Westminster City Council and Keynetics partnership unlocks more efficient domiciliary care delivery

1​5 January 2025

Enhancing clients’ security, service efficiency and sustainability with digital key safes in Care Technology enabled care is gaining popularity among most local authorities across the country. However, a few years ago, Westminster City Council showed that it is ahead of the innovation curve by digitalising Carer access to clients’ homes for both security and transparency purposes.

In fact, Westminster was the first local authority to use this technology, and it pioneered the approaches and methods required for running such a system smoothly at all stages of the process. This simple modification in care provision, trialled for over two years at hundreds of client homes across Westminster, made a significant difference and resulted in a three-year partnership extension between Westminster City Council and Keynetics, a supplier of digital key safe solutions.

One may wonder why access, a seemingly minor element in the grand scheme of care provision, is so important. The answer involves multiple variables concerning service delivery and clients’ safety. First of all, an appointment cannot take place unless a carer has access to the client’s house, which is often accomplished by using a key safe at the point of entry. However, both access method and physical security of a key safe must provide protection against unauthorised entry into vulnerable individual’s home, which is impossible to achieve with mechanical key safes.

The use of mechanical key safe codes, which are often written on a piece of paper next to client’s address, can lead to a compromising situation. Codes can be lost, illegally shared or misplaced, and changing mechanical key safe codes requires a visit to the premises. Meanwhile, there is no way of knowing who and when a code was used to enter a client’s home. The lack of physical security of over-the-counter key safes that lack security certification and can be easily compromised is also a major concern when considering the duty of care the vulnerable in our society need.

This is when SentriKey Care, a digital key safe solution by Keynetics, proved its value. SentriKey Care consists of three components: a certified (LPS 1175 and Police Approved Specification) Bluetooth key safe; a platform for remote access management, as well as client and user administration; and an app that grants assigned users access to allocated clients’ keys. It eliminates the risk of unauthorised access since every visit, its date, duration and visitor’s name are logged and available for auditing on the system. All access is granted and withdrawn remotely in a matter of a few clicks. Furthermore, care agencies are registered on the SentriKey Care platform and manage their staff access.

The digital approach eliminates the need for codes, offers complete access transparency and even serves as a proof of visits. When one-time access is required, for example by a Hospital Transport Team or emergency services, a one-day code can be issued. For security reasons, the code is still named and reasoned on the platform and expires at midnight to prevent security breaches. In addition, a visit confirmation feature, which sends an automated free text or email notification to select individuals every time a visit takes place, is particularly welcomed by clients’ families, who are now informed that care is provided. However, there are other, not so obvious advantages of deploying a digital system like SentriKey Care.

Stuart Wheeler, Managing Director at Keynetics, confirms, “In addition to the well-known features of our key management solutions, sustainability is one of the most appealing benefits for organisations in both private and public sectors. “In Westminster’s case, we remove our key safes on request and redeploy them at new locations, which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. It improves the visual appeal of the neighbourhood by reducing key safe clutter, which is common at multiple occupancy sites with a large number of mechanical key safes that are no longer in use, abandoned as codes are no longer known to enable removal”

Jonathan Wills, Senior Delivery Manager at Westminster City Council, comments, “Our collaboration with Keynetics has enabled us to introduce a significant new technology to the Borough – the first of its kind to be used in a UK local authority – and to offer a cutting edge and best in class product and service to our residents. A successful pilot proved the efficacy and benefits of the products and cemented a very positive relationship with Keynetics – one which we are happy to see continue with a longer-term contract now in place.”

Learn more about SentriKey Care solution on https://www.keyneticsltd.co.uk/key-safe-solutions/sentrikey-care/