Kent County Council: Keeping people connected during COVID-19
As the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the UK, Rethink Partners engaged with care providers to determine how they could collectively connect vulnerable people with friends and family. Together, Kent County Council and Rethink developed Kara – the county’s largest rollout of care technology.

challenge
Kent County Council wanted to ensure its vulnerable people were able to stay in contact with their friends and family during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. With Rethink's experience in technology rollout, it was approached to deliver the project.

solution
Rethink developed a strategy to rollout Alcove Video Carephones to the most vulnerable people in Kent. It worked with care providers to identify those shielding, in receipt of care services and at most risk of isolation to provide the video phones.

outcome
Rethink Partners and Kent County Council provided 1,360 video carephones to the most vulnerable people in the community, after receiving up to 258 referrals per month. The recipients have racked up 65,000 minutes of voice and video calls.