The implementation of Technology Enabled Care within 3 local authorities across the West Midlands to support adults that require 24/7 care support due to mental health conditions
What is the problem to be solved?
As part of this programme, WM5G were responsible for commissioning and delivering a 1-year Technology Enabled Care (TEC) scalable proof of concept in adult social care and being delivered in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC), Birmingham City Council (BCC) and Coventry City Council (CCC). This follows a successful regional bid for funding to explore and gather evidence of benefits of impact for TEC recipients, the local health and care system and the wider region of deploying digital care technology combined with 5G standard connectivity to improve the independence and outcomes for older adults.
In the UK, an estimated 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year, with over 8 million people living with diagnosed mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Mental health is now one of the leading causes of disability in the country, contributing significantly to the wider disabled population of 16.8 million. As the demand for person-centred care continues to grow, Technology Enabled Care (TEC) is playing a crucial role in helping individuals manage their conditions, maintain independence, and improve overall wellbeing, while also offering reassurance to families and carers.
Living with a mental health condition can deeply impact daily life. Challenges may include managing medication, attending appointments, maintaining routines, or dealing with social isolation and sudden changes in mood or cognition. For example, someone living with bipolar disorder may struggle with periods of extreme lows that make self-care and communication difficult, or highs that lead to impulsive decisions and disrupted routines.
This case study explores the ongoing challenge of offering supportive care while preserving personal autonomy for someone with complex mental health needs. The approach focused on identifying and implementing supportive technologies such as Video Carephone for daily check ins, Ring Doorbells for increased control, or digital medication reminders that assist in managing symptoms without feeling invasive or clinical. By empowering the individual to engage with their own care in a way that feels safe and respectful, the solution promoted independence, improved daily functioning, and maintained their dignity, while reducing the risk of crisis and easing the burden on informal carers.
A further consideration was privacy. The solution had to allow family members to remain informed of the citizen’s condition and well-being without breaching their personal boundaries. To address this, technology was selected that provided non-invasive remote monitoring, offering reassurance to loved ones while respecting the individual’s right to privacy.
However, there were barriers to adoption. One was the limited availability of tailored technology that could be deployed quickly, cost effectively, and matched to the specific needs of the citizen. Another was the citizen’s own resistance to change and unfamiliar systems. To mitigate this, technology with a simple, intuitive interface was chosen, in order to demonstrate its benefits and ease of use. Clear communication and training helped ensure that the technology was accepted and used effectively by both the citizen and their family.
Local authorities are beginning to shift their mindset by embracing technology as a key solution across their organisations. This change allows for more efficient service delivery, better data management, and improved accessibility for citizens. From using digital platforms for social care to implementing smart mobility solutions, councils are recognising the value of technology in addressing long-standing challenges and improving outcomes for communities.
West Midlands 5G : Accelerating the benefits of 5G
Homepage | City Of Wolverhampton Council
Birmingham City Council Homepage
What is the solution to the problem?
Between September 2024 to June 2025, WM5G Ltd delivered a Technology Enabled Care (TEC) pilot programme, partnering with 3 West Midland Local Authorities and sector suppliers, to support 650 citizens that were in receipt of adult social care (ASC). The initiative aimed to enhance care outcomes and demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of TEC at local and programme level. Social workers in ASC teams identified citizens who might benefit from TEC and referred them for personalised technology solutions. These were selected, installed and a data portal provided through a fully managed care technology service provided by Alcove LTD
A typical solution deployed was a video-enabled mobility support device, allowing individuals to stay connected with family through simple video calls and carers to do daily check ins without needing to be physically present in the citizens home. This helped families check in regularly, offer emotional support, and monitor wellbeing, all while reducing feelings of isolation and promoting independence for the user. The video-enabled mobility support device was also used for reminders, ensuring the citizen was taking any medication required. This device can also be connected to a Ring Doorbell, allowing the citizen to answer the door remotely, allowing them to have more control on who is visiting their home.
These devices connected wirelessly through the citizen’s home Wi-Fi or via a mobile network 4G/5G SIM card, allowing the supplier, family members and carers to track key information in real time via text messages or alerts, identifying any concerns, and ensure timely responses when needed.
Once a Social Worker makes a referral and the Digital Navigator selects the appropriate technology, an installation is arranged with the citizen. The role of the Digital Navigator is to select the equipment that will give the best benefit to the citizen based off their situation. For standard referrals, installation occurs within 5 working days: for urgent cases, within 48 hours. After setup, the installer tests the devices, provides a demonstration, and hands over user guides to the citizen and their family.
Figure 1 - Alcove Video Carephone
Figure 2 - Ring Doorbell
Commercial model (Business Case)
Cost and benefit modelling has been carried out at a programme wide level considering multiple case studies for different conditions and different devices. Hence below is not specific to mobility issues but is relevant to the whole TEC programme. Technology enabled care becomes viable when multiple stacked use cases are being delivered across a wide population of citizens.
The market for Technology Enabled Care is still ever evolving. Service offerings from suppliers differ greatly in their scope, complexity and price. It was key for this project to procure a fully managed service across 3 Local Authorities to test and prove whether TEC could be rolled out and delivered at scale. Through a competitive procurement process, we selected the most complete managed service solution available at that time.
Over a period of 12 months, TEC costs on average around £2,000 per person, but includes all installation, devices, platform, SIM, Licences, maintenance, monitoring, response and virtual care calls.
Utilising an independent evaluation partner, the project was able to establish three areas of potential savings. The evaluation was carried between Rethink Partners LTD and the Local Authorities to ensure consistent and reliable evidence was utilised, whilst modelling the benefits, lower end expectations were used when calculating the ROI.
These were primarily driven through:
Delay: The need for home care where there is an increase in service for new or existing support plan by deploying TEC; amounting for 83% of savings
Prevention: No care plan or social care needs; amounting for 14% of savings
Reduction: Reduce the level of home care package that they have received by blending TEC; amounting for 3% of savings
Across the programme, care technology has delivered a range of significant benefits including a return on investment of £1.7 – £1.8 for every £1 spent, highlighting the strong economic value and efficiency of the initiative.
Overall, the evaluation supports a strong case for broader TEC adoption across adult social care, with the potential to deliver improved outcomes, enhanced efficiency, and cost savings at scale.
Rethink Partners: Culture change and adoption specialists
Benefits
The implementation of technology enabled care (TEC) in adult social care has demonstrated significant benefits, including cost savings, enhanced independence, improved health outcomes, reduced social isolation, and more informed decision making, all of which contribute to better quality of life and more sustainable care models for mobility impaired adults.
Cost Savings: TEC reduces the need for in-person care and high-cost interventions, such as hospital admissions as citizens can be monitored remotely by their friends and family. Care technology has delivered a range of significant benefits including a return on investment of £1.7 – £1.8 for every £1 spent
Improved Decision-Making: TEC provides social workers with real-time data on service users’ activity levels, allowing for proactive, data-driven decision-making. Research from NHSE demonstrated that TEC allowed social workers to make informed, proactive decisions based on data collection from service users.
Improved Independence: TEC enables citizens to remain independent for longer, whilst also providing the citizen with the appropriate support that they require. It also allows the citizen to have more control over their life.
Lessons Learnt
The introduction of technology enabled care (TEC) solutions required thoughtful planning, effective team engagement, and a strong foundation in change management. Key lessons emerged from the implementation process that can guide future programmes:
User-Centered Customisation: Allowing personalisation of tone, language and interface of the technology helps users feel more comfortable and reduces stress.
Initiate Training Early with a Structured Onboarding Plan: Training should begin before the service launch. Establishing a clear, detailed plan for the first three months, including key training events, onboarding materials, and user support and ensuring smoother adoption.
Accessibility Across Devices: Ensuring tools are available on mobile, desktop and wearables increases usability and supports users in different situations.
Allow Sufficient Mobilisation Time to Foster Trust and Familiarity: A dedicated mobilisation period of at least three months prior to go live is essential. This time allows for building relationships, establishing trust with frontline teams, and enabling Digital Care Navigators (DCNs) to become confident advocates for the new technology.
Crisis Pathways Must be Clear: Technology should include immediate access to emergency contacts or professional help when the citizen is in distress.
Ensure Culture Change is managed and implemented: By ensuring that change can be embraced by both the Social Workers in referring the digital solutions, and the people adopting the TEC, the technology will become more widespread and the benefits will be realised.
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