What does a digital telecare project look like? How does Appello help you manage this? Our tried and tested process is designed to steer you through each stage as painlessly as possible – from our first conversations through to the installation and post-installation phases.
Of course, your exact digital journey will depend on a whole host of factors. But this guide is designed to provide a useful overview of a typical digital telecare project, so you have an idea what to expect when working with us.
In part one of the guide, we looked at how we build a picture of your organisation through our conversations with you, helping you find the right solution to match your needs. This includes finding out what you want to achieve, your timelines and your procurement process.
In this second part of the guide, we cover what happens once the contract has been agreed, with details on preparing for the installation and how we engage and support both your residents and your staff.
Your digital telecare project – installation and post-installation
1. What happens once the project has been agreed?
There are a few practicalities to deal with before we can move onto the installation phase. We carry out a site survey, looking at the logistics of decommissioning your old equipment and installing the new system. This covers both the building infrastructure and the equipment used on the site.
If the contract has been awarded through a tender, this has usually been based on the general pricing information for the products. The site survey therefore includes a detailed breakdown of equipment, so we can provide site-specific quotes.
We can also assist with other elements of the project you may need to manage at this stage, such as organising an asbestos survey where relevant or ordering broadband for the site.
2. How we work in partnership with you
We see our role as more than just a supplier. Our goal is to build strong relationships, working together to benefit your communities.
This includes looking at where we can create social value linked to areas relating to our products and ethos. We have previously supported people’s wellbeing and assisting with digital inclusion, either by donating technology, contributing to specific projects or providing training to residents of digital technology.
3. What happens during installation?
We work hard to ensure the installation process is as straightforward as possible, deal with any potential issues and get everybody excited about your new systems and what these will mean for them.
Good communication is key, so our installation team visits the property to talk through the process so your staff know exactly what will happen and when. We discuss how to minimise disruption on the site and ensure the team is available to answer any questions once the work is underway. We also provide contact to our digital support team.
4. Engaging your residents with your digital telecare project
Digital telecare offers many benefits for both your residents and staff. But it’s essential they understand how to use your new systems properly from the start. You want them to have a positive experience so you can ensure a smooth transition period and create champions for your services.
We help you do this by focusing on engagement, information and training for residents during the project period, including:
– Hosting resident coffee mornings before the installation
This gives people the chance to familiarise themselves with the equipment and ask questions. We find it’s important to show how the digital telecare equipment relates to the services they are used to. This reassures people it’s performing the same basic functions and is very easy to use from day one. Once they’re comfortable with this, they can begin to make more use of the other features. Elements such as video door entry are often very popular.
– Providing hands-on training during the installation
Our engineers talk people through the new equipment once it’s installed in their home, so they’re able to see how this works in practice.
– Providing straightforward, printable ‘how-to’ guides
Our online Knowledge Base has a wealth of resources, including information leaflets in plain English that you can print for residents. These act as a useful visual reminder for various elements of the system, such as how to make an alarm call, request assistance or use the I’m OK function. We also provide you with hardcopy user guides to handout to customer during the installation.
See our guide on how to engage your customers with digital telecare for more tips on involving residents throughout the project.
5. Training and support for staff
We recognise your staff have a crucial part to play in the success of your new systems. We make it as easy as possible for them to get to grips with this by offering:
– Practical training for staff during the installation
We provide a tick list of all the features staff and residents have been trained on, with a certificate to show they have completed the training successfully.
– Flexible refresher training courses
We offer online training sessions on different aspects of your digital telecare systems, such as adding new devices and how to make video calls. These get excellent feedback from participants and there’s a selection of dates and times available, so the refresher training can be booked around other commitments.
– Comprehensive online Knowledge Base
Our Knowledge Base covers everything you need to know about your new digital telecare systems, from getting started with the equipment to using AppelloHQ, our online management platform. There are how-to videos, FAQs and information sheets to refer to whenever you need.
We continue to support you once your new digital services are in place. Alongside our online Knowledge Base, you can log any queries with our support desk. We can also provide tips and advice on how to realise the benefits of your new digital telecare systems.
Take the first step in your digital journey
If you’re looking for a pain-free transition to digital telecare, we’d love to chat. We’ll audit your current system and provide our recommendations for cost-effective, future-proof digital telecare solutions that meet your needs. Contact us to talk about your requirements and find out how we can help you.
Appello is a market leader in digital telecare and Technology Enabled Care (TEC). We work with housing providers to deliver safer and happier communities, using technology to help empower and enrich people’s lives. We’ve been creating and delivering digital telecare for a long time now, so you can feel confident that we have all the essentials covered while also providing innovative and comprehensive solutions.
