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Our dedicated team of operators are at the heart of our award-winning Careline. They provide vital support to thousands of people across the UK, whether responding to emergency telecare alarm calls, offering proactive wellbeing checks or assisting with everyday issues. But what does their day-to-day role look like?
In this second blog post in our Careline Conversations series, we take a peek behind the scenes with three of our experienced operators as they discuss the challenges and rewards of being a telecare operator.
- Joanna Bennet, Customer Services Inbound Operator
- Sarah Frowley, Emergency Helpline Operator
- Wendy Thorpe, Emergency Helpline Operator
In our previous blog post, you talked about the variety and volume of telecare calls you deal with. What challenges does this bring?
Joanna Bennet: “As a door operator, we have to be very strict about following the access rules. But it can be difficult in some situations. You might get a resident's next of kin saying, ‘Mum's in hospital and I've come to get her stuff’ but we can't necessarily just let them in because of all the other residents in the building. Or a carer might not have set up their access code with the house manager. We don't want to be awkward but we really have to follow procedure.”
Sarah Frowley: “Another challenge is when the person is struggling to hear you depending on where they are in the property or if they’re hard of hearing. In an emergency, they can be quite frantic. But you need to source that information to make sure you get them the right level of help, so it's important to stay calm.”
JB: “For some calls, we'll contact the next of kin before we call an ambulance. But there can be lots of reasons why the next of kin can't go round, so we need to send an ambulance. Sometimes people don't want us to do that, thinking it's a waste of their time, but we have no choice. Even if they have a camera set up and they say, ‘I can see they're asleep in the chair’, we need somebody to attend. That can be frustrating for them but we can't take the risk. At the end of the day, we all have to work together as we should all want the best for the person using the service. That's what we're here to do.”
Wendy Thorpe: “Often the residents will say they don't want an ambulance because they're worried they will have to go to hospital. I tend to say we'll call the paramedics as they're happier with that and I always explain that they don't have to go to the hospital.”
SF: “I think you can get some people who are quite proud and don't want to ask for help, they don't want to be a burden. So, it's about reassuring them this is my job. I'm sat here in front of this screen waiting for the calls. I think sometimes they think you're doing something else and they’ll be disturbing us if they press the alarm button. But we're there whether you make the call or not – we’re literally waiting for that next call.”
JB: “We can also get some difficult calls where the person is feeling depressed or even suicidal. If this happens, I usually stay on the phone talking and will contact another emergency operator via Teams with all the information so they can call for an ambulance while I'm still on the line with the person. In situations like that, we all work together as a team.”
What do you find most rewarding about being a Careline operator?
JB: “Even with the challenges, it's all good really because you're helping people always. I've had lovely calls and emails when people have said thank you for listening to me, thank you for being so kind, you've made a difference. I also really like training people. It's so rewarding to see somebody that starts with not much confidence and then going on that journey with them as they progress.”
SF: “I can find myself at the end of the call thinking they were so lovely to speak with. I didn't know anything about monitoring services before I started working for Appello. But it's so valuable. The support we provide is massive.”
WT: “Just doing the work lightens my mood, always. Every time, it never fails. I love what I do and working at Appello. I just really enjoy the job, I always have.”
Take a look at the other blog posts in our Careline Conversations series to learn more about being a telecare operator:
If you’re looking for a career that’s both meaningful and rewarding, find out about our current opportunities on our Careers website.
Careline offers 24/7 monitoring and emergency assistance for older people and vulnerable individuals living in supported housing or their own homes. As the UK's largest Careline provider, we enable people across the UK to live safely and independently, working with housing providers and local authorities.
Find out more about our award-winning Careline monitoring services.
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