Alertacall shortlisted with Wheatley Group for CIH Scotland Excellence Awards

The nomination in this category recognises the work undertaken by Wheatley to significantly improve services for their older tenants by introducing its new Livingwell service of which Housing Proactive, Alertacall’s innovative housing management system, forms an integral part.

The CIH Scotland Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the creativity, passion and innovation of housing organisations and individuals across the housing sector in Scotland.

The Livingwell service was launched in April 2018 by Glasgow Housing Association, Cube Housing Association, Loretto Housing Association and Loretto Care (all part of Wheatley group). Designed to replace the previous ‘sheltered and very sheltered’ services, the Livingwell model was set up to enable older tenants to live safe, well and independently in their own homes.

Central to the Livingwell service has been the introduction of Housing Proactive from Alertacall. Housing Proactive combines ingenious technology and a highly trained team specialised in communicating with vulnerable groups and older people.  All team members receive training in mental health, suicide awareness, and dementia awareness. The service was installed in over 1,000 Wheatley properties across Glasgow.

Tenants routinely engage with a range of devices specially developed by Alertacall, including telephones, mobile hubs and touchscreens (enabling better digital inclusion). Devices all have an OKEachDay button – technology also pioneered by Alertacall.

Wheatley tenants are encouraged to press the OKEachDay button to collect news and important information from Wheatley and confirm everything is ok in relation to their property or tenancy.

If tenants fail or forget to press by an agreed time of their choice, the Alertacall team call them to ensure that everything is OK with their property. The service gives tenants the option to speak to someone on a daily basis which in turn can help to reduce loneliness and promote independence.

The service operates 365 days a year, which is positively viewed by tenants who now have contact at the weekends and gives them greater flexibility.

Data around service interactions is recorded and made available in real-time via secure online reporting to Wheatley, including occupancy tracking reports. In a 12 month period, over 1,200 hours of staff time has been saved by Alertacall taking responsibility for morning calls alone and the service has enabled the Livingwell team to detect changing housing needs.

Martin Cutbill, Director at Alertacall, stated:

“It is fantastic to be nominated in the Excellence in Housing Innovation award by CIH Scotland alongside the Wheatley Group. The Livingwell team provide an invaluable service for their older tenants, and Housing Proactive has helped the team identify where to best allocate time and resource. The service has enhanced communications, giving tenants greater flexibility in how they can reach their housing provider.”

Margaret Crawley, Livingwell Lead at Wheatley, commented:

“We’re very excited to have been shortlisted alongside Alertacall for this award! The Housing Proactive service is integral to our Livingwell model. It’s easier for tenants to report repairs and daily contact helps identify issues earlier. The messaging functionality is excellent and has improved tenant communication. Tenants have more flexibility in how they engage with us, and by reducing workload, staff are able to focus on other important tasks.” 

The awards will be announced on Friday 25 October at a ceremony in the Radisson Blu in Glasgow.

For more information on Housing Proactive and how it enhances tenant service while delivering efficiencies, contact Ben Lambert, Head of Client Relations, on 0808 208 1234 or by email to contact@alertacall.com