First reported 24 Jan 2014•Latest report 4 Oct 2022
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures of controls specifically dedicated to interlinking smoke alarms with telecare or other alarm-response systems, and to accurately recording, displaying or communicating whether that interlink is present and operational for vulnerable people.
Not included
Excludes absence, incorrect installation, testing or maintenance of smoke alarms where no interlinking or interlink-status failure is identified.
Excludes generic fire-safety assessments, advice or emergency-response deficiencies not specifically concerning smoke-alarm interlinking or its status information.
Excludes telecare failures unrelated to receiving, identifying or responding to an interlinked smoke-alarm signal.
Excludes smoke or fire hazards in boats, workplaces or other settings unless the reported deficiency concerns the same smoke-alarm interlinking and status-information control.
Reports
4
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
6
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2014–2022
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
7
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Barnet Assist1
Care Quality Commission1
Chartered Trading Standards Institute1
Conwy County Borough Council1
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy1
Department of Health and Social Care1
Home Office1
Hotpoint UK Appliances Limited1
London Borough of Brent1
London Borough of Wandsworth1
London Telecare Limited1
Office for Product Safety and Standards1
Sovereign Network Homes1
The Community Equipment Code of Practice Scheme C.I.C.1
TSA – The Voice of Technology Enabled Care1
London borough council2
Ministerial department2
Private limited company2
Professional membership body2
Community interest company1
Health and social care service regulator1
Local authority service1
Product safety regulator1
Registered provider of social housing1
Welsh county borough council1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Smoke alarms not connected to telecare systems
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Action
Encourage dissemination of the report’s findings and continued highlighting of telecare links to smoke alarms during fire safety checks.
Stated by Home OfficeStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 20 October 2022.
Action
Publish the “What Good Looks Like” framework, including guidance for local authorities on considering technology-enabled care and linked preventative devices.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 20 October 2022.
Action
Develop the British Standard for technology-enabled care assessment, risk, design, installation and maintenance through BSI committee work.
Stated by TEC Services Association C.I.C.Stated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 20 October 2022.
Action
Implement the completed British Standard’s requirements within the Quality Standards Framework and audit certified installation companies against them.
Stated by TEC Services Association C.I.C.Stated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 20 October 2022.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.5
Position
The Fire Safety Order does not apply to individual homes, and fire and rescue services lack statutory powers to enforce telecare system changes.
Stated by Home OfficeOutside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Position
Telecare installation, maintenance and linking to smoke alarms must be undertaken by telecare engineers, not fire and rescue services.
Stated by Home OfficeRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Local agencies are best placed to determine vulnerable people's required care packages and telecare equipment.
Stated by Home OfficeRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Telecare and fire-service matters fall outside regulation, leaving no powers to prevent future deaths concerning those services.
Stated by Care Quality CommissionOutside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Position
The investigation found no evidence that involved TEC services were specifically at fault, while identifying disjointed agency working as significant.
Stated by TEC Services Association C.I.C.Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
North London
Concerns raised1
Failure to link telecare to smoke alarms or AFSS
This report raised 10 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
Matters of Concern 2, 3 and 4 are not issues for the landlord to address.
Stated by Sovereign Network HomesOutside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Inner West London
Concerns raised3
Failure to visibly flag unlinked fire alarms in client records
Unlinked household fire alarms in telecare users' homes
Failure to identify and replace unlinked fire alarms in a timely and auditable manner
This report raised 10 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
North Central & North East Wales
Concerns raised1
Lack of standard interlink connection for smoke alarms on the Conwy County Telecare package
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
Action
Review current Council and Fire Service practice for providing linked smoke detectors with Telecare.
Stated by Conwy County Borough CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 24 January 2014.
Action
Establish a six-month full-time Council post to accelerate installation of linked smoke detectors for Telecare clients.
Stated by Conwy County Borough CouncilStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 24 January 2014.
Action
Install linked smoke detectors for Telecare clients identified as lacking them, using the accelerated installation programme.
Stated by Conwy County Borough CouncilStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 24 January 2014.
Pin
Get email alerts
Request correction
Includes failures of controls specifically dedicated to interlinking smoke alarms with telecare or other alarm-response systems, and to accurately recording, displaying or communicating whether that interlink is present and operational for vulnerable people.
