Member Article

Ground-breaking project co-designed by people with learning disabilities launches in the UK

A pioneering initiative connecting supported living homes using IoT technology has been launched by Vodafone, through Vodafone Business Ventures* and Mencap, the UK’s leading learning disability charity.

The innovative Connected Living project uses technology to enhance the quality of life for people with learning disabilities, as well as providing support workers with complimentary tools to use in providing personalised care.

Co-designed by Vodafone, support workers and people with learning disabilities living in Mencap’s supported living services, Connected Living was piloted successfully over 12 months in locations across Hampshire, Sussex, Somerset, Cornwall, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk. The collaborative partnership has involved people with a learning disability and support workers and service managers. It combines Vodafone’s expertise in IoT and connectivity with Mencap’s experience of improving the quality of life for people with a learning disability.

The pilot focused on how to make everyday activities – such as household tasks, time planning and socialising - easier. Technologies, including a range of user friendly, intuitive IoT enabled devices were installed in Mencap Supported Living homes controlled by a bespoke app, called Vodafone MyLife. Unlike standalone devices including GPS trackers or fall detectors, the MyLife app offers a simple user interface that is integrated and accessible via a single tablet. It gives Mencap’s clients control of their smart devices, while also enabling their support workers to have remote access. In addition, the Vodafone MyLife app allows users to create visual guides for everyday tasks and a host of other features such as:

My Room - enables residents to manage smart plugs, smart locks and smart lights via the app. How To – allows residents and support workers to create visual guides for everyday tasks. My Day – is a personalised diary management tool that enables users to create daily reminders for everyday tasks.
My Talk – provides those with speech problems another way to communicate, via personalised images, text and a speech function. Call Support – allows prompt remote support via a digital ‘panic button’ that allows two-way video calling between residents and support worker with one touch. To Do List – enables tenants to create easy to manage to do lists to encourage them to carry out and tick off tasks throughout the day. My Front Door – enables residents to answer their front door and check who is calling from anywhere in the house. Other IoT technologies trialled include: Activity Sensors - which detect unexpected movement and alert support workers. Smart Locks - which can be used to provide residents privacy and a sense of security in their own rooms. Helen Lamprell, General Counsel and External Affairs Director, Vodafone UK said: “I am incredibly proud of this project and excited by what it means for the way people with learning disabilities will be able to live their lives in the future. It has been developed in partnership between Vodafone, Mencap and, most importantly of all, those with learning disabilities themselves. The project aims to give those living with a learning disability greater independence and a better quality of life. It really demonstrates the power of technology to change people’s lives for the better”.

Steve Baker, Operations Director from Mencap said: “There are more than 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK and they face inequalities in every area of their life. They are more likely to live in poverty, be isolated, less likely to be in employment and often don’t have access to technology, which is a barrier in itself. Day-to-day tasks, which many of us take for granted can be a real struggle. Technology can provide simple solutions to enable them to take control and have greater independence and that really makes a difference. We are committed to improving the lives of people with a learning disability – we don’t want them to be left out and we know that in an increasingly digital world, we need to be innovative about our approach. It was important to us to make this a truly collaborative project – that the people we support ended up with something truly bespoke that gave them exactly what they needed. This wasn’t about off-the shelf tech - so as world leaders in IoT, Vodafone were the perfect partner.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Derrick Amoako .