Safe and Sound

What is Safe and Sound?

Safe and Sound is part of Bradford Council, Health and Wellbeing services, it is a person centred service supporting you stay safe and independent in your own home. It provides peace of mind for you and those who care about you. It offers help 24 hours a day 365 days a year, giving you independence and freedom in your own home, whilst safe in the knowledge that if there is an accident or if you have a fall, help is available.

The service can contact friends, family in an emergency or send a response team if anything should happen at home to help and assist taking appropriate action and advise what needs to be done.

Who is Safe and Sound for?

The service is available to anyone of any age who is assessed as needing help to feel safer, more protected and independent in their own home.

This includes people:

• with health problems
• who have falls
• who are struggling with frailty or illness
• who have dementia
• who live alone
• who have just come out of hospital
• who care for someone else

You can also be assessed for equipment such as smoke alarms, falls detectors, heat sensors which can be linked to the alarm unit, including stand-alone medication dispensers and epilepsy sensors.

How do I access the service?

If you live in Bradford area and pay Council Tax to Bradford Council, you can request an assessment yourself, family or a friend, your GP, District Nurse, social worker or Occupational Therapist can make a referral on your behalf.

What do you need to have the service?

• A 240v power point within 2 metres (6 feet) of your main socket

What it costs

There is a Contribution charge for the Safe and Sound Service of £3.30 per week, plus vat (£3.30 + 66p), unless you are vat exempt. The cost may change in the future.

The user of the Safe and Sound Service may be eligible to claim relief from value added tax under Group 14 of Schedule 5 of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act 1983. The Assessor at the time of installation will provide the appropriate form to be completed.

How it works

Safe and Sound uses of a variety of technology and support systems to help people of all ages to live safe and independently at home, with a 24-hour, 365-day support service. The basic equipment is a control box and pendant, the equipment is connected to your telephone line with a pendant for the person to wear around their neck or on the wrist.

To activate the alarm, you simply press the button on your pendant or wrist band. The operator will be contacted through the alarm base unit, they will know who you are, where you are and be ready to help and support. You will be able to talk to the operator and tell them what has happened and what help you need. They will then contact family, friends, responders or emergency services to get you the help and support you require.

What happens when I request the service?

Your details will be sent to the assessment team, who will make contact with you to make an appointment to visit you in your home for an assessment of what equipment is required to support your needs.

You can ask a friend or family member to be with you during this meeting. The Assessor will complete some questions and look around your property to give you any additional equipment that they recommend.

Once the assessment is complete, if you have the phone line and socket in place the Assessor will install the equipment, Once the connection has been made, the Assessor will test the equipment and demonstrate how to use it.

Any additional equipment such as flood detectors, falls sensors, smoke detectors, may require a second visit, but the Customer Support will contact you to arrange.

What is included in the Safe and Sound Contribution charge of £3.96?

The contribution will include the loan of the equipment needed to support you with independent living, this will be the unit and pendant. You can connect to an operator in the 24 hours response centre through this unit, the operator will automatically know who and where you are, and whether to inform family, friends, the response or emergency services

I already receive adult social care services, will I still have to pay the contribution?

Yes, the cost of Safe and Sound service is not part of the financial assessments that are completed if you receive other care and support services like homecare, this would be an additional contribution.

When will I receive my invoice?

As a new Safe and Sound service user you have six weeks free, your contribution will then be £3.96 per week (£3.30 + 66p VAT).

Within 8 weeks you will receive an invoice that will take you up to the end of the financial year, you will then receive an annual invoice every April.

Do I have to pay the full amount of the invoice in one payment?

No, but if you would prefer to, the methods of payment are on the reverse of the invoice.

If you want to pay by instalments, you will need to contact the Accounts Receivable Team to confirm how and when your payments will be made, on telephone 01274 437724.

For more information

You can:

• call the Independence Advice Hub on 01274 435400
• contact the Independence Advice Hub using the online form
• telephone us on 01274 435249 (during office hours)
• telephone us on 01274 434994 (out of office hours)
• email us at safe&sound@bradford.gov.uk

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