Your questions answered

Telecare is a type of technology that connects you to a support centre when you need help. This could be a personal alarm, a pendant or another sensor of some kind. Help is at hand 24 hours a day, every day of the year – including Christmas Day.

You can sound the alarm by pressing a button on a pendant or on a base unit. You may also have equipment that automatically raises the alarm if you are unable to do it yourself. The monitoring centre will know which piece of equipment has triggered the alarm, and organise the response for you. You’ll be given equipment to make sure you can talk to an operator, even if you’re far away from a phone.

All of our alarm calls are answered by a company called Astraline Limited. Astraline are based just outside of Manchester and are one of the UK’s leading providers in technology-enabled care services.

Our main suppliers for equipment are a company called Chiptech Limited. Chiptech Limited is a company specialising in the design and manufacture of quality digital telecare and personal safety products.

Depending on your Safe at Home package, you will normally have a Chiptech Seven or a Chiptech Eva digital base unit installed as standard. This unit will connect your alarm trigger to the call centre. You will also be given a pendant (with/or without automatic falls detection, depending on your requirements) which is digitally paired to the Seven or Eva base unit. You may also have peripheral equipment such as smoke alarms or carbon monoxide monitors installed depending on your needs and existing safety equipment. Our officers will discuss if any additional or peripheral equipment may be required when they first visit you following their assessment. A selection of the equipment we install can be viewed on the Products page of this website.

Telecare is for anyone who wants the freedom to live independently at home, with the reassurance that they could summon help if they need it. It is suitable for older people who are experiencing failing eyesight, poorer balance and slower reactions. It can also be a lifeline to younger people with learning or physical disabilities, chronic medical conditions or those recovering from illness. What unites everyone who uses telecare is a quick and easy way to be connected to the support you need, day and night.

Safe at Home and the monitoring centre we use are both member of the TEC Services Association (TSA), the industry body for Technology Enabled Care (TEC). TSA represents the largest industry specific network in Europe and brings together a growing membership of organisations across local government, health and the private sector. To find out more you can visit the TSA website.

We will ask for the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the people who will respond to your alarm calls and provide the help you need. We will also ask for your GP’s details, your next of kin and relevant medical information. All information is handled in line with GDPR our privacy policy.

We have a range of products available – some you can buy outright, and some you rent weekly for as long as you need, this includes rental of as much equipment as you require and for our support centre to answer all calls 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. Installation of these products are at an additional cost.

Depending on the equipment you choose to have installed, we estimate that connection will take around 60 minutes. We will show you how to use the system and answer any queries you may have. The appointment will also include a free home safety check of the property and advice or guidance will be provided.

No, you can cancel anytime you choose by calling us on 0800 731 2228 or emailing safeathome@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. Your paid-for service will end when we collect the equipment you have rented from us, or when we disconnect you from Safe at Home.

We re-use and recycle all of our equipment in line with Portsmouth City Council’s sustainability principle to promote a sustainable waste strategy focused on reducing waste and increasing re-use and recycling.

Whether you are at home, heading to the shops, walking through the park or going to visit friends, GO has your safety covered every step of the way. It’s designed to support people who want to live independently, people of any age with long-term conditions such as epilepsy, or anyone who needs a little extra reassurance that help is just a call away.

The GO is a wearable speech pendant with 4G/3G cellular and satellite locating technology, designed for safety and to summon help beyond the boundaries of the home. The service can be cancelled at any time, so it’s also ideal for people that need short term support, for example someone recuperating after an operation, or a lone worker who wants reassurance that they have a way to contact family, if needed.

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At a press of a button or detection of a fall, the GO will send an alert to the alarm receiving centre via a two-way speaker. Once activated, the GO will work in the background to obtain the user’s current location and display GPS date and alert family members or the emergency services of the need for support.

We will require the contact details of at least two people who live locally and can respond to your emergency calls both day and night. A keysafe is required for this subscription which we can supply and install for a small charge. We will also ask for your GP’s details, your next of kin and relevant medical information. All information is handled in line with GDPR our privacy policy.

The GO costs £6.80 per week which includes repairs and maintenance and for our support centre to answer all calls 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. There is a one off set up fee of £35.

We will carry out a full safety and security inspection of the property, particularly paying attention to the needs of any young children, elderly residents or anyone with reduced mobility and other care needs. We will make recommendations based on our assessment and install safety equipment. 

Yes, our in house Safe at Home team will provide a full home safety check and installation of all our equipment.

Anyone living in Portsmouth (PO1 – PO6) and Gosport can book a visit for their home. For Gosport referrals please contact the support officers at Gosport Borough Council.  

A full home-check safety and security inspection will take between one and two hours depending upon the size of the property and the amount of equipment that is required.

A basic home safety and security visit which includes advice and support looking at safety hazards and risk is £10. An enhanced home safety and security visit which includes installation of any of our home safety equipment is £20. Both payable upon appointment.

Please visit our Home safety visit – Safe at home (wearesafeathome.co.uk) page for further info around costs involved.

‘Disabled VAT relief’ refers to the government tax relief scheme that allows people with a disability or long-term medical condition to pay for an emergency alarm call system without paying VAT.

Source: HM Revenue & Customs

You could claim VAT relief on a Safe at Home plan if you’re chronically sick or disabled. You do not need to be registered disabled or eligible for any other benefit to qualify.

For VAT purposes, you’re chronically sick or disabled if you have:

• a physical or mental impairment that has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on your ability to carry out everyday activities
• a condition that the medical profession treats as a chronic sickness (that’s a long-term health condition)

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Alzheimer’s/dementia, angina, arthritis, blind/partially sighted, cancer, cardiovascular, deaf/hard of hearing, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, stroke, a terminal illness, and many more.

If you’re not sure if your condition means you’re chronically sick or disabled you should consult with your doctor.