Oxfordshire County Council has published the agenda for a meeting of the Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care committee on 17 December 2024. The meeting will include a report on a proposal to appoint a new provider for the Technology Enabled Care service from April 2025.

Technology Enabled Care

The report pack includes a proposal for Oxfordshire County Council to use the Buckinghamshire Framework to appoint NRS Healthcare Limited as the sole provider for the Technology Enabled Care service in Oxfordshire. The contract would initially run from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027.

The report describes how the Council's existing Telecare Monitoring and Response Service works.

In the current Telecare Monitoring and Response provision, the provider completes assessments, installs the main telecare base units and pendant alarms in people’s own home as well as some other sensors, and provides the call monitoring service. As part of call monitoring, there is a two-level response service consisting of either a telephone response or a visiting responder. ¹

It goes on to explain why the Council is proposing this change.

Deployment of the Council’s option to call off from the Buckinghamshire Framework offers several additional benefits... Changes to the service would include a charging model based on a flat rate rather than payment by activity, which has reduced the cost projections for the new service... Establishment of a 2-year TEC Development Manager role specific to Oxfordshire... The new service proposal would otherwise feature the same 24/7 monitoring and response coverage, installation and annual reviews of telecare equipment.

The report acknowledges that there will be some changes for people who currently use the service:

There will be some minor differences to the service for existing users, including changes to the responders’ ability to provide personal care and medication management in an emergency.

The report sets out the projected costs of the new service, and explains how using the Buckinghamshire Framework will help Oxfordshire County Council to work towards its strategic goals.

The Council’s Strategic Plan for 2023-2025 focuses on prioritising the health and wellbeing of residents, supporting carers and social care system, and partnership working. Further, the Oxfordshire Way highlights how the Council wants Oxfordshire residents to lead safe, healthy, happy lives.