The implementation of Technology Enabled Care within 3 local authorities across the West Midlands to support adults with memory issues.
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, around 944,000 people are living with dementia, and many more experience memory problems due to conditions such as mild cognitive impairment, brain injury, or neurological disorders. These memory-related issues represent a significant portion of the country’s 16.8 million disabled individuals. As the demand for person centred care grows, Technology Enabled Care (TEC) is becoming increasingly valuable in helping people with memory challenges live safely and independently at home, while also providing reassurance to families and carers.
Memory problems can have a serious impact on everyday life. Individuals may forget to take medication, leave appliances on, miss appointments, or become disoriented in familiar places. For example, someone in the early stages of dementia might struggle to remember whether they’ve eaten, how to navigate their own neighbourhood, or how to manage basic household tasks leading to safety concerns and a decline in confidence.
This case study highlights the ongoing challenge of providing effective care while supporting an individual’s sense of independence and self-worth. The solution focused on introducing practical, easy-to-use technologies such as Digital Video Carephone and Sensor Kits. The Video Carephone allows the citizen to stay on top of their medication with regular reminders, whilst also allowing them to easily call family members and join in with community groups, reducing the feelings of isolation and keeping them connected. The sensors give the carers peace of mind by allowing them to monitor the citizens safety from a distance via real time alerts of any unusual or unexpected movements e.g. Doors opening at odd hours.
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
The Video Carephone allows the citizen to stay on top of their medication with regular reminders, whilst also allowing them to easily call family members and join in with community groups, reducing the feelings of isolation and keeping them connected. The sensors give the carers peace of mind by allowing them to monitor the citizens safety from a distance via real time alerts of any unusual or unexpected movements e.g. Doors opening at odd hours.
These devices will connect wirelessly through the citizen’s home Wi-Fi or via a SIM card, allowing the supplier, family members and carers to track key information in real time, 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. 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 - Sensor Kit
Commercial model (Business Case)
The cost and benefits 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.
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 for us 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.
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 the is an increase in service for new or existing support plan by deploying TEC) (83% of savings) and prevention (No care plan or social care needs) (14% of savings) of care costs, rather than through reduction (Reduce the level of home care package that they have received by blending TEC) of existing packages (3%).
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.
Reduced Social Isolation: Social technologies, such as video communication tools and virtual companionship platforms, have been shown to reduce social isolation among elderly citizens, improving overall mental health
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.
Clear Case for Investment: Through the savings demonstrated from this case, we can see significant cost savings that could be replicated across multiple citizens in the West Midlands.
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:
Reminders and Alerts are Critical: Built in prompts, notifications and alarms support users in remembering appointments, medications, daily routines etc.
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.
Social Worker Integration Improves Outcomes: Allowing social workers or family members to access shared reminders or dashboards ensures support when memory fails.
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 any potential blockers to be managed. Also allowing any contracts or agreements to be in place.
Consistent Communication Across Stakeholders: By enabling clear and consistent communication between stakeholders, blockers can be easily identified and managed. Shared learning can also be applied to allow a more streamlined process
Redundancy Ensures Reliability: Critical reminders (e.g. Medication Alerts) should be delivered through multiple channels to ensure they aren’t missed.
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