 4th August at 09:00 For those who don’t know me I’m Rachael Forbister. I’ve worked in the Technology Enabled Care industry for almost nine years and the journey has been amazing. My involvement in TECS has led me to take up a national post with TEC
Are We Really Open For Business?
Date: 27 July 2020As the conversations around data and interoperability gain momentum again, Paul Shead, UK Managing Director of Enovation (formerly Verklizan), the manufacturer of the UMO Universal Monitoring platform, urges TEC manufacturers towards more open protocols for the sake of interoperability and for the
Scotland Innovation and Partnerships in TECS
Date: 27 July 2020Dr Lynne Douglas, Chief Executive of Bield Housing& TSA Board Director for Scotland talks about her principle learnings from the pandemic, health and social care partnerships, new models of care in Scotland, and the potential for TEC to bolster community assets. Never has this quote from
How Legrand Saw Shifting Demand During Covid-19
Date: 23 July 2020Chris Dodd Managing Director of Legrand Assisted Living & Healthcare sets out their response to Covid-19 and how with the acceleration of certain programmes, this can prepare the organisation for future crises. As a business we needed to consider how we could continue to operate effectively;
How virtual TEC training became core business
Date: 9 June 2020Training Associate Samantha Davies shows how she and her team adapted TSA's training provision within weeks to serve the workforce needs of the technology enabled care industry during Covid-19 . As a Training TSA Associate, I’ve enjoyed travelling the length and breadth of the country meeting
What pandemic taught me about partnerships
Date: 8 June 2020New TSA Board Director for Wales and Llesiant Delta Wellbeing Managing Director Samantha Watkins sets out her expectations for technology enabled care and how Covid-19 influenced her decision to strengthen links and services with the local council “Since Covid-19 the TEC sector has a unique
How Pandemic is Forcing Change in TECS
Date: 1 May 2020The hard realities for many service users of self-isolation measures has forced TEC organisations to adapt their services quickly and find different ways of providing that support into the community, as the need for TEC services remains acute, says TEC Services Association the industry body for
A Day in the Life of..Progress Lifeline
Date: 30 April 2020L to R: Kathy, Beth, Laura, Adam Beth Mole: "There’s a strange atmosphere when driving into work - hardly any traffic, more police cars about and some anxious-looking people. I feel like the Progress Lifeline Team is now more important than ever before, and the team has pulled together and
TSA Chief Executive Alyson Scurfield in Conversation with Tunstall CEO Gordon Sutherland
Date: 20 April 2020In the first of a two-part conversation, TSA’s Chief Executive Alyson Scurfield gains some insight from Tunstall CEO Gordon Sutherland about developments happening within one of the UK’s market leaders in telehealth and telecare managed services, the ripple effect for the wider industry and how
Stepping up to the Covid Challenge Part 2
Date: 16 April 2020Right across the country TEC providers are mobilising, pulling out all the stops to ensure service users feel reassured and safe at this critical time. In the 2nd instalment of our two-part series on how the TEC sector is responding to COVID-19, we ask providers how they are adapting and
Stepping up to the Covid Challenge Part I
Date: 7 April 2020TEC services have never worked harder to keep service users and staff safe since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. We spoke to a number of key providers, large and small, about their fight against this unknown virus and the innovations that are emerging. “We have a life critical workforce that
What is the true lifespan of a new digital alarm?
Date: 6 March 2020OPINION: Adrian Scaife of Alcuris notes that new digital social alarms that are connected 24/7 are now just another class of digitally connected device, but will their lifespan be the same as analogue alarm units or maybe more like a mobile phone? While it is partly about ongoing
TEC Trends & Challenges in 2020
Date: 3 February 2020As we enter a new decade, we asked key leaders of the TEC and health & care communities for their thoughts on how they see the technology enabled care sector developing into 2020 and beyond, which issues will become prevalent and what are the challenges we face. Hear from: Nicky Parker
Connected Powered Communities in Care
Date: 27 January 2020Following the recent publication of TEC Stories Care Homes , TSA Chief Executive Alyson Scurfield argues connectivity can deliver not only greater efficiencies and effectiveness within a care home setting but it crucially cuts to the heart of the personalisation agenda. We have an
The QSF - So What?
Date: 24 January 2020Jane Turner-Bragg previously worked as Head of Service – Older People for Bromford Housing Group. Now she is one of TSA’s Quality Standards Framework (QSF) auditors. Here she gives the auditor's view and you may be pleasantly surprised... QSF. So What? This is the best question any leader
The Human Factor
Date: 14 January 2020Following the recent publication of TEC stories in conjunction with Think Local Act Personal and Care England, Clenton Farquharson asks how we can keep technology allied to personalised care and support. The pace of change is so fast these days in every sphere of life, but is the care system
How to support your staff through culture change
Date: 2 December 2019New technology and transformational change are constant in the health and social care sector and to be successful, leaders need to enact compassion in all their interactions, says occupational psychologist Dr Amanda Super, to make way for a more productive organisational culture. As an
Using Connected Care to Prevent Bed Blocking
Date: 29 November 2019Kevin Anderson, UK Marketing Director for Tunstall Healthcare , talks us through the use of connected care in hospitals to transform technology in the NHS and reduce bed blocking in the wake of impending winter pressures. Hospital waiting times are at their worst-ever level and the latest
People are doing it for themselves
Date: 29 November 2019The current acceleration in technology development enables people and builds a more inclusive society, says Care England's Martin Green, and TSA's TEC Stories embodies the spirit of autonomy and independence for those who need it most. For too long we have disabled people. The beauty of
Following the clues (and the data) to prevent falls
Date: 29 October 2019Data gleaned from TEC has to be put into context, interpreted and given meaning, says Gerry Hodgson from Cascade3d, to prevent falls in frailty and ensure interventions take place. We all know that falls are a huge issue. They cost the NHS more than £2bn a year and it is estimated that half of
Driving digital inclusion - Why WiFi in a care setting matters
Date: 29 October 2019According to a UN report, the right to internet access, also known as the right to broadband or freedom to connect, is a right to be enjoyed by all but in UK care homes this provision is shockingly low. Carl Atkey from Appello sets out the broad benefits and suggests there are cost effective ways
Highlights of ITEC Conference 2019
Date: 18 October 2019DAY ONE Conference commenced with CEO Alyson Scurfield and President Paul Burstow meeting and greeting exhibitors and headline partners around the exhibition hall, setting the scene for what attendees could expect at the UK’s seminal conference for TEC. Hall 1 auditorium hosted the plenary
Digital Switchover: Are we focusing on the destination rather than the journey?
Date: 27 September 2019Digital transformation is not a destination; it’s a journey that may take housing and care providers years to complete, says Jon Marshall of Securus Group, but there are ways to form a comfortable bridge between the two systems. Providers will face a number of commercial and operational
The Vigilence of Cyber Security in TEC
Date: 27 September 2019The older analogue alarm systems presented a natural barrier to ‘cyber threats’, at least for end user devices. So, the shift to digital highlights a need for vigilance in terms of cyber and data security that cannot be ignored by Steve Sadler, Associate Technical Lead at TSA Telecare
Navigating the Digital Transition
Date: 3 September 2019In response to fears surrounding the impending analogue to digital shift, a halfway house solution is offered to smooth the choppy waters of transitioning your telephony and telecare infrastructure by Max Stevens, CSL Group We are all aware of the issues that are (or will be) caused by the
Why Isn't Our TEC Industry Booming?
Date: 3 September 2019New digital solutions will enable both preventative activities, a means of sharing data and provide services that will appeal to consumers, by Adrian Scaife, Alcuris Ltd. On first glance the numbers of people using our services should be growing year on year along with the success of our
TSA at Digital Innovation in Care Homes
Date: 30 August 2019Leeds Becket University was the venue for a Digital Innovation in Care Homes event in partnership with Leeds City Council to showcase good practice and new digital innovations in care homes. To the delight of the organisers and speakers, and in spite of the summer holidays, it was standing room
How Technology Can Help Care
Date: 5 August 2019A digital shift over a period of six to seven years presents local authorities with an opportunity to fundamentally redesign their TEC systems, taking advantage of emerging digital technology so they can provide proactive, not reactive services. But it also presents them with many challenges. One
TSA at HealthPlusCare
Date: 1 August 2019The TSA team give their insights into what the TEC industry were talking about at HealthPlusCare Marie Martinalli, Medequip, Carol Hughes, Mersey Care NHS, Alyson Scurfield TSA For TSA, this year’s HealthPlusCare was a fantastic success and we were delighted to host the Technology Enabled
TSA Responds to ADASS Survey in Adult Social Services
Date: 12 July 2019ADASS has published its latest budget survey of Directors of Adult Social Services with headline 'Human Cost of Failing to Address the Crisis in Adult Social Care.' TSA's Chair Alyson Scurfield and Business Strategy & Transformation Lead Nathan Downing discuss why social care in the UK has now
The Digital Difference
Date: 27 June 2019The Digital Difference: how the transition to Digital will revolutionise health and social care In recognition of Digital Leaders Week, Gavin Bashar of Tunstall Healthcare explores the potential impact of the UK’s move from an analogue to digital communications network, and how this could
Be a friend against scams
Date: 7 May 2019Adam Carter, Senior Project Officer, National Trading Standards Scams Team highlights the importance of vigilance and awareness as more and more people are becoming victims of fraud Did you know that you are twice as likely to fall victim to fraud than any other crime (ONS 2018), scams cost the
Disrupting the procurement process
Date: 14 March 2019Nathan Downing, TSA Associate, lifts the lid on the world of the DPS... The traditional approach via tenders and frameworks for equipment and service procurement for care settings is well established within the public sector - but there’s a new kid on the block in the form of the DPS, or Dynamic
Embracing digital in housing
Date: 1 February 2019Tim Barclay, Chief Executive Officer at Appello - the UK’s largest provider of digital telecare services The UK is undergoing a digital change of significant proportions, as the telecommunications infrastructure shifts from analogue to digital. Housing providers are beginning to consider digital
A look in the TSA rear view mirror
Date: 20 December 2018Alyson Scurfield, TSA CEO So much as happened this past year, not just at the TSA but across the whole TEC sector. Matt Hancock took over as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, vowing to make a digital transformation in healthcare and have a ‘bonfire of the fax machine’. Mr Hancock, an
Navigating the digital transition
Date: 28 September 2018Phil Hollett – Director CSL It is not a surprise anymore. Everyone now understands that the transition from analogue to digital is not not going to happen. It is happening, and we need to embrace it to ensure we maximise the benefits it offers and are not just scarred by the challenges and changes
A busy time for learning
Date: 16 August 201816th August 2018 by Gillian Austin, TSA Training Associate The summer has been a busy time for learning, education and training. Lots of services are accessing the one day CPD training days that support Call Handling activities, as well as the Assessing for Telecare day that supports dispersed
Teamwork - less me more we
Date: 27 April 2018By Steve Carefull 27 April 2018 I can't think where this year has gone. January was as busy as any I can remember and it has just carried on getting busier. In a rare moment of reflection, I wondered how my life had become so complicated and hectic. It dawned on me that I enjoy the privilege of
A commitment to support teams
Date: 26 March 201826th March 2018 by Gillian Austin, TSA Training Associate Over the last 18 months I’ve embraced the opportunity to get stuck into something I feel strongly about - learning, education and training. It’s very important to give people the knowledge, skills and understanding to support the activities
A busy start
Date: 23 March 2018As part of TSA’s own transformation, Alyson announced in January the separation of all our standards activity from our membership services. We have created a new standards arm called TEC Quality and our goal is to show, beyond doubt, that the industry’s quality standards framework is independent
Supporting social care teams
Date: 16 January 2018Posted on 15 Jan 2018 Gillian Austin - TSA Associate Supporting social care teams to undertake basic telecare assessments The Telecare service in Dumfries and Galloway is jointly managed by Social Work Services and Communities. In 2017 work began to look at how the council could begin to deliver
Connected Communities, Connected Care
Date: 20 November 2017By Alyson Scurfield, Chief Executive of TSA 20 November 2017 Amongst the many health IT events each year, the International Technology Enabled Care conference stands out for its special focus on the people who will benefit the most from innovative solutions – users, patients and carers who can be
EurekApp!
Date: 20 November 2017By Liz Ashall-Payne 20 November 2017 Think of any aspect of your health and wellbeing which you might want to improve upon. Have you ever tried to search the app store for a solution? You can be certain that an app already exists for it, there may even be upwards of a thousand! What is not
Harnessing the power of the disruptors
Date: 20 November 2017By Steve Carefull 20 November 2017 A pilot service using Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to support people with social care needs is underway in Hampshire County Council. PA Consulting Group, which leads the Argenti Telehealthcare Partnership that runs the Council’s care technology service, has
The End of Grudge and Guilt
Date: 20 November 2017By Stuart Sheehy 20 November 2017 When and how will a consumer market develop for independent living technology? The question is definitely a matter of when, not if. The factors driving this are well known: Substantial growth in our older population; Improving medical technology, allowing people
The Disruptors and the Displaced
Date: 20 November 2017By Paul Burstow 20 November 2017 Do you want to be the disruptor or the displaced? I posed this question at this year’s International Technology Enabled Care conference in Birmingham because, for me, it sums up the opportunity and the challenge facing UK TECS. How does the sector respond to the
Analogue to digital: are you ready?
Date: 22 September 2017By Alyson Scurfield, Chief Executive of TSA 22 September 2017 By 2025, all analogue telephone services in the UK will be switched off and replaced by digital systems. Ofcom and telecommunications providers advise that systems relying on ‘voice-band data’, such as security and fire alarms, many
Care homes or care at home?
Date: 22 September 2017By Paul Burstow 22 September 2017 When the NHS celebrates its 100th birthday in 2048 there will be over 100,000 centenarians living in the United Kingdom. What will that mean for health and care? Inevitably, much will have changed. So to scale-up 20th century solutions to meet anticipated demand
Maintaining Service Quality
Date: 22 September 201722 September 2017 Paul Shead - TSA Chair I am delighted to be writing my first article for eLink since being elected Chair of TSA by the Board of Directors in June. This is an annual appointment, accountable to the Board, managing Board meetings and providing direct liaison between the Board and
How to deliver TEC services at scale
Date: 22 September 2017By Moira Mackenzie – NHS 24 22 September 2017 In the world of health and wellbeing, technology enabled care (TEC) is a relative newcomer. Scotland launched its TEC programme in 2014 in order to embed and expand technology at scale and demonstrate that it can be a cost-effective way to help improve
Maintaining a personal touch in an age of technology enabled care
Date: 29 August 2017By Alyson Scurfield, Chief Executive of TSA 29 August 2017 This blog was first published on the Independent Age website Technology in our daily lives When we think of care, we naturally think of the important contributions of our friends, partners and family as well doctors, nurses, social workers
Start with Why
Date: 26 July 2017Steve Carefull PA Consulting/Argenti 26 July 2017 Online shopping, holiday booking, dating, e-learning, banking, ordering a cab or a curry; many areas of our lives have been changed by the shift to digital channels. Support for health and wellbeing too is offered digitally, from fitness monitors
Putting the customer first
Date: 26 July 2017Nick Rutter, Sprue Aegis & Pilgrim Beart, DevicePilot 26 July 2017 As Telecare makes the leap to digital, prevention becomes cheaper than cure. Addicted to cure? In the UK around 85% of telecare data traffic is ‘inbound’ from the home, typically when a resident presses a panic button. But in Spain
How to co-design digital technologies
Date: 26 July 2017Dr Victoria Betton mHabitat 26 July 2017 Involving end users – patients, citizens and practitioners - in the process of design and development means that digital technologies are more likely to be feasible, engaging and underpinned by evidence of what works. The mHabitat team helps the NHS, wider
Making the Leap from A to D
Date: 25 July 2017Paul Allis Brain in Hand 25 July 2017 Faced with increasing demand for services and tightening budgets, commissioners and providers expect digital technology to play a significant role in the transformation of healthcare services. The push to harness the opportunities digital technology can
How to prepare for a QSF audit
Date: 18 July 2017By Karen Bridgewater, Dudley Telecare Service 18th July 2017 Positive relationships rarely start with a cool assessment of faults and failures. The same goes for audits. Like everything else in life audits can be good, bad or indifferent and many of us will have experienced several of them –
Turning a tipping point into a case for TECs
Date: 18 July 2017By Paul Burstow 18 July 2017 Last week Andrea Sutcliffe, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Social Care said that the care system remained fragile and at risk of reaching a tipping point. Health and social care has been evolving in different ways in each of the Home Nations since devolution but the
Digital Shift: Managing the Digital Transition
Date: 30 June 2017By Steve Sadler - TSA 30th June 2017 Most Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS) in the UK come in the form of alarm services, for the benefit of 1.7 million older and vulnerable people living at home. These services support independent living through care at a distance, and rely upon remote
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