Jersey Post has announced that its Call & Check service, which was developed to help vulnerable people to live independently in their own homes for longer, is to be rolled out in the UK later this year.
The Call & Check service enables postal workers to check on the wellbeing of members of the public while on their usual postal rounds, and to connect with supportive services within their community.
Later this year and into 2019, the UK Home Office will trial ‘Safe and Connected’, a digital solution that supports vulnerable, lonely older people who live in the community. This scheme is based on the successful Jersey-based project Call & Check.
Tim Brown, Jersey Post chief executive, said, “Since the first trials of Call & Check began in Jersey, it has garnered global recognition, awards and interest, but to have the service adapted for use by another local authority is perhaps the best award of all – true recognition that this service holds great value for individuals and communities worldwide. We are delighted to be working with UK authorities to progress their plans for long-term care and look forward to seeing the trials go live later this year.”
Working in conjunction with Royal Mail, private enterprises, local authorities and the local voluntary sector, the Safe and Connected scheme will utilize the Jersey Post model of postal workers on their delivery rounds to call on lonely older people who sign up to participate in the scheme.
The postal worker will then ask a standard set of questions to assess individual requirements with responses captured via their handheld work devices, which are then fed back to the relevant local authority or voluntary sector organization.