Launch of UK’s first centralised acoustic night-time monitoring hub

We are the first care home provider in the UK to launch a centralised acoustic monitoring hub, providing night-time care to residents across four of our care homes, in four different towns. Currently covering 266 beds, we plan to extend the system to a fifth home by the end of the year before rolling it out across our remaining homes.

We have pioneered the use of acoustic monitoring since 2016 and have now built on a pilot which shared monitoring between two homes, to create the new central hub.

Acoustic monitoring allows night-time staff to respond quickly to residents when they need help while avoiding unnecessary disturbances for those who are sleeping. Instead of hourly door-knocking, a long-standing practice in many care homes, the system discreetly listens for unusual sounds at night, alerting staff only when intervention may be required. The acoustic monitoring staff, connected to team members in each home, alert staff to residents who need help, ensuring support is there when needed.

Better nights, better days

For residents, the benefits are clear. With uninterrupted sleep, people are more rested, less likely to fall, and more active during the day. In one home, WCS Care saw a 34% reduction in night-time falls in the first year of using acoustic monitoring, and, when analysing the difference in falls for both day and night, a reduction of 55%. The introduction of cameras attached to the system (turned on with consent) has increased this reduction even further.

The impact extends to the NHS too, with fewer falls leading to fewer ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions, reducing pressure on already stretched services.

A new model of night-time care

For care providers, centralising acoustic monitoring offers improved night-time care with reduced staffing costs. The hub provides a clear picture of what happens in homes overnight, helping managers to plan effectively and night staff to feel part of a wider team. With the reassurance of dedicated colleagues monitoring every room, night staff can do the most important part of their job - care.

Ed Russell OBE, Chief Executive of WCS Care, said:

“We’ve just been quietly getting on with this for a while now, and the impact has honestly been remarkable. I’ve seen first-hand how night care can be transformed, not just for residents who finally get proper sleep and dignity, but for staff who feel supported and part of something bigger.

When I first saw centralised acoustic monitoring in the Netherlands, I felt embarrassed about the gulf in night care here in the UK. It became a bit of a mission for me to change that, and now to see it working across our homes, with one hub making things even more professional and effective, is a game-changer. We’re proud of what it’s done for people’s lives, and we’re always happy to share it with others who want to see it for themselves.”

Photo caption: Launch of acoustic monitoring hub. Phill Moorcraft, CLB Care, Rachel Guest, WCS Service Manager and Ed Russell, WCS Chief Executive, open the new monitoring hub with team members Mel North and Sarah King.