Community Alarm Service

What does the Community Alarm Service offer? 

The service is available for anyone, of any age who lives within the Milton Keynes City Council area, who would like to feel safer or more independent at  home, this includes anyone who:

  • is disabled or frail, has medical problems or is at risk of falls
  • has been discharged from hospital and requires additional support.
  • is at risk of domestic violence, harassment, repeat victimisation or distraction burglary

Standard equipment is an alarm unit and a red button pendant that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck. If there is an agreed risk or a specific need we may recommend additional sensors.

How the alarm works

If you need help you should press the red button on the alarm unit or pendant. This will automatically connect to the Alarm Control Centre and the name address and contact details of the registered user will be displayed on the screen of one of our operators. 

The operator will talk to you using the loud-speaker built into the alarm unit. They will try to find out what help you need, for example:

  • you may have had a fall and cannot get up
  • you may need assistance from a friend or relative
  • you feel unwell and need guidance or medical treatment
  • you need reassurance or help

In response to your call we may send a Care and Response Officer to your home or alert the emergency services. You will need to have a key safe fitted so that we can gain access to your home, these are not provided by this service but we can give you advice about how to get one.

Installation

Our team of Care and Response Officers will install the alarm unit, this is usually within 2-5 days and can be sooner if urgent. There needs to be an electric power socket available near to a telephone landline connection or if there is no working landline we will use an inbuilt SIM card (similar to a mobile telephone). All alarm units have a back-up battery, so if there is a power cut, it will still function for up to 12 hours. During installation we will:

  • check that the alarm and pendant are working correctly
  • show you how to use the unit
  • ask for information so that we can set up your personal record, this includes relevant medical conditions and details of who can be contacted in the event of an emergency. This will be used to make sure we get you the right help when you need it and can be updated as necessary.

Please note, if you are on City Fibre you will only be able to have an alarm with an inbuilt SIM card. All the equipment that we provide remains the property of Milton Keynes City Council. If the equipment is damaged or lost we will charge you for the cost of a replacement.  If you no longer require our service all equipment must be returned to us.

Charges

There is a one-off installation charge of £11.58

Our standard rate for our *Alarm is £67.14 per quarter (including SIM)

We also offer a subsidised rate for people that are on certain means tested benefits

Charges are subject to change  

*All alarm charges include a quarterly sim charge of £15.00

How to access this service

To apply or find out more about how an alarm may help you:

The Care and Response Community Alarm Service is a member of the Telecare Services Association

Adult Services - Community Alarm Service

Community Alarm Service contact information

4 Woodhouse Court, Soskin Drive, Stantonbury Fields MK14 6GB