Support in my own home

 
 

Community alarms

What is it?
If you are concerned about becoming unwell and needing to summon help in an emergency, you may be interested in having a community alarm. Westminster City Council administers this scheme. It can give peace of mind to people, for example if you live on your own and have some health problems, and are concerned about calling for assistance in an emergency.

The system works by having a pendant alarm that is worn round the neck. If you become unwell, or have a fall and cannot get up, for example, you can activate an alarm by pressing the pendant. This goes through to a central office where someone can talk to you and find out what the problem is. The office is open 24 hours a day and so help can be summoned at any time. Your alarm call to the central office will be answered within 30 seconds.

You must have a landline (BT type) telephone and an electric socket nearby and 2 people who are willing to hold your door keys, who should live locally or within a reasonable distance. If you don’t have anyone who can be a keyholder for you, this can be arranged for you again by a central office, the Emergency Response Office.


How can I get one?
You can either
  • Contact the care management team that covers the area you live in and discuss your request with them. They will assess whether the service is appropriate for you and will refer you for it if necessary.
  • Or you can contact the Link Alarm Office yourself to request an alarm, but you must have your own keyholders.

There may be circumstances when you want to purchase your own community alarm and keyholding service without an assessment, or have been assessed as not eligible and would still like one. This can be done through the Emergency Response Team.


Who do I contact?
To discuss this further, either contact the care management team covering the area you live in, or you can contact the Link Alarm Office yourself. Tel 020 7641-4528. If you wish to request a link alarm and keyholding service independently, contact the Emergency Response Office on 020 7641-4065

Is there a charge?
If you already receive services from Westminsters Adult Services Department and have been assessed to pay for these, you will not pay extra for the Community alarm.

If you choose to have one installed yourself and have keyholders, or are not receiving any other services, you will pay a charge. The cost is currently £38.19 for a 3-month period. If you purchase your own alarm and keyholding service, there is currently a charge of £10 a month for this service