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Get a community alarm

A community alarm offers peace of mind and independence for you and your loved ones

Helping you stay more independent in your own home with a community alarm.

You’ll be in touch with reliable help at all times throughout the day and night – via a pendant button, just in case you fall or become unwell.

Order a community alarm

 

Or request an application pack to be sent in the post.

Please read here if you do not own the freehold to the property the equipment will be at as there's a permission form that will need to be completed.

View the Herts Careline brochure

Over the Christmas period our Control Room will be taking calls for help 24/7 in the usual way. For administration and technical opening hours, please see here.

This page is for our At Home alarm service. We also have a pendant alarm service that works outdoors.

If you need help completing your application form because of a disability, please let us know and request our free form filling service.

Price

Our price includes:

  • 24/7 monitoring and response to all calls from the equipment
  • British Red Cross - Response service
  • Key safe
  • Home maintenance service
  • Free Medical Alert card
  • Free Keyfinder fob
  • No upfront equipment costs, installation fees, long term contracts nor means testing.

See how we're value for money.

 

Do you claim Attendance Allowance?

This is a benefit for people over 65 years who need help at home due to illness or disability. You may be able to claim from £68.10 per week (depending on your circumstances) which can help towards the cost of your Herts Careline service. More about Attendance Allowance

 

New customers simply pay a monthly service charge:

Product typeMonthly price (excl. VAT) Monthly price (inc VAT)

Digital community alarm / telecare

£20

£24

Home and Away Service - outdoor service

£20 if part of a professional referral. £25 if private purchase.

£24 or £30
(depending on private purchase or referral)

Discounts for Carers 

Product typeMonthly price (excl. VAT)  Monthly price (inc VAT)

Carer discount – 5% 
Digital community alarm / telecare

£19

£22.80

Additional items

Product typePrice per item (only if req.)  Price (inc VAT)

Mains power extension

£6.50

£7.80

Call charges

Digital alarm units have an integrated SIM card which means the monthly cost you pay includes the calls made from the alarm unit when you press your pendant to summon our emergency Control Room assistance.

If your alarm unit is connected to a landline telephone, we have no control over the rates charged by individual telecom providers. The 0300 number we use when your pendant or device is activated is a special number for charities, not for profit organisations and local government. It should be charged by the telecoms supplier at the same national rate as 01 and 02 numbers and should be included within inclusive minutes. This link to Ofcom explains further details on this. We do not use premium rate numbers.

 

How the pendant alarm service works

When you press your pendant, you’ll speak to a highly experienced call operator 24/7 who will make sure you get the help you need. We can alert a family member or friend to reassure you, or we'll call the emergency services if required. All from our Hertfordshire based Control Room.

When you join, you’ll be asked to provide the contact details of friends, family members or neighbours to act as Volunteer Responders - who you’d like us to call for reassurance or help if there's an issue.

If these contacts aren't available, or you do not have someone who can be a responder for you, this is no problem - The British Red Cross (BRC) - our mobile Response Service - will send one of their professional's to assess the situation at no extra charge. BRC will attend their home, assess the reason why an alarm was raised, deal with the situation as appropriate and, if necessary, call the Emergency Services. They will also report back to Careline. 

We'll always call the emergency services if there is an emergency.

View our brochure (PDF)

Try before you buy – Alphamarque are able to bring our products to you with no obligation to purchase.

 

We install equipment keeping as COVID-19 safe as possible

If the service user is healthy:         

  • We will visit their home to install their equipment.

If they are self-isolating, shielding or suffering from COVID-19:         

  • We will provide pre-programmed equipment to their doorstep.         
  • We will telephone them (or a family member) to give step-by-step instructions on how to plug in the equipment and make a test call to our Control Room.         
  • We will make an appointment when they have recovered to install any complex equipment which needs our engineers’ expertise.

For every person our engineer visits, they will  be wearing PPE, will use sanitising wipes on surfaces and adhere to social distancing regulations.

Who can benefit from a community alarm?

Our care alarm systems make a big difference to the independence, safety and wellbeing of people of all ages and circumstances across Hertfordshire.

You can have a community alarm if you:    

  • are an older or vulnerable person
  • are at risk
  • are an adult with long term health needs
  • live alone
  • are returning home from hospital
  • are prone to falls
  • have a disability or restricted mobility
  • are an unpaid carer and would like support when you can't be at home
  • have any other reason to benefit from 24/7 peace of mind that we can bring.

 

Installation of pendant alarm

When you sign up for a home alarm, one of engineers will install the equipment for you. They'll call you to arrange a convenient time once your application is processed.

We aim to have your emergency home alarm set up within 10 working days but this is often sooner, especially in certain situations.

In some emergency cases (such as being discharged from hospital), we can install your home alarm within a couple of working days.

 

How to use your community alarm

You’ll get a lightweight, waterproof pendant alarm to wear around your neck or on a wrist strap.

You simply push the emergency alarm pendant button to raise an alert. This lets you speak to a friendly operator who will get you the help you need, day and night.

The pendant can be worn on a cord around the neck, on a wrist strap or clipped to a belt.

Fall detector

 

Key safes

We recommend you get a key safe when you sign up for our lifeline alarm system.

We can supply and install this secure metal box to the outside of your home for free, which will contain an additional front door key to your property. If you've already got one, we'll use that.

The emergency services can get the key using a confidential code, which we will issue if you require their assistance, to gain access to your property, if needed.

The Supra C500 key safe is free to you as its completely funded by Hertfordshire County Council.

It has been independently to achieve the highest level of physical security ever attained by a mechanical key safe in the UK. It is recognised as a product designed to improve home security by ‘Secured by Design’, UK’s official Police initiative. Tested on outside walls, it has also been deemed ultra-safe by the Loss Prevention Certification Board, having attained its LPS1175 Issue 8 A5 attack standard. 

If you own the Freehold to your property, we will install the key safe at the same time as we install your other equipment. If you do not own the Freehold, landlords, housing associations and management companies are usually happy to grant permission for you to have a key safe fitted, but you do need to have this confirmed before we can install. We have a form you will need to ask them to complete.

If you need help with your key safe, see our Key safe instruction card.

Please note we can only attach a key safe to brickwork or concrete (not rendering or pebbledash).

 

Medical Alert Card & Keyfinder Fob

These are included at no extra cost and arrive in the post soon after your equipment is installed. The Medical Alert Card can be placed in your wallet or purse and if a medical professional sees it if you're taken unwell outside your home, they can ask us for details about you if you're unable to tell them. The Keyfinder Fob for your keyring offers a reliable way of retrieving your keys if you lose them.

 

Order a community alarm

 Please read here if you do not own the freehold to the property the equipment will be at as there's a permission form that will need to be completed.

Already have a community alarm?

Get help using your alarmCancel your alarm service

 

Refer a friend

If you would like to refer a friend to us, you will receive a £10 M&S voucher once they sign up to our service. Simply email CarelineSupport@north-herts.gov.uk or call 0300 999 2 999 to pass on their details (with their permission) T&Cs apply.

Worried about someone managing risks at home?

 

Your service agreement, privacy policy and service / welcome pack

Service Agreement - 2022 onwards

Privacy Policy & Charge Schedule 2024/25

Service / Welcome Pack

Leaseholder / Management Company Permission Form for Freehold