28 November 2006

After months of hard work, New Progress Housing Association in Leyland has achieved compliance with a rigorous Industry code for the delivery of its remote monitoring services.

The organisation has achieved the TSA Code of Practice for Social Alarms Services for its Lifeline, Worksafe and Telecare services, which provide support and remote monitoring services to help maintain the independence of many people across the county. The organisation's Worksafe service helps protect lone workers who are employed in vulnerable or isolated situations.

News of the accreditation arrived just as the Housing Association launched the Borough's first Smart Home. The Smart Home is equipped with Telecare equipment that enables staff to monitor potential hazards such as leaking gas or extreme temperatures, or to ensure the welfare of residents, through the use of unobtrusive technology.

The Smart Home has been launched as an additional service to the organisation's Lifeline service, which provides assistance 24 hours a day through the use of a pendant alarm system that alerts staff at the organisation's dedicated response centre.

Staff across the organisation are delighted to have achieved Telecare Services Association's Code of Practice Strategic Framework. The code encourages the provision of good quality customer service by officially recognising those service providers who meet its demanding criteria. To become code compliant, organisations need to have detailed procedures covering all aspects of their operations, and demonstrate that service delivery is in accordance with these procedures. Independent audits carried out by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board on behalf of TSA lead to appropriate service providers being awarded 'code compliance', a process which is repeated on an annual basis.

Loraine Simpson, Head of Customer Services said: 'The audit was fairly lengthy and rigorous and teamwork was the key to our success. It was a most worthwhile project, which has benefited not only the staff, but more importantly, our customers.

'Less than a quarter of providers have achieved this standard and this recognition by TSA confirms the quality of the service and the important role we play in supporting people in their homes.'

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