Alarms

Carelink and Telecare home alarm systems aim to help you live independently and give you peace of mind.

Carelink emergency alarm

Carelink uses state of the art technology that operates using a 24 hour telephone link to offer home safety and personal security system. 

With the Carelink system installed in your home, it will enable you to live independently as it can:

• provide you with assistance if you're unwell
• give you reassurance
• reduce feelings of isolation
• give your family peace of mind.

Carelink is available to anyone who wants to feel safer, protected and independent in their own home. It can bring comfort to:

• people who live in high crime areas
• people of any age who live alone
• older people
• people with disabilities
• people who've been discharged from hospital and need additional support or assistance at home
• people at risk of domestic violence, racial harassment, repeat victimisation or distraction burglary.

If you're unsure if Carelink is for you, you can research many other emergency alarm and living aids to help you stay independent in your own home.

Request an emergency alarm installation

You can submit an online request for the installation of Carelink in your home. When applying online, you will need to provide:

• name, address and telephone numbers of local key holders
• name and address of your doctor
• any relevant health and medical information.

Carelink cost

If you're interested in having the Carelink system installed in your home, the costs for this, effective from April 2024, are:

• £22.45 monthly by Direct Debit, excluding VAT.
• £67.34 invoiced quarterly, excluding VAT.
• £269.36 annually, excluding VAT.

If you live in the Bury borough and receive Housing Benefit, you might be eligible for funding support. Carelink will guide you about any financial support you might qualify for.

Report a problem with your alarm

You can report a problem with your Carelink or Telecare alarm by contacting Carelink:

• write or visit: Carelink, The Villa, Bradley Fold Ind Estate, Bradley Fold Road, BL2 6RT.
• call: 0161 253 6222 (open 24 hours). 

Digital switch advice

We have been recently made aware of a small number of possible telephone-based scam attempts regarding community alarms (commonly referred to as Carelink), which has involved hard sell tactics and where attempts to obtain customers’ bank details has taken place.

The potential scam is based around the upcoming Digital Switchover. Callers may inform you that your community alarm will stop working after the digital switchover. They may pose as a company that provides community alarms that are ready for the switchover. They are known to pressure you into agreeing to purchase their product by using scare tactics, and it has been noted that they may become verbally aggressive if you decline. Please be cautious of any cold call and be mindful that agreeing to purchase a product may result in financial loss.

Please note the following:

• Organisations that provide community alarms including Bury Councils Carelink service, do not cold call. If you do not know who the company is, hang up immediately.
• Bury’s Carelink service will never call you and ask for your bank details. Do not provide any personal details if you are at all uncertain who you are speaking to.
• Bury Council is aware of the upcoming Digital Switchover, and we are already starting to exchange older community alarm units with devices that are ready for the digital switchover, but please be aware that due to the numbers involved, this will take time.

The Digital Switchover - what you need to know

The Digital Switchover means replacing the old copper-wired telephone lines with a digital phone connection. The current date for completing the Digital Switchover, and switching off the old copper-wired connections, is December 2025, but this is highly likely to be extended at a national level. One possible outcome of the switchover is that some older versions of the alarm units may stop working, but this may only occur if you have switched over to a digital line.

What is Bury's Carelink service doing to help and protect clients?

Bury’s Carelink service are already on the journey to replace the older units with new digital units. We are and will be contacting customers over the next few months and arranging to switch to the new digital unit in preparation for the switchover. It’s important to understand that for existing customers, we will NOT be asking for payment of any kind for this process. We are also aware that some clients may have been switched over already after agreeing to a new phone deal. If you are at all concerned, please contact Carelink.

What is the government doing to help protect people?

The government has agreed a code of conduct with telephone providers to delay the automatic switchover for people who have community alarm units. This means you now cannot be switched over to a digital phone connection without your knowledge and agreement. If you are contacted by your telecommunication provider, such as BT or Virgin media, please ensure to tell them that you have a community alarm unit, they should keep you on the previous copper-wired phone connection until we are able to provide a solution for you.

Remember!

• Pause and think before you commit, consider asking for website details that you can check.
• Carelink will never cold call and attempt to sell products. We only work from referrals.
• Carelink will contact you to make appoints to visit. We never attend without an agreed appointment.
• Carelink never sends items via the post.
• Carelink will never discuss or request your bank details over the phone.
• Carelink can be contacted at any time by calling:
  • 0161 253 6222.
  • emailing carelink@bury.gov.uk.
• Carelink does not pass your personal details to other companies.