Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), in partnership with SOL Connect, launched a new emergency responder service in May 2021. The service is now firmly established and is successfully providing support to several individuals in North East Glasgow.

SOL Connect is a Technology Enabled Care and Support (TECS) provider who offers support through technology and an overnight physical responder service. There have been a number of examples in the last few months where SOL (through their range of technology that sits within the person’s home and allows them to communicate with a remote support hub, and through the physical emergency responder service) has successfully contributed towards improving the choices individuals have over their support.
 
Steven Love, Senior Officer within our HSCP said: “Calls or alerts from an individual’s SOL bespoke hub are answered (via video call technology) by an experienced team of support staff who will respond to any alerts, via the technology situated within the service user’s home. The staff team will assess the situation and carry out the appropriate response as detailed in the individual’s risk assessment and support plan, including, if required, making immediate contact with the local responder service requesting a priority visit to the service user’s home.”

Access to the SOL Connect service is through referral from care managers seeking support for service users with an individual budget across the following care groups: older people, mental health, physical and learning disabilities and young people in transition. People with a Direct Payment can refer themselves to SOL for TECS assessment and support. 

The service provides full coverage across our HSCP’s North East locality and has a reach into the South and North West localities. SOL will accept referrals from these areas as well.

A service user who successfully transferred from having long-standing sleepover support provision to a TECS-based responder service who was assessed and transitioned through the Connecting Neighbourhoods TECS Project has been delighted with his new service. He said: “Thank you for believing in me!”
 
The Connecting Neighbourhoods Project – which currently utilises the SOL Responder Service – has provided case summaries from the perspective of each of the main agencies involved, with the emphasis on the partnership approach required to make it successful.

Steven continued: “Used effectively, TECS has clearly demonstrated, through Connecting Neighbourhoods, that it can increase supported individuals’ choice and control whilst offering greater independence.”

A case summary can be accessed in the link below, with the key agencies’ perspectives on the assessment processes contained within this document.

https://glasgowcity.hscp.scot/publication/tecs-case-study-summary

Contact details for SOL Connect enquiries or referrals: email TECS@forliving.org or phone 01698 314026 and ask to speak to a member of the SOL Connect Management Team.