Technology Enabled Care (TEC) is the use of technologies to provide care for people that is convenient, accessible and cost-effective. The need for a British Standard covering user assessment, system design, and installation and commissioning of telecare systems was identified by the UK TEC sector.
BS 8684:2024 gives recommendations for the design and delivery of TEC services using connected products. Achievement of the recommendations requires collaborative working between 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.
It 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 social alarm or technology enabled care (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 theneeds;• 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 thealarm receiving centre (ARC); and• the use and processing purposes of data and consent by the user to that explicit purpose (data processing and consent).
The focus of BS 8684 is on TEC solutions and not the non-technology preventative actions, which might also be identified in the service user’s risk assessment.
It is intended to be applied to connected TEC communicating alarms to a staffed ARC which may include alerting critical emergencies e.g. health, fire, flood etc.
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 services.
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 may 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 1 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 2 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.
BS 8684 is the first standard of its kind in the UK, addressing a critical gap in the Technology-Enabled Care (TEC) sector.
Unlike existing European standards, which focus on products and equipment, BS 8684 provides comprehensive guidelines for the application, installation, and maintenance of TEC services. This standard was developed in response to the growing number of commissioners, service providers, and installers, recognizing that the lack of a unified Code of Practice posed significant risks to vulnerable end users.
By adopting BS 8684, organizations can ensure that their TEC services are delivered with consistency, safety, and quality, bridging the gap between suppliers and user needs within the often-complex service chain.
This standard is essential for anyone involved in commissioning, providing, or maintaining TEC services, helping to protect and empower those who rely on these critical technologies.