Publishing and copyright information

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the document was last issued.

© The British Standards Institution 2024

Published by BSI Standards Limited 2024

ISBN 978 0 539 22845 8

ICS 11.040.01; 35.240.80

The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:
Committee reference GW/1/12
Draft for comment 24/30450887 DC

Foreword

Publishing information

This British Standard is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 30 September 2024. It was prepared by Subcommittee GW/1/12, Social alarms, under the authority of Technical Committee GW/1, Electronic security systems and products. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to the committee manager.

Information about this document

This publication can be withdrawn, revised, partially superseded or superseded. Information regarding the status of this publication can be found in the Standards Catalogue on the BSI website at knowledge.bsigroup.com, or by contacting the Customer Services team.

Where websites and webpages have been cited, they are provided for ease of reference and are correct at the time of publication. The location of a webpage or website, or its contents, cannot be guaranteed.

Use of this document

As a code of practice, this British Standard takes the form of recommendations and guidance. It is not to be quoted as if it were a specification. Users are expected to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading.

Users may substitute any of the recommendations in this British Standard with practices of equivalent or better outcome. Any user claiming compliance with this British Standard is expected to be able to justify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations.

It has been assumed in the preparation of this British Standard that the execution of its provisions will be entrusted to appropriately qualified and experienced people, for whose use it has been produced.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its recommendations are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “should”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Where words have alternative spellings, the preferred spelling of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is used (e.g. “organization” rather than “organisation”).

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

Introduction

The development and adoption of technology enabled care (TEC) in the delivery of social care has accelerated in recent years. This growth has exposed issues with workforce development and management systems. In addition, advances in technology, equipment integration, communication pathways and opportunities for TEC usage have brought added complexity to service commissioning and installation design. Other factors, such as contracting of delivery of the service chain to multiple service suppliers, funding pressures and compliance with qualification criteria associated with funding streams, have led to the fragmentation of the delivery of services in this sector. Fragmentation in delivery shifts oversight and overall responsibility for the performance of the TEC service chain from the service providers to the service commissioner, but without a prime contractor, the service commissioner’s role drifts from contract management into managing and co-ordinating service delivery, a change in role that not all service commissioners might have recognized.

Standardization within the TEC sector has focused on product standards (e.g. the BS EN 50134 series), while diversity of service models across Europe has made it difficult to obtain consensus in respect of service chain delivery and performance standards. There is very little consistency in the:

assessment of the service user’s personal risks and needs;
use of the personal needs assessment to identify and select suitable technology for the service user and to specify the related installation and service design;
installation practice and documentation;
equipment maintenance practices; and
triggering, undertaking and designing of the service user review.

The above safety-critical processes can be further complicated by legislative, regulatory, organizational and cultural factors in respect of information sharing between the service commissioner and/or the various contractors delivering the service. Inefficient information sharing can result in the service user undergoing multiple assessments, being otherwise inconvenienced, experiencing delays, being put at risk or receiving inappropriate technology or service; staff can also be put in risk.

The need for a British Standard covering user assessment, system design, and installation and commissioning of telecare systems has been identified by the UK TEC sector. The consequences of failures arising from the absence of such a document have been identified and led to this British Standard.

TEC is intended to provide safety and security for people living in their own home and can be used to summon assistance. Some service users have no formal or informal support, and these systems are often seen as their only means of support. The use of TEC can enable a person to stay in their own home for longer, facilitate hospital discharge and, in some cases, help to support home‑based recovery by augmenting and supporting existing care arrangements.

Although TEC can be designed to provide early detection of changes in service user needs and thereby to prevent further deterioration in an individual’s circumstances, there are often simple, non-technology actions that can be taken to prevent the risk from arising, such as decluttering properties, fire-resistant upholstery. The focus of this British Standard is on TEC and not the non-technology preventative actions.

What is now referred to as TEC has previously been referred to as social alarms, community alarms, telecare, dispersed alarms and has also been extended to include telehealth, telemedicine, telecoaching and self-care apps. However, for reasons of user safety, system resilience and reliability, a standards-based approach is required, and the applicable standards are contained within the BS EN 50134 series.

1 Scope

This British Standard gives recommendations for the design and delivery of systems and services to provide technology enabled care (TEC) using connected products.

NOTE 1 Achievement of the recommendations requires collaborative working between service commissioners and service providers and the willingness of all parties to identify barriers to achieving the desired outcome through review and redesign of services, service specifications and the funding models supported by the provision of TEC.

This British Standard concentrates on identifying and describing the discrete activities within the technology enhanced care service chain along with the required outcomes and outputs from each activity.

This British Standard covers the design, installation and maintenance of TEC services provided to an individual user including:

the person-centred assessment of risks and needs;
the identification and selection of connected products to mitigate the risks and manage the needs;
the correct installation and commissioning of selected product(s);
the maintenance of the installed product(s);
the removal and decommissioning of product(s);
the appropriate sharing of information within the service chain, not least including with the alarm receiving centre (ARC); and
the use and processing purposes of data and consent by the user to that explicit purpose (data processing and consent).

For the purposes of this standard, a user can include an individual or persons in need of care, support or protection because of age, disability, risk of abuse or neglect and specifically a person unable to perceive or respond, or respond appropriately, to circumstances due to cognitive, sensory or physical impairment and for which a connected and monitored system is designed to mitigate the assessed risks.

NOTE 2 A monitored system is one that conforms to the EN 50134 series of standards.

The focus of this standard is on TEC and not the non-technology preventative actions, which might also be identified in the service user’s risk assessment.

This British Standard is intended to be applied to connected TEC signalling to a staffed ARC, the outcome of which might include alerting emergency services.

This British Standard is intended to assist those involved in the provision of care, specifying, designing, installing, carrying out assessments, decommissioning and maintenance, to support independent living at home.

This British Standard is primarily for use by professional organizations and stakeholders in the provision of care and/or assistive technology, e.g. those commissioning or providing care, organizations designing, assessing, installing, monitoring and/or maintaining TEC. Additionally, this British Standard would be of interest to those involved in the education and training of personnel within the sector.

This British Standard is not intended to be applied to the overall design and commissioning of a grouped living system but can be used to tailor solutions for an individual’s needs within a specialized grouped living environment.

This British Standard is not intended to be applied to remote patient monitoring products and services.

This British Standard is not intended to be applied to individuals who purchase components directly from a supplier without an assessment being provided or sought.

This British Standard is not intended to address the range of non-technology enabled risk control measures which are too wide, too varied and too individual.

NOTE 3 Where trigger devices are selected, e.g. fire detection, these are for the additional needs of an individual over and above those requirements specified in the building fire risk assessment.

NOTE 4 Individuals resident in blocks of flats fitted with an evacuation alarm in accordance with BS 8629 might require interconnection between the evacuation alarm and their personal TEC.

2 Normative references

3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms

3.1 Terms and definitions

3.2 Abbreviated terms

4 General

5 Staff recruitment, training and competence

5.1 Recruitment of staff

5.2 Training

5.3 Assessment of competence

6 Prevention

7 Assessment of service user risk

7.1 General

7.2 Formal assessment

7.3 Remote assessment of information provided by service user and/or informal carer

8 System design

8.1 General

8.2 Monitored fire detection

8.3 Selection of equipment

8.4 Ongoing demands arising from equipment

8.5 Existing TEC and care-related equipment at a service user’s premises

8.6 Monitoring service

8.7 Intended alarm transmission system

8.8 Regulated installation activities

8.9 Evacuation alert system interface in blocks of flats

9 Installation

9.1 General

9.2 Pre-installation activities

9.3 Ergonomics considerations

9.4 Self-installation after assessment

9.5 Technical recommendations for location

9.6 Testing to intended monitoring destination(s)

9.7 Documentation

9.8 Service user training and familiarization

10 Review of service user needs

10.1 General

10.2 Initial review

10.3 Follow up review

10.4 Review in response to changing user needs

10.5 Review following an adverse incident

11 Maintenance and lifecycle

11.1 General

11.2 Device-specific maintenance needs

11.3 Equipment replacement or removal

11.4 Arrangements for maintenance

11.5 Decommissioning and post-installation processing

11.6 Disposal of equipment

12 Quality monitoring

12.1 General

12.2 Sample checks

12.3 Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Bibliography

BS 8684:2024

Technology enabled care. Assessment of user needs and risks, system design, installation and maintenance. Code of practice

Current

Published:

26 Sep 2024