Local authorities offered support on telecare

Local authorities are being offered support to ensure they meet their targets for spending on telecare projects.

The Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), part of the Department of Health’s care services directorate, says the national target linked to the two year £80 million Preventative Technology Grant (PT) from central government was for 60,000 additional telecare users in 2006/7.

In its latest newsletter to local authorities CSIP says that while some authorities have made good progress this does not apply to all.

The newsletter states: “We are aware of some high profile organisations with substantial PT Grant allocations who have started late, have stalled with their programme or have not made sufficient investment to take their services through to mainstreaming by April 2008.”

CSIP is encouraging those organisations that do not expect to meet their own targets to contact it for further support which can include establishing links to other organisations in their area, providing networking support, providing tele-mentoring support for commissioners, telecare project managers and coordinators,

trouble-shooting and problem solving and help with advanced telecare and telehealth programmes.

CSIP says that in late July it will assess the returns from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and publish tables that will identify the first year successes and failures in terms of numbers of additional users as originally set out by each local authority.

Local authorities that are also looking for partnerships with third sector organisations or who want to exchange ideas with other local authorities to reach their targets are invited to email telecare@csip.org.uk.

The PT grant is for £80million over two years from April 2006 with £30million allocated in the first year and £50million in 2007/8 and an overall target of helping an additional 160,000 older people to remain independent at home by the end of March 2008.

Related documents

Circular on the Preventative Technology Grant