The new system has been great for us. The transition was smooth and staff are now able to access PNC from multiple locations, meaning data is more current and staff time is used more effectively.
Chris Breed, Assistive Technology Team Leader, Thirteen Group
The Challenge
Thirteen Group’s Homecall service supports approximately 6,000 people in the Tees Valley area with telecare, telehealth and assistive technology monitoring and response, including providing these services on behalf of Hartlepool Borough Council. A change in Homecall’s location meant that its operators and servers would be located in different buildings.
How did Tunstall’s PNC7 monitoring centre software enable this transition?
What We Did
When Homecall’s monitoring centre moved to a new build development, Thirteen Group’s IT department requested that their associated servers moved to the Group’s headquarters to enable them to support and maintain them as part of its corporate network.
The Homecall team consulted with Tunstall to explore the ways in which this could be achieved. One method was to purchase additional servers for the new site, however as PNC7 supports remote working, in 2016 Homecall renewed its servers in their existing location and upgraded their monitoring software.
A dedicated Tunstall project manager was assigned to support the transition and several trials were undertaken to anticipate and address any risks. As a result, data transfer was smooth and Homecall was able to support its service users without interruption throughout the move.
Results
PNC7 has enabled Homecall to operate seamlessly, despite having operators and servers in two different locations. The new system provides a robust link between the two, without the need for additional servers.
The new system means staff can log on from one of several locations, rather than being required to go to the main hub to access Homecall data or manage calls. This means data can be inputted more quickly and, in the event of any required maintenance on the system, operators can simply move to another office for a time and continue to work.
The increased number of locations also means scheme coordinators and responders can easily access residents’ records and review or update them. This has led to increased quality of information on the system for all stakeholders.
Homecall’s monitoring centre has since relocated twice more, and because of their remote working configuration were able to simply move their PCs and laptops, without concerns about business continuity, or the need to resite or purchase additional servers.
