Tunstall has been at the forefront of technology innovation for the health, housing and social care markets for 65 years, growing to become a UK manufacturer with a global presence. Its pioneering software, hardware and services enable providers to deliver integrated, efficient and person-centred care in the community, and empower people to live more independently and with an improved quality of life.
Tunstall works with social care providers, healthcare services, housing and retirement living providers and charities in 19 countries, improving the lives of more than five million people, including those living with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and long-term health conditions.
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Tunstall Healthcare and Beyond Housing The importance of co-production in planning for a more digital future
Tunstall Healthcare’s work with Beyond Housing is helping to place telecare enabled services at the forefront of service provision, revolutionise housing, and ensure vulnerable people are prepared for future challenges.
The challenge
Created as the result of a merger in 2018, Beyond Housing is working collaboratively with the people it supports across Redcar and Cleveland and North Yorkshire and Tunstall Healthcare to develop a single Technology Enabled Care Service (TECS) that meets the needs of its customers now and into the future.
Post pandemic, there is increased recognition and acceptance of the role technology plays in keeping people connected, safe and independent, helping to improve quality of life. Coupled with the UK’s transition to a digital communications network, there is a once in an era opportunity to transform our services using technology.
“The pandemic has fundamentally changed our relationship with technology, and also demonstrated how quickly we are able to make significant changes to the way we work if the need and will is there. As we prepare for a more digital future, this altered mindset will help us work more closely with our customers to make the most of the technology opportunity.”
Steve Rawson, Chief Operations Officer, Beyond Housing.
What we did
Established in 2018 following the merger of Yorkshire Coast Homes and Coast & Country Housing, Beyond Housing is a not-for-profit Registered Provider managing 15,000 homes and supporting more than 30,000 customers. As a consequence, it was operating three different TECS services, which needed to be brought together into a single entity to ensure efficiency and resilience, and create a single point of contact for customers.
In planning the new service, Beyond Housing undertook extensive consultation with colleagues and many of the services’ existing customers to help plan a five year strategy for investment and service development.
This involved:
- Creating a business plan for the creation of a single brand
- Developing the plan to justify the investment in our digital transition
- Obtaining Board approval for the business plan and securing the investment
- Creating a single brand
- Creating a single set of terms and conditions
- Co-producing the new brand with our colleagues and customers
- Launching the new brand
Results
The new service, named Reach & Respond, was established in December 2021 in partnership with Tunstall Healthcare, and now supports almost 9,000 people.
It has been designed based upon the feedback from customers about what is important to them. Their views were clear; they wanted unobtrusive, reliable technology and to feel safe in the knowledge that the operators and responders could be trusted to give them help and support when they needed it.
With 93% of Beyond Housing customers having internet access in their home, there are clear opportunities to enhance services such as Reach & Respond, making them more personalised and preventative. A digital transition plan is currently being developed to ensure Reach & Respond is ready to upgrade its existing analogue technology well before the proposed digital completion date of the end of 2025.
“Reach & Respond is integral to Beyond Housing’s strategy for the future, and the decisions we make now will have a significant impact on how we deliver future technology gains and customise what we do to meet individuals’ needs, enabling them to maintain their tenancies with us for longer.”
Steve Rawson, Chief Operations Officer, Beyond Housing.
Tunstall Healthcare are proud to sponsor Housing LIN. Visit their exclusively sponsored ‘Going Digital’ webpages at: www.housinglin.org.uk/going-digital/
For more information on the partnership between Tunstall and Beyond Housing, please visit www.tunstall.co.uk/beyond-case-study (opens new window)
You can also view a presentation on the partnership between Tunstall and Beyond Housing from last year’s Housing LIN’s Summit, A Festival of Ideas, at: www.housinglin.org.uk/HLINSummit2021/agenda/getting-switched-on-to-technology/