In an illustrative conversation, a care manager asks a reasonable question: 'How long will our phone and alarm services work if the power fails?' A supplier answers: 'The backup is one hour.' The problem is that these two people may be talking about different things.
Ofcom sets expectations for communications providers to protect access to emergency organisations when a customer who relies on a landline loses power. Its public guidance describes at least one hour of backup and, where applicable, a free solution for people who cannot rely on a mobile alternative. Some providers offer longer. That framework is about emergency voice calling for relevant customers. It is not a universal one-hour operating standard for every care alarm, internal network, monitoring platform or digital record. S06
A modern care service may depend on a number of powered components. A local device can have its own battery. An internet router may have a separate backup, or none. A network switch, alarm controller or mobile failover device may have different arrangements. The receiving service may have its own resilience provisions. A disruption can affect any one of these elements without every other system failing at once.
The question therefore needs to be more specific. Which activity must continue? Which parts require mains electricity? Does the alternative connection have its own power? How will staff recognise a failure? What is the agreed response while normal service is restored?
The government's October guidance recommends that telecare solutions include power resilience and identifies dual connectivity as a useful option, subject to the building and technology involved. The commissioning guidelines also ask suppliers to explain service management, availability and fault arrangements. This is a more reliable starting point than imposing an arbitrary 'four to eight hours' on every care setting. S01 S02
Care Circle recommends an initial tabletop discussion using the service's existing continuity plan. Pick one route to help, such as a resident alarm or the out-of-hours communications line. Trace what happens if it is unavailable. Update one contact, one responsibility or one fallback where the discussion exposes an uncertainty.
Any physical disconnection or live power-loss exercise should be planned with competent suppliers and the appropriate care and safety leads. Turning off the communications room to 'see what happens' can itself create an avoidable risk.
What this means for providers: Ask the relevant suppliers to explain power and connection resilience for your actual system and identify which evidence is already held. Then agree a safe exercise appropriate to your service.
Connected journey: Chapter 5. Related reading: Digital continuity: can the care service depend on its systems?.