Abbeyfield Living Society Case Study

Take a look at our latest case study with Abbeyfield Living Society who create communities that keep people connected in later life, providing sheltered housing, care homes, and independent living options for older people in England. It helps residents retain independence and choice within safe, warm, and stimulating homes where they can feel connected to others and live life to the full.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, Abbeyfield was founded by WWII veteran Richard Carr-Gomm. Concerned by the isolation he witnessed as Britain’s first male home help after leaving the military, he used his army gratuity to open the first Abbeyfield House in 1956, creating a welcoming home filled with warmth, companionship, and belonging.

Today, Abbeyfield offers a wide range of services, including Independent Living, Extra Care, Sheltered Housing, Residential, Dementia, and Nursing care at over 60 homes across England. Abbeyfield Living Society is a member of Abbeyfield England, the national body for over 220 homes across England and Wales.

Community is at the centre of everything Abbeyfield does, with regular activities like coffee mornings, days out, and visits from local schools and community groups creating wonderful opportunities for shared joy and togetherness.

The Challenge

Abbeyfield Living Society recognised that its existing warden call systems across 44 sheltered housing schemes needed to be fit for the future. With the UK’s digital switchover approaching, the society planned the replacement of its analogue infrastructure with  a modern, reliable solution to ensure continuity of service and long-term resilience. However, this was not simply a technology upgrade; it was an opportunity to rethink how they supported residents on a day-to-day basis. Abbeyfield saw an opportunity to transform how they connect with residents – moving from a reactive model to a proactive, two-way communication and engagement service. The goal was not only to keep residents safe, but to ensure they feel informed, involved and part of a thriving community every day.

At the same time, Abbeyfield wanted to enhance its overall housing management service. Traditional warden call systems are largely reactive, only coming into play when something goes wrong. Abbeyfield looked for a more proactive approach, one that would enable regular, meaningful contact with residents, help identify issues earlier, and further strengthen the sense of human connection within each home.

Balancing safety with independence was also a key priority. Residents value their privacy and autonomy, and Abbeyfield wanted to ensure that any new system would support this, rather than feel intrusive or institutional. The challenge was to provide reassurance that everything was OK at each property, without increasing unnecessary disruption or placing additional demands on staff time.

The Solution

More than telecare: a daily communication and engagement hub.

Abbeyfield chose to install Alertacall’s Housing Proactive® service, combined with Beyond Warden Call®, including digital telecare alarms and pendants, in an initial cohort of 25 schemes, comprising over 240 individual units. A further nearly 170 units were installed, this time with the addition of door entry systems, which allows the residents to be able to see the visitor calling them via the video link to the touchscreen in their property, giving them complete control of who they allow to access the scheme. There are also nearly 400 further units currently in the installation process, with an additional smoke and heat detection system linked to the dispersed alarm units, which are then connected to the alarm receiving centre.

Housing Proactive® is delivered via a portable digital touchscreen & allows residents to:

•Receive instant updates on services, resident events and safety information.
•Respond to surveys and provide feedback easily, including the ability to collect Tenant Satisfaction Measures.
•Report repairs and issues directly, reducing barriers to communication.
•Report anti-social behaviour from the safety of their own homes.
•Access to OKEachDay® for Housing with regular housing-related contact through Remote Housing Officers.

The Beyond Warden Call® solution includes:

Door entry panel system

• Highly secure ‘IP’ video door entry
• Fob reader, pin and concierge options
• Remote management via cloud
• Audit logs and photos, compliant with GDPR
• Battery backup option for power cuts
• Video of the caller, including a preview sent to the portable touchscreen

Digital telecare

• Easy and low-cost to install
• Can be wall-mounted or free-standing
• Complies with relevant ‘telecare standards’
• Dual independent multi-network 4G signalling paths
• Large range, backup battery and many peripherals
• ‘Heartbeat’ to an online platform
• GPS and outdoor options
• Option to use the provider’s own monitoring centre or Alertacall’s partner

Smoke and heat detection
Alertacall fit a ‘radio relay’ inside or next to a detector, which sends an alarm signal to the digital telecare unit, which links to the scheme Fire Panel and calls the associated alarm receiving centre when smoke and heat are detected.

Multiple benefits for residents

Since it was installed, over 75% of residents who have the OKEachDay® for Housing service have been engaging with it on a daily basis.

The touchscreen is playing an important role in engagement with residents and community activities, with Abbeyfield using it to deliver information about meetings, resident voice, coffee mornings and other housing-related events. They also have a regular quiz. This helps residents feel connected and informed with what’s happening in their scheme and the community, even if they are unable to attend events in person.

“The biggest impact from my perspective has been on communication and resident engagement, giving people a simple way to stay informed, share their views, and feel more connected day-to-day” commented Justin O’Brien – Resident Engagement Manager, Abbeyfield Living Society

Staff also use the touchscreen to communicate important information relating to issues, such as extreme weather, fire safety and communal area updates, and to invite feedback. They are able to access the Alertacall Portal for a full overview of how residents are engaging with the touchscreen, which can help identify any additional or changing needs they may have.

“Many residents have also told me how much they enjoy the communication features. They regularly use the video calling and messaging functions to keep in touch with friends within the house, let each other know they are going to the dining room, or simply have a friendly chat. It has helped residents feel more connected and has strengthened the sense of community within the service” commented Dhanif Paramban – Sheltered Housing Manager (Warkworth)

Multiple benefits for staff

Like other Alertacall clients, Abbeyfield staff have access to an online portal that enables them to view a dashboard giving them insights in to the activity between residents and Alertacall, the activity between staff and resident via messaging, and the number of residents engaging in OKEachDay® for Housing.

This means that they have oversight of the service their residents are receiving from Alertacall, providing them with information to help identify and track changing needs so that they can better serve their residents, whilst enabling them to maintain their independence.

Paul Tennant – CEO, Abbeyfield Living Society commented “What makes Alertacall such a great fit for Abbeyfield Living Society is how they blend smart technology with real human contact. It complements our focus on creating safe, happy, and comfortable communities. As we grow our partnership, I believe we will see greater rewards for both our teams and, most importantly, our customers.”

Click here to read the full case study, including more quotes from Abbeyfield Living Society.

To find out more about deploying Housing Proactive® and Beyond Warden Call® in your organisation, book a demo or contact us here