Purpose

To carry out the procurement from NHC
framework for services in relation to our Lifeline
Provision

Decision

Approval is given to outsource Housing Renewal
Lifeline Service alarm receiving centre.

The Director of Community Development, in consultation with the
Assistant Director (Resources) and Executive Member for Culture,
Arts and Housing have agreed to enter into related contracts.

Reasons for the decision

Outsourcing the call handling function to a
specialist provider is recommended to ensure compliance with TSA
accreditation standards, support digital transformation goals, and
deliver robust disaster recovery and 24/7 monitoring capabilities.
This approach is expected to yield annual cost savings, enhance
resilience and operational efficiency, and provide access to
specialist expertise and scalable infrastructure. Importantly, it
will enable the service to concentrate on preventative support and
retain core elements that directly benefit residents, by freeing up
internal capacity and focusing resources on proactive housing
renewal and wellbeing initiatives.

Alternative options considered

Alternative delivery models were
assessed:
• The continuation of in-house ARC was deemed unsustainable
due to the extensive work and investment required to achieve TSA
accreditation, alongside limited scalability, staffing pressures,
and the underlying fragility of the service.
• Integration with Customer Services was explored
collaboratively but found technically unfeasible due to the
platform’s lack of ARC-specific capabilities, including
emergency response integration and telecare compatibility.