SENSORS are being placed around the homes of vulnerable people to alert social care services of accidents or health problems.

The idea is being piloted by a Bournemouth tech company in partnership with two London authorities.

Bournemouth-based IoT Solutions Group has provided 200 home sensors to be used by Sutton and Richmond councils.

They are being used in Sutton Housing Partnership and Richmond Housing Partnership properties as part of the InnOvaTe Project – but the project could pave the way for similar technology to be used nationwide.

Emma Mahy, chief executive of IoT Solutions Group, said: “We are excited to be working with Sutton and Richmond councils to enhance their social care provision.

“We know how much pressure social care services are under at this time and how concerned relatives are about the wellbeing of family members they aren’t able to visit.

“We know that this solution helps provide early response to service users who require additional support – thus improving the opportunity for independent living whilst providing enhanced levels of comfort to family members.

“This pilot is just the beginning and we look forward to expanding the rollout to support independent living for residents and local authorities nationwide.”

Demand for social care support has risen during the pandemic and is expected to grow further as more people need to isolate or shield or suffer mental health consequences from illness or isolation.

InnOvaTe uses internet of things (IoT) technology to deliver real time information about how active a person is in their home. A drop activity levels triggers an automated alert to warn carers, or independent living officers, so that they can respond urgently rather than waiting for the next visit or waiting for the resident to make contact.

The tech can also identify risk of fuel poverty.

No visual or audio recording takes place and no personal data is collected, the company says.

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Bournemouth-based IoT Solutions Group specialises in real-time insights based on remote data collection. It is a member of the BCP Council Smart Place Consortium, which aims to use digital technology to benefit residents, communities and businesses.