Alcove Partner with Pioneering Peterborough

Hurrah! Alcove secures adult social care partnership with Peterborough City Council.

Peterborough City Council (PCC) and Alcove have today signed a contract that will create a new lifestyle for older residents in the city. Alcove will be using its Internet of Things technology to pioneer independent living and revolutionise care and support by providing a connected care ecosystem to PCC’s older and disabled residents.

The first 100 users to be brought online this year will receive a personalised selection of Internet enabled devices powered by Alcove’s cutting edge software matched to their aspirations and requirements.

Gillian Beasley, Chief Executive at PCC says: “At Peterborough CC we like to push the boundaries of technology to help deliver services and tackling the austerity challenges that all council‘s face. The council already has an innovative technology strategy utilising the best of breed public sector software. With Alcove, we now believe we have found the best of breed social care monitoring system and we are excited to be working with them in transforming the lives of our residents. From first meeting them it’s obvious how passionate Alcove are about using technology to enhance the wellbeing of our residents and as a council we are proud to support a UK start up and especially one that can hopefully encourage more women into the tech sector.”

Packages of in-home sensors will alert concerned neighbours, family members or care workers to falls, deterioration in health or other problems. Smart wearables can be used to raise an alarm in an emergency, allow approved people to call and speak to the citizen, or send them all sorts of relevant notifications, ranging from medication or appointment reminders to local community events. Tablets enable video calling – just one press away from your daughter or the doctor. RFID technology monitors health and care visits in the house, and activates alerts if workers are late or do not show up. You don’t need to be digitally literate to use any of the Alcove devices because they either require no behaviour change on the part of the user, or the functionality has been simplified to make them super accessible and easy to use.

Adrian Chapman, Service Director for Adult Services and Communities at PCC, says: “The contract with Alcove will revolutionise the way that the council delivers its adult social care service through moving to a proactive trigger based service, allowing residents to remain safely in their own homes for longer in a monitored but unobtrusive way.”

For Alcove, prevention is the name of the game. We believe passive pull cords and big red buttons are no longer acceptable solutions in this digital era – not least because you press the button (if you are able) after the crisis event has already occurred. The real magic happens when you have enough data to spot deteriorations in long term conditions, predict a stroke, or detect a possible urinary tract infection early enough to prevent hospitalisation. Predictive and early interventions can make measurable improvements to people’s lives, and save money at the same time by smarter deployment of better skilled health and care workers.

“The Alcove technology fits perfectly with the council’s technology strategy and transformation programme. Assistive Technology and the Internet of Things need to become prevalent across Local Authorities in helping to deliver much needed service change. With Alcove we believe we have found a solution that is ground breaking in the area of social care and look forward to integrating this solution within the other solutions the council is currently implementing.” Richard Godfrey, Assistant Director Digital, PCC.

Alcove and Peterborough intend to use this demonstrator as a launchpad for further initiatives, working together to implement cost savings, and keep the citizens of Peterborough better supported where they want to be, in their own homes. Everything is tailored to the individual - you even get to choose your own strap designs for your smartwatch. Users will benefit from digital inclusion, reduced social isolation, better safeguarding and smarter service delivery.

“We are delighted to be working with Peterborough who share our vision for a long term care revolution. The potential to have a significant, positive impact on people’s lives excites us hugely, and we are committed to ensuring our customers have a great experience.” Hellen Bowey, Director, Alcove Limited.

If you are interested in accessing the Alcove service or taking part in the demonstrator, please get in touch with us at hello@youralcove.com. And make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @youralcove.