WATCH Lifeline

Wandsworth Alarm Telephone Care Helpline (WATCH) Lifeline is an emergency home response alarm service provided by Wandsworth Council, available to older people, people of all ages with disabilities or specific medical needs.

It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so you can be reassured that help is at hand at the touch of a button.

Things to bear in mind: 

  • A normal landline telephone service is required
  • You must be willing to provide a set of keys to property
  • There is a cost

How it works

If you fall or are taken ill, your phone may be out of reach, but with WATCH Lifeline installed you can call for assistance from anywhere in your home just by pressing the red button on your pendant.

Pressing the pendant button sends an alarm signal to our community alarm centre. We will identify you and our experienced Emergency Response Officers based in our Joint Control Centre will be able to speak to you, in any part of your home, through the lifeline alarm unit.

Our Emergency Response Officer will give you advice and reassurance and if appropriate visit your home to assist you.

All our equipment is easy to use and quick to install. All you need is a telephone line. We will supply a speech alarm unit and a special neck or wrist pendant for you to wear.

There is a weekly fee for the service, however we supply and install the equipment free of charge whilst you use the service. Discounts may be available to people on benefits. 

Additional to the basic pendant and alarm unit combination, we can also provide environmental sensors such as smoke, carbon monoxide and flood detectors. We can also offer medication reminder devices, fall detectors and bed occupancy sensors. All of these sensors, if activated, will send an alert to the control centre in the same way as the pendant. See the Telecare pages for further information. 

The additional sensors are charged in addition to the weekly service fee.

Costs

Clients are invoiced annually, with invoices to be paid in 10 monthly payments via direct debit or via Payment Points at the local post office. 

  • If you are in receipt of Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit only, the weekly charge is (low band) £2.39 per week
  • If you are in receipt of Housing and/or Council Tax benefit, and also receive Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance, the weekly charge is (middle band) £4.58 per week
  • If you are not in receipt of Housing or Council Tax benefit, the weekly charge is (high band) £9.07 per week

How to join

You can apply for yourself, for a relative, by a carer, be referred by doctor or healthcare worker. Contact the Joint Control Centre using the link below to arrange an appointment with an Emergency Response Officer, who will explain more fully how the service works.

Request an appointment

Contact Joint Control Centre

Contact details:

Watch Lifeline
Joint Control Centre
Wandsworth Borough Council
Wandsworth High Street
Wandsworth
SW18 2PU

Downloads

WATCH Leaflet

WATCH newsletter

View the latest editions of the WATCH newsletter:

Up to Emergency alarm services

Updated: 01/04/2024