Safe and Sound frequently asked questions

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 to 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.

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

How does Safe and Sound work?

Safe and Sound uses 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 at this moment to your telephone line or through a broadband connection with a pendant for the person to wear around their neck or on the wrist. As we move to a digital alarm receiving centre, all equipment will be connected through a broadband connection.

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 organise help and support. You will be able to talk to the operator and tell them what has happened and what help you need. It may be the case that the operator is unable to hear you, or you are unable to talk to them. In both circumstances, the operator will then contact family, friends, responders or emergency services to get you the help and support you require.

Who is Safe and Sound for?

The service is available to adults aged over 18 years who are 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

How do I access the service?

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

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 this.

What does it currently cost?

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 (VAT) 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.

What is included in the Safe and Sound contribution charges of £3.96?

The current and new proposed contribution include the loan of the equipment needed to support you with independent living, this will be the unit and pendant and any assessed sensors. 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.

What changes are we proposing?

We are proposing to move to a charging system where people pay a cost which relates to the level of service they receive. This will consist of 4 different levels of service provision starting with a basic package where family/friends are the responders; a basic package where the council service are the responders; a home safety package (flood and CO2 sensors etc); and a falls package.

Package Name	1 Basic Package – Standalone	2 Basic Package - Monitored	3 Home Safety Package	4 Falls Package
COST with Family Response Only	£2.31	£4.62	£6.00	£6.46
Monthly Cost	£10.00	£20.00	£26.00	£28.00
COST with a Mobile Response Team	N/A	£8.62	£10.00	£10.46
Monthly Cost	N/A	£37.35	£43.33	£45.33

We are also proposing that the 6-week free service provision currently in place is removed and an installation charge of £25 is implemented, this will cover all of the equipment installed, even if it is installed as part of a second visit. All of the proposed changes would take effect from 1 April 2025. This will help the Council to continue to provide a high quality Safe and Sound Service and to ensure it can offer individual technology solutions to each user. The levels of charges are in line with other Councils in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

What do service users tell us about their experience?

We undertake regular surveys with current service users who have provided positive feedback on their current experience. Key messages include:

• 2% were either extremely or very satisfied with the equipment they received.
• 2% said that the TEC helped them have as much control over their daily life as they wanted.
• 2% said that the TEC helped them have as much control over their daily life as they wanted.
• 2% said that the TEC helped them have as much control over their daily life as they wanted.

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

Yes, the cost of Safe and Sound is not included in your means-tested contribution for any social care packages, such as homecare. However, it will be taken into account as a Disability Related Expenditure which may reduce your contribution towards your care.

When will I receive my invoice?

Under the current charging arrangements, a new Safe and Sound service user would receive six weeks free service. Your contribution at this moment will be £3.96 per week (£3.30 + 66p VAT), however this will change from the 1st April 2025, as outlined in point 8. It needs to be noted that under the new proposal we are proposing to remove the six weeks free service.

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.

If you choose to cancel your service and have paid your invoice in full, we will reimburse you for the remaining months within 21 working days.

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

No, you have the option to pay your fees monthly by direct debit.

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.

What should I do if I want or need to stop my service?

We hope that you do not cancel the service and urge you to think carefully about the benefits to you. At the current time, the £3.30 contribution is a standard charge, regardless of the equipment you have.

If you do decide to cancel, please contact 01274 432774 and tell us that you no longer wish to continue with the service. A few days later you will be contacted by a Safe and Sound technician who will make arrangements to collect the equipment. Please remember that the equipment is on loan to you and failure to return equipment may result in a contribution for the cost to replace any missing equipment

Can I access this information in an accessible information format?

Yes, these are available on the Safe and Sound web page.