Walsall Council’s Community Alarm Service provides a telephone unit that is linked to a special pendant that can be worn around the customer’s neck or wrist. When the button is pressed the alarm connects — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — to a control centre. The operators can contact nominated responders (relatives, carers or friends) as required and if necessary a professional responder service or emergency services.

Over the past eight years (2010/11 to 2017/18), Walsall Council has, through widespread efficiencies, service changes and restructures, made savings of approximately £160 million. However, due to ongoing reductions in government funding and increasing costs, the council continues to face significant financial pressures and needs to save a further £43 million over the next three years to 2020/21.

An annual budgetary reduction of £567,000 for the Community Alarm Service has been identified resulting in an available budget for 2019/20 of less than £500,000.

The Community Alarm Service currently costs the council almost £1.3 million per year to deliver; this is without the additional investment required to upgrade equipment and technologies in order to deliver a modern service of suitable quality.

There are a number of high quality, reliable providers who offer services that are more up to date with equipment and advancing technology than the council can provide.

The majority of service users have no assessed eligible need and are not known to Adult Social Care.

Walsall Council is the only authority in the Black Country to provide the service free of charge. In recent years the council did introduce a charge for the service and found a number of customers either chose to no longer have the service or refused to contribute. This created an administrative burden and debts to the council are still outstanding.

There is no statutory requirement for the council to provide a Community Alarm Service.

Following a market exercise and a number of listening and engagement workshops with key stakeholders, five options are being put forward for public consultation:

Option 1: Do nothing with the existing service and Walsall Council finds the savings elsewhere.

Option 2: Walsall Council continues to deliver the Community Alarm Service for which it will introduce a charge.

Option 3: Walsall Council buys the Community Alarm Service from another provider and the service is delivered by an external provider at a cost to the customer.

Option 4: Walsall Council will cease to prove a Community Alarm Service directly but customers can buy this directly from another provider.

Option 5: Walsall Council will cease to provide the Community Alarm Service to customers without an assessed social care need and direct these customers to alternative providers. For customers with an assessed social care need, the council will buy the Community Alarm Service from another provider.

Walsall Council Adult Social Care will hold four face-to-face information sessions throughout the borough to answer any questions and gather your feedback about the consultation.

Face to face consultation workshops

Tuesday 21 August 2018
Venue: Forest Arts Centre, Hawbush Road, Leamore, Walsall, WS3 1AG
Time: 2.30pm–5.30pm

Wednesday 22 August 2018
Venue: Bentley All Ages Activity Centre, Wilkes Avenue, Bentley, Walsall, WS2 0JN
Time: 9.30am–12.30pm

Thursday 23 August 2018
Venue: Manor Farm Community Association, King George Crescent, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1EG
Time: 6.30pm–9.30pm

Friday 24 August 2018
Venue: The Crossing at St Paul’s, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1DA
Time: 12 noon–3.00pm

You can also call Walsall Council’s Adult Social Care Integrated Business Support team on 01922 652777 or email IBPSTeam@walsall.gov.uk

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