Michael Kelleher, Director of Housing Services, approved expenditure of up to £337,000 for the Telecare Equipment Digital Switchover Programme. This decision ensures the continued provision of essential telecare services for vulnerable residents as the national analogue telephone network is withdrawn.

Telecare Equipment Digital Switchover Costs

Michael Kelleher, Director of Housing Services, approved an estimated capital expenditure of £337,000 to complete the Telecare Digital Switchover Programme. This programme is necessary to replace analogue telecare equipment with digital technology before the national analogue telephone network is switched off at the end of January 2027. The expenditure includes £198,782 for infrastructure upgrades at five sheltered housing schemes and £138,000 for the replacement of analogue telecare equipment within the community.

The decision also includes the procurement of digital equipment for the five sheltered housing schemes via a direct award to Legrand, using the Procurement for Housing (PfH) Technologies for Independent Living Framework. This route was chosen as a full tender process would not allow for the new system to be implemented within the required timescales.

The report highlighted that Newham currently provides telecare equipment to 2,536 residents. The transition to digital technology is essential to mitigate risks associated with the analogue network withdrawal, which could otherwise lead to delayed emergency responses and increased safeguarding risks.

To recover the investment, weekly charges for telecare services will increase. Basic and Telecare services will see a £1 per week increase, while sheltered housing residents will experience a £2.50 per week increase. The total weekly telecare charge is proposed to increase by 10% in the 2027/28 financial year, followed by a minimum of 5% in subsequent years.

The report indicated that the proposed charges will remain comparable to or below those charged by other local authorities and independent telecare providers. The capital costs will be funded by reallocating £300,000 from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Planned Maintenance Contingency Budget. It is anticipated that the proposed charging structure will enable the Council to recover the capital costs within approximately three years.

The decision supports the council's priority of A healthier Newham and ageing well and aims to increase satisfaction with care and support services. The decision was made on 13 October 2026, with the officer decision record signed on 3 November 2026. The decision is not subject to call-in until the sixth working day following its publication.

The decision was made by Michael Kelleher, Director of Housing Services, under the Mayoral Scheme of Delegation to Officers, which grants authority to make procurement decisions and approve new expenditure relating to the Directorate's functions. The decision was published on 4 November 2026.

The report also detailed the financial implications, including estimated capital costs of £337,000 and annual revenue costs of £50,000 for maintenance, plus borrowing costs. It also outlined the estimated additional revenue income from the proposed charging increases. The legal implications confirm that the procurement route via the PfH framework is compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Council's Contract Standing Orders. Equalities implications were considered, with the move to digital equipment ensuring effective handling of alarm calls for vulnerable service users.

The five sheltered housing schemes that will receive infrastructure upgrades are Hamara Ghar, Holden Point, Northfield House, Centenary House, and Maybrook Court. The report included a detailed breakdown of costs for upgrading these schemes, comparing quotes from the current supplier and Legrand, with Legrand offering a saving of approximately £25,000.

The decision record can be found in the Public minutes 03rd-Nov-2026 Officer Non-Key Decision.pdf.