National telecare campaign launched to help residents
In early June, BT and Virgin Media O2, in partnership with the UK Government, launched the first-ever national telecare campaign.
The LGA and TEC Services Association assumed a consultative role throughout the campaign’s development.
The national telecare campaign aims to keep people safe and supported throughout the ‘public switched telephone network’ migration – otherwise known as the digital switchover from traditional telephone landlines – by encouraging telecare users and their families, friends, and carers to inform their landline provider if they have telecare.
The public switched telephone network is becoming increasingly fragile, less reliable, and harder to maintain.
As a result, landline providers are upgrading from the old analogue technology to modern digital services. The campaign’s launch comes ahead of the scheduled shutdown of the analogue network by January 2027.
Landline providers have already been working with local authorities, the telecare sector, and housing associations to identify telecare users, using a data-sharing agreement template and guidance drafted by the London Office of Technology and Innovation, on behalf of, and in consultation, with the LGA.
Date sharing agreements enable the sharing of landline phone numbers with providers, who then cross-reference them with customer data to identify residents using telecare devices. This campaign introduces an additional measure to help identify and protect these residents.
For most, the transition will be seamless. However, vulnerable individuals who rely on telecare alarms will require special attention to ensure their devices continue to function during and after the switchover.
BT and Virgin Media O2 have produced a national telecare campaign partner toolkit to amplify campaign messaging and ensure that everyone receives the support they need.
The toolkit is designed to help local authorities, telecare providers and suppliers, as well as voluntary and community organisations, share the message locally and support residents during the switchover.
The toolkit includes:
- pre-approved campaign messaging and tone-of-voice guidance
- posters, digital banners, and social media assets (including bilingual Welsh versions)
- television and video assets for online and offline use
- newsletter copy and suggested web content
- details on how and where to display content
- a clear call to action.
By ensuring audiences receive a consistent message, the goal is to deliver a recognisable and impactful campaign that could help save lives.
To support the campaign, councils are encouraged to:
- post content about the campaign on social media using the
- toolkit assets
- share and like related social media content to increase visibility
- direct audiences to digitalphone switchover.com for more information
- display printed campaign posters in relevant locations – such as community centres, waiting areas, and offices
- include campaign messaging in communications, such as newsletters or email updates.
The national campaign will run across TV, streaming platforms, YouTube, search engine advertising, social media, print media, web banners, and radio.
It runs until 31 August 2025 and assets are only available during this period. For further information or assistance, please email digital.voice.comms@bt.com.
- The toolkit and the data sharing agreement template, along with additional information and resources, are available on the LGA’s digital switchover hub, at www.local.gov.uk/digital-switchover. The LGA has been working on this issue with the Digital Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group, for which it provides the secretariat. See www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/care-to-connect/