[EwelmeWarden]

Hi Nicola. I have been a live in Warden twice and consider it part of my duties to be on call ‘out of hours’, which is why I have a flat provided. My onsite flat is my home. I certainly do not expect to be paid extra for being on call if I am on site – surely this is implicit in the type of role a Warden undertakes and low cost/free accommodation is provided to facilitate this. If the Warden is not expected to be on call, then surely there is no need to provide a flat.

Both sites I’ve worked at have had telecare systems for emergencies. However, a live-in Warden is there to provide reassurance and assistance in both property and people emergencies. As mentioned in a previous post, I’d hate for a resident to have called an ambulance and be sat on their own, in distress, until family/paramedics arrive. Also, at my current post the Almshouses are Grade I listed properties in a rural location and an on site presence in a property emergency, such as a fire, could be invaluable.

In my last post, when I left, the Warden position became a live-out role and the Warden’s flat became an income generating property. There does seem to be a move away from live-in Warden posts.

However, all of this is being said without knowing what the Warden’s contract states, if your Warden has another home to go at weekends/if the flat was not provided and whether their property is provided on site as an ‘essential requirement of the job’ based on them being an on-call for their job out of normal working hours (tax implications can be complicated around this).

Sam

[EwelmeWarden]

Hi Sarah. If his self watering system operates regularly – at least weekly – it could be that you don’t need to routinely ‘run’ this particular tap yourselves? I run infrequently used taps weekly – laundries, empty properties and so on but not our self watering system connection as it activates a few times a week. If you ask that it is just disconnected over the winter, if it isn’t being used, it would then be easy for you to run. Sam.

[EwelmeWarden]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Some interesting points I’d not considered. Sam.

[EwelmeWarden]

Thank you Tina. Interesting point – I’d not thought of using a fire blanket to escape a fire. Sam.

[EwelmeWarden]

Hi Sam

It could be worth investigating whether your local Council can help. Or a nearby one. We are in Oxfordshire but use a council monitoring centre in Northampton. They also have a department that provides telecare equipment and Councils are likely to be cheaper as they are not profit drive, plus you know they’ll always be in business! They have provided services for two Almshouses I’ve worked at, despite one of them being ‘out of area’.

Another thought, my father, who lives alone and is very active, uses a YourStride watch. They look like a normal watch but connect to a monitoring centre who can speak to you through the watch. You can just tap the watch if you want help. It has a GPS tracker, is a fall detector and they are brilliant for active people who are out and about alone. For my dad, who goes birdwatching a lot, it means if he falls over in the middle of a field he can call for help or the fall detector will activate, the monitoring centre can speak to him and then call one of his contacts or send emergency services directly to his location using the GPS tracker. Cost of a YourStride, when we bought it about 2 years ago – was £70.00 one off purchase fee and £20.00 a month monitoring.

There are other brands that have come onto the market since we bought my dad’s. Personally, I think these sort of devices will gradually replace Telecare equipment. Just my opinion.

Sam
Warden

[EwelmeWarden]

Thank you Nick, I will do that. Sam.

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