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Case Study

How Stockport Homes used digital telecare to strengthen independent living


Stockport Homes tested digital telecare across sheltered and community homes to improve service resilience, call quality and resident confidence.

Key facts

Housing provider 

Stockport Homes 

Homes supported 

40 sheltered homes and up to 50 community homes 

Technology 

Digital call systems, alarms, pendants, falls detectors and environmental sensors 

Main outcome 

Clearer calls, faster response and a more resilient telecare service 

Evidence status 

Early proof of concept; longer-term financial impact is still being assessed 

Results reflect early proof-of-concept evidence. The project has not yet established longer-term financial impact or shown that the technology caused changes in care outcomes.

The challenge

Stockport Homes needed to replace telecare systems that relied on analogue phone lines and maintain reliable support for older and vulnerable residents. 

The service also needed to help residents request support quickly, give staff useful information and support independent living.

What was implemented

Stockport Homes used two delivery models: 

  • Supported housing: 40 sheltered homes within a single housing scheme received fully digital, hardwired call-handling infrastructure. 

  • Community homes: up to 50 residents received digital care equipment in their own homes. 

The project installed in-home alarm units, pendants, falls detectors, smoke alarms and environmental sensors where residents needed them. It connected alerts to existing monitoring, independent living and response services. 

Results

Operational outcomes 

  • Clearer calls and faster connections improved staff confidence when responding. 

  • Digital infrastructure reduced reliance on analogue phone lines. 

  • Staff gained practical experience of installing equipment, managing alerts and integrating connected care into existing services. 

  • Sheltered housing was easier to coordinate than delivery across dispersed homes, which required more time for access and appointments. 

Resident outcomes 

  • Residents reported greater confidence and reassurance. 

  • Strong adoption was supported by clear explanations and trusted independent living staff. 

  • Features such as an “I’m OK” function gave residents more control over routine contact. 

  • No residents transferred to residential or nursing care during the reporting period, although the project cannot yet show that the technology caused this outcome.

Key lessons for housing providers

  1. Treat connected care as service change. Define who receives alerts, who responds and how follow-up is recorded before installing equipment. 

  1. Use trusted staff to engage residents. Familiar housing and independent living staff can explain the service, address concerns and improve adoption. 

  1. Start with a defined need and cohort. Focus on residents or schemes where the operational problem and potential benefit are clear. 

  1. Test connectivity and technical requirements early. Confirm signal, power, system integration and supplier responsibilities before deployment. 

  1. Measure benefits from the start. Record baseline information on response times, welfare checks, incidents, resident confidence and care outcomes. 

Before you start

Be clear whether you need to address digital switchover risk, slow response, falls, welfare checks, resident reassurance or another operational issue.

Identify who will monitor alerts, respond to incidents, escalate concerns and record outcomes. Avoid creating a separate data stream without a named owner.

Check the existing infrastructure, mobile signal, power supply, installation requirements and any enabling work needed in each setting.

Explain what the service does, how information will be used and who will respond. Allow extra time for accessibility needs, language support, missed appointments and reassurance.

Agree what data you will collect, who can access it, how you will manage consent and retention, and how you will fund monitoring, response, maintenance, connectivity, staff time and supplier charges.

Replication guide

  1. Select a priority scheme or resident group. Choose an area where connected care addresses a clear service risk or support need. 

  1. Map the current service. Document how residents request help, how alerts are handled and where delays or gaps occur. 

  1. Build a joint business case. Involve housing, independent living, adult social care, IT, procurement, data protection and resident engagement teams. 

  1. Choose the delivery model. Decide whether you need scheme-wide infrastructure, equipment in individual homes or a combination of both. 

  1. Plan engagement and installation together. Coordinate resident communications, surveys, access and technical work. 

  1. Set response procedures. Define monitoring, welfare checks, emergency escalation and follow-up. 

  1. Track costs and outcomes. Compare results with the baseline and separate achieved benefits from longer-term potential. 

  1. Review before scaling. Confirm that the service works operationally and that ongoing costs and ownership are sustainable. 

Further information

This case study draws on the Connected Homes deployment delivered through the Greater Manchester 5G Innovation Region programme, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s 5G Innovation Regions programme (5GIR). 

Partners included Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Stockport Homes, Tunstall and Chiptech. It was delivered with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

For more information, or to share a similar project with the Connected Homes Innovation Hub, use the contact page.