Organisations involved with ACT
Within the ACT Programme, there are 12 commercial, not for profit and user organisations:
- Tunstall Group Ltd
- Clark & Partners Ltd
- Toby Churchill Ltd
- Madhouse Software Productions Ltd
- BASE
- Sheffcare Limited
- HICA (Humberside Independent Care Association Limited)
- Age Care (Royal Surgical Aid Society)
- Help the Aged
- Age Concern England
- Jennic Ltd
- Kingkraft Ltd
Commercial Organisations
Tunstall Group Ltd - Established in the UK in 1957, Tunstall is the World's leading manufacturer and provider of personal and home reassurance telecare solutions, which help an increasing range of people at risk in their own homes or at work.
Further Information: http://www.tunstall.co.uk/
Clark & Partners Ltd - C&P are the leading supplier and servicing company for mobility and care products in South Yorkshire and by size in the top 10 per cent of UK companies in the field. Like many such companies, they began by supplying and servicing "aids and equipment" for people with disabilities, but over the last decade have expanded rapidly by serving the wider market for mobility aids, including motorised scooters. They have seven showrooms/service centres and have expanded into Derby, Ilkeston, Nottinghamshire, and Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They have 10 NHS contracts to service "aids" particularly wheel-chairs.
Further information: http://clarkandpartnersltd.co.uk/
Toby Churchill Ltd - Toby Churchill Ltd has built an international reputation for designing and supplying text-based communication aids for people who cannot speak, and is the leading manufacturer in Europe. It has particular expertise in ARM-based products and Linux operating systems and applications for these platforms. TCL sees the manufacture of appropriate technology that assists in the care and support of older people as a natural development of its existing business. It has a strong hardware and software R&D team working on embedded PDA style platforms for the ATT market. They are already involved with projects ranging from defence security systems, through seismology, TV on demand, and education, with members sited as remotely as Russia and New Zealand. They provide the base for broadening the product range from the current Communication Aids and Environmental Control products.
Further information: http://www.toby-churchill.com/
Madhouse Software Productions Ltd - Madhouse Software Productions researches, develops and retails Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT) software and hardware devices. A number of these EAT devices have been developed with a new access method called "Layers". Layers may have already increased the user's productivity and additionally enabled "context sensitive language" (saying it with feelings) and as Professor Pam Enderby (Institute of Primary Care, ScHARR) said on seeing these EAT devices, "Communication is much more than words alone." In addition, these devices can generate data-logs of the activities undertaken, which can be analysed to enable an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) obtain evidence of the prescription's fit.
MSP launches at Naidex 2007 a software application called "Switch Environment Assessment Tool" (SEAT), which was developed in collaboration with Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. This product along with all other products researched, developed and retailed by "Madhouse Software Productions Ltd", keeps the company on it's course and inline with it's ethos of :
"Empowering the Individual through Assistive Technology."
Further information: http://www.madhousesoftware.co.uk/
BASE - Formed in 1968, BASE was the first UK charity to promote nationally multidisciplinary inter-agency training and development programmes across the whole spectrum of health and social services for older people and their carers. The charity has over 35 years experience of promoting the highest quality support and care for older people.
Working closely and in partnership with lead bodies in national and regional government, statutory authorities, voluntary agencies and universities, BASE has recently broadened its remit to include vulnerable adults.
BASE has provided an extensive training and development service throughout the UK linked to national standards and qualifications. BASE strives to break down the barriers in order to develop joint working practices in which professionals both share and learn together.
Further information: http://base.org.uk/
Not for Profit Organisations
Sheffcare is a leading non-profit provider of long-term residential care, day-care and home-care in Sheffield. It runs 14 care-homes and is domiciliary care provision is growing. It has a strong commitment to quality and innovation.
Further information: http://www.sheffcare.co.uk/
HICA (Humberside Independent Care Association Limited)
HICA was formed in 1992 as an arms-length non-profit organisation by Humberside Social Services, and now runs 26 residential care homes. It has expanded its operations into South Yorkshire, through its delivery of domiciliary care.
HICA provides virtually all of its staff training in-house, and has an experienced training department.
Further information: http://www.hicagroup.co.uk/
Age Care (Royal Surgical Aid Society)
AgeCare is an older person residential care and training provider, which has won or been a finalist in 10 national level awards in recent years.
The AgeCare Awards Training Team deliver training in over 70 homes and organisations nationwide, and in the Czech Republic. The Awards Team have been the national winner of the UK Skills National Training Awards and one of only 16 training organisations in the UK to be selected for a Special Training Award in 2004 in recognition of their 'outstanding' work (for details, see http://www.agecareawards.org.uk/).
The Society's is not simply a training provider, but also an enabling
organisation that assists others to develop their training capabilities. Age Care also seeks to develop and promote best practice and policy development.
Further information: http://www.agecare.org.uk/
User Organisations
Help the Aged campaigns for change in government policy, undertakes research into the needs of older people and provides local services in communities across the UK and overseas. Our mission is to secure and uphold the rights of disadvantaged older people in the UK and around the world. Working with them, we will research their needs, campaign for changes in policy, and provide services to alleviate hardship today and prevent deprivation tomorrow.
Further information: http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/
Age Concern England - The well-established and highly respected local and regional Age Concern organisations pre-eminently represent the views of, and provide practical support for, active and frail older people in South Yorkshire.
They provide care and support to active and vulnerable older people, including much ‘emergency' and ‘stressful time' support that can be facilitated by ATT. Their dissemination and contact networks to local older people are unparalleled, and are at the forefront of consultative and participative approaches to the development of health, social and housing-related support services. Moreover, they are keen to develop their own R&D capacity and programme, as a tool for responding to older people's needs and preferences. They have harmonious relationships with the local statutory health and social services based on established complementary roles.
Further information: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/
Jennic Ltd
Jennic is a fabless semiconductor company leading the wireless connectivity revolution by providing wireless microcontrollers for a broad range of applications. Its expertise in systems and software combined with world class RF and digital chip design provides low cost, highly integrated wireless microcontrollers with a focus on the IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee standards.
The company's products include state-of-the-art low power wireless microcontrollers, modules, development platforms, protocol and application software.
Headquartered in Sheffield, UK, Jennic also has offices in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the USA.
Further information: http://www.Jennic.com/
Kingkraft Ltd
Kingkraft have been manufacturing specialist bathing equipment since 1984. The company is now established as one of the foremost suppliers in the assisted bathing market, with recognised brands such as Easibath and Contour. Kingkraft products are used in thousands of homes, hospitals and residential environments to provide invaluable assistance to help people meet their bathing requirements.
Further Information: http://www.Kingkraft.co.uk/