Purpose

Seeking permission to enter Procurement for a
digital alarm solution in the wake of National switchover from
analogue to digital phonelines

Content

RESOLVED
 
KEY DECISION
 
That the Executive:
 

a)   
Noted the risks associated with not completing the
necessary work required to facilitate switchover from analogue to
digital infrastructure in line with the Openreach planned
deadline.
 

b)   
Approved the preferred option, Option 2 - Procure a
new fully digital system, replacing all peripheral, analogue
sensors with digital equivalents with an in-house monitoring centre
staffed by council staff.
 

c)   
Approved the funding proposal as set out in this
report (£1.8 million), noting the elements that will be used
from Capital Housing Revenue Association (HRA) budget, and that
which will be used from the Revenue budget.
 

d)   
Noted that the service will be consulting on the
current and future Housing Service charge with tenants with the
intention to ensure all costs to deliver the Sheltered Alarm
Service are covered. Any decisions on changes to fees and charges
will be agreed in Consultation with the Executive Member for
Housing and Communities in line with delegations set out in the
Council’s constitution.
 

e)   
Delegate authority to the Executive Director of
Adults, Health Partnerships and housing, in consultation with the
Executive Member for Housing and Communities, to conclude the
procurement in line with the Council’s contract procedure
rules.
 
 
Reasons for Recommendations
–
 

·    
Seeking a digital solution will address the problem
the service is currently facing with ageing technology
infrastructure.

·    
It will ensure people remain safe, with working
alarms that allow them to maintain their independence. Not doing so
will guarantee alarms will stop working when digital switchover
occurs.

·    
Digital solutions, as opposed to analogue hardwired
solutions, reduce the number of failure points that arise from
wiring, offering more affordable and manageable solutions if
anything should go wrong

·    
The procurement route via framework will be in line
with the Council’s contract procedure rules.

·    
Use of Cloud based technology, for the alarm
monitoring, is a recommendation by IT, taking
into account the limited resource to support with physical
hardware.

·    
The recommendation to update the Housing Service
Charge will ensure the service remains affordable in the
long-term.

·    
Existing contracts for Alarm monitoring, and wider
Housing out of hours call monitoring, have expired and require
renewal in line with the Council’s contract procedure
rules.

·    
An in-house solution will yield cost efficiencies in
the region of £22,000 due to consolidation of
provision.
 
 

Alternative Options Considered
–

Option 1: Do nothing – allow the
analogue system to be switched off without an alternative put in
place (not recommended)
Option 2: Procure a new fully digital
system, replacing all peripheral, analogue sensors with digital
equivalents with an in-house monitoring centre staffed by council
staff. (recommended option)
Option 3: Procure a new fully digital
system, replacing all peripheral, analogue sensors with digital
equivalents with an external monitoring centre. (not
recommended)
Option 4: Procure a new fully digital
system, replacing all peripheral, analogue sensors with digital
equivalents with the procurement process exploring both in-house
and external monitoring systems to inform the final contract award.
(not recommended)
Option 5: Procure an analogue terminal
adapter-based system that enables analogue equipment to be used as
part of a digital system (not recommended)