Southampton City Council is delighted to announce that Southampton City Telecare Services has successfully retained its accreditation against the Telecare Services Association (TSA) Quality Standards Framework following an independent annual audit for the 18^th consecutive year.

The accreditation recognises the team’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, person-centred technology enabled care services that help residents live independently and confidently in their own homes.

The independent audit assessed the service across a wide range of areas, including customer experience, safety, information governance, workforce development, business continuity, continuous improvement, monitoring services, response services, and installation and maintenance of telecare equipment. The auditor recommended that Southampton City Telecare Services continues to be certified against the Quality Standards Framework.

Southampton City Telecare Services, part of Southampton City Council’s Wellbeing and Housing directorate, provides a 24-hour monitoring and response service and currently supports approximately 8,000 residents across the city. The service has been helping residents maintain their independence for more than 30 years and was voted Southampton Team of the Year in 2025.

Over the past year, the service answered around 265,000 alarm calls and consistently achieved the Quality Standards Framework target of answering 99% of alarm calls within 180 seconds. The audit also found that the service assisted more than 100 people who had experienced a fall, with response officers arriving on average in under 25 minutes.

The audit also highlighted a number of developments over the last year, including continued progress towards the national analogue-to-digital telephone switchover, increased collaboration with Adult Social Care, investment in preventative technology enabled care solutions, and changes to staffing arrangements designed to improve operational efficiency and strengthen overnight support.

Councillor Sally Goodfellow, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Being able to live independently makes a huge difference to people’s quality of life. Southampton City Telecare Services provides reassurance, support and practical help to residents and their families every day of the year. This accreditation shows we are there for our residents when they need us most, helping them stay safe, connected and confident in their own homes.”

Maria Byrne, Head of Supported Housing and Community Support, said: “We are incredibly proud to have retained our accreditation following this year’s audit. The report highlights the hard work, expertise and commitment of our staff, who provide an essential service to thousands of residents across Southampton. We continue to invest in new technology and service improvements to help more people remain safe, independent and connected within their communities.”

For more information: City residents interested in City Telecare Services, including the dedicated responding service, should visit the Careline pages Careline – local help at the push of a button (southampton.gov.uk) or call 03332 079937.

* TSA is governed by TEC Quality, the nationally recognised representative body for technology enabled care. TEC Quality has been set up to develop and run the Quality Standards Framework, a team of independent auditors, review and certify organisations against these standards.