A decision over the future of Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Careline Service has been delayed to allow options put forward during a recent consultation to be explored.

Careline was a unique service when it launched almost 40 years ago to support Tendring residents in their own home through assistive technology, such as fall bracelets.

But in recent years other providers have emerged offering similar services on the open market.

Following a year-long review, the council’s Cabinet decided to go out to consultation over the future of its paid-for service, with the preferred option being for the council to leave the telecare market and cease the lifting/response provision of the 24/7 service - with help and support to transfer customers to alternative providers.

The results of a six-week consultation, which closed on September 30, were reported to TDC’s Cabinet today (Friday, 15 November) – where senior councillors had also been due to make a final decision on the future of Careline.

But a final decision has now been postponed until next year to allow extra time for responses to the consultation to be considered, including suggestions from Colchester City Council and other third-parties about potentially taking on all or part of the Careline service.

Councillor Gina Placey, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Partnerships, said: “Careline has been a real success, but there have been major changes in the telecare industry over the past 40 years and it is only right the council reviews the provision of the service.

“We had more than 1,000 responses to the consultation, and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to express their opinion.

“The consultation found that 60 per cent of service users would, if necessary, be willing to move to an alternative trusted provider – and this currently remains the council’s preferred option.

“Tendring already partners with Colchester and the NHS with a common aim to achieve an integrated approach to healthcare, and so it makes sense to explore whether combining services with Colchester has advantages; and equally if there are other offers on the table that could provide continuity for our service users and opportunities for our staff.

“Therefore we have rightly decided to postpone making a decision on the future of the service to allow additional time to explore these alternatives, and I thank our hardworking staff and Careline customers for their patience.”

TDC will now invite Colchester City Council and other interested organisation to put forward formal detailed proposals, for Cabinet to review and decide upon in February next year.

If councillors do decide to withdraw the Careline service, the anticipated date that it would end will subsequently now be pushed back by three months to the end of June 2025.

The Careline service is currently still active 24/7 and if a decision is made to cease the service, it will continue through a transition period.