What is the community alarm service?

The Community Alarm Service assists people living in North Lanarkshire who need some extra support to stay in their own homes with the security of knowing that they can call for assistance in an urgent situation, such as a fall or an illness, at any time of day or night. 

• To be eligible you must have a contact telephone number (mobile or landline). 
• Have either a keysafe and/or 2 local keyholders who can respond promptly. 
• Have available cellular network in the area you live 

How does it work?

An alarm is installed in the person’s home.  The alarm is activated by either pressing the button on the alarm unit or the pendant worn by the person. 

Where possible we will place the alarm in a central point within the home to make the best use of the two-way speech system. 

The alarm requires a 13-amp electrical wall socket and cannot be plugged directly into a bar adaptor.

When the person activates the alarm, a signal is sent to a central response centre which is staffed 24 hours, 365 days of the year. A response advisor can speak to the person and find out what kind of assistance is required. 

There are several ways help can be provided depending on the information that has been given: 

• Provide reassurance
• Contact a friend or family member to visit
• Arrange for a Home Support Worker to attend
• Contact a GP or emergency service

Who is the community alarm service for?

There are many reasons why someone may require a community alarm. 

People who feel they are at risk at home and may have difficulty using methods to call for assistance. They may be at risk because of disabilities or health issues. 

How long will I wait for a responder to be with me?

We are unable to guarantee a defined time scale for responders to attend your property. They will be informed of any incident that requires their attendance immediately and they will be dispatched to you as soon as possible. All alerts are prioritised and dependent on the demand and travel conditions at any given time. The ARC will advise you if they are aware that the responder may be delayed in responding to your call however this is not always known at the time of the call.

How do I get a community alarm?

You can request this service using the contact us form or by calling your social work locality office.

A member of staff will visit you to explain the system and discuss whether the service is appropriate for your needs.

If I no longer require the alarm unit, need to report a fault or contact the service? 

Inform a Response Advisor by pressing the button on the alarm unit or your pendant or call 01236 622 400.  If calling Monday to Friday evening hours or at the weekend, please call 01698 302 848. 

What do I do if my details or circumstances change?

So that we can continue to provide you with an efficient service, contact the response centre by pressing the pendant and advise them of the change of details or circumstances and they will update your record. 

Is there a charge for the community alarm service?

There can be costs associated with the installation of the alarm unit.

There is a weekly charge for the service, billed every four weeks.

Any calls made to the response centre are billed like normal telephone calls by your telephone company.

If you have concerns around the introduction of charges in these uncertain times, we can arrange for someone to check your income is fully maximised and you are receiving everything you should be through a financial assessment.

Contact your local social work office for more information.

How do I make comments or complaint? 

If you have any concerns about the service, please contact a Home Support Team Leader by telephone on 01236 622 400 

If you remain dissatisfied, you can ask a member of staff for the Social Work complaints leaflet. 

Alternatively, you can contact the Care Inspectorate at: 0345 600 9527

Monitor and Evaluate

We will monitor and evaluate our service to you.  We do this in a variety of ways, through staff carrying out verbal audits with you, questionnaires and suggestion leaflets all aimed at improving our service.  In continually trying to improve our service your comments are welcome and can be reported through the response centre or direct to Home Support Workers. Our service is also subject to inspection by the Care Inspectorate. 

Terms and Conditions 

If there is limited cellular network in your area, we may be unable to provide our service. 

Any misuse of the alarm, or mistreatment verbally or physically of any of the Telecare Team will not be tolerated and may result in termination or suspension of our service. 

Pay online

You can pay for your community alarm online using the link below and selecting the 'debtor' option.

Pay by direct debit

If you would like to set up a direct debit to pay for your community alarm, please download this form, fill it in and return it to us.

If you need the form in another format, please contact us and let us know.