Helping you stay more independent in your own home with a community alarm.

You’ll be in touch with reliable help at all times throughout the day and night – via a pendant button, just in case you fall or become unwell. All for only £20 a month.

Or request an application pack to be sent in the post.

If you need help completing your application form because of a disability, please let us know and request our free form filling service. 

Guidance if you don't own the freehold to the property where the equipment will be. There's a permission form that will need to be completed.

• Price
• How the pendant alarm service works
• Installation of pendant alarm
• How to use your community alarm
• Key safes
• Medical Alert Card & Keyfinder Fob
• What our customers say

Price

£20 per month (+VAT if applicable, most service users are VAT exempt) for community alarm and pendant. 

Our price includes:

• 24/7 monitoring and response to all calls from the equipment
• British Red Cross - Response service
• Free key safe worth £70
• Home and telephone maintenance service
• Free Medical Alert card
• Free Keyfinder fob
• No upfront equipment costs, installation fees, long term contracts nor means testing.

See how we're value for money.

New customers simply pay a monthly service charge:

Discount for Carers 

Additional items

How the pendant alarm service works

When you press your pendant, you’ll speak to a highly experienced call operator 24/7 who will make sure you get the help you need. We can alert a family member or friend to reassure you, or we'll call the emergency services if required. All from our Hertfordshire based Control Room.

When you join, you’ll be asked to provide the contact details of friends, family members or neighbours to act as Volunteer Responders - who you’d like us to call for reassurance or help if there's an issue.

If these contacts aren't available, or you do not have someone who can be a responder for you, this is no problem - The British Red Cross (BRC) - our mobile Response Service - will send one of their professional's to assess the situation at no extra charge. BRC will attend their home, assess the reason why an alarm was raised, deal with the situation as appropriate and, if necessary, call the Emergency Services. They will also report back to Careline. 

We'll always call the emergency services if there is an emergency.

Who can benefit from a community alarm?

Installation of pendant alarm

When you sign up for a home alarm, one of engineers will install the equipment for you. They'll call you to arrange a convenient time once your application is processed.

How to use your community alarm

You’ll get a lightweight, waterproof pendant alarm to wear around your neck or on a wrist strap.

You simply push the emergency alarm pendant button to raise an alert. This lets you speak to a friendly operator who will get you the help you need, day and night.

The pendant can be worn on a cord around the neck, on a wrist strap or clipped to a belt.

Key safes

We recommend you get a key safe when you sign up for our pendant and alarm service.

We can supply and install this secure metal box to the outside of your home for free (worth approximately £130) which will contain an additional front door key to your property. If you've already got one, we'll use that.

The emergency services can get the key using a confidential code, which we will issue if you require their assistance, to gain access to your property, if needed.

The Ark Tamo A5 key safe is free to you as its completely funded by Hertfordshire County Council.

The ark Tamo was the world’s first mechanical key safe to achieve the LPS1175 Issue 8 A10 security rating from Loss Prevention Certification Board, making it the best key safe in its class. Tamo is also officially police preferred, specified by ‘Secured by Design’, the official UK Police security initiative, which certifies products proven to reduce crime.  

If you own the Freehold to your property, we will install the key safe at the same time as we install your other equipment. If you do not own the Freehold, landlords, housing associations and management companies are usually happy to grant permission for you to have a key safe fitted, but you do need to have this confirmed before we can install. We have a form you will need to ask them to complete.

If you need help with your key safe, see our Key safe instruction card.

Please note we can only attach a key safe to brickwork or concrete (not rendering or pebbledash).

Medical Alert Card & Keyfinder Fob

These are included at no extra cost and arrive in the post soon after your equipment is installed. The Medical Alert Card can be placed in your wallet or purse and if a medical professional sees it if you're taken unwell outside your home, they can ask us for details about you if you're unable to tell them. The Keyfinder Fob for your keyring offers a reliable way of retrieving your keys if you lose them.

Already have a community alarm?

Get help using your alarmCancel your alarm service

Refer a friend

If you would like to refer a friend to us, you will receive a £10 M&S voucher once they sign up to our service. Simply email CarelineSupport@north-herts.gov.uk or call 0300 999 2 999 to pass on their details (with their permission) T&Cs apply.

Worried about someone managing risks at home?

Your service agreement, privacy policy and service / welcome pack

Service Agreement - Legal Agreement for Herts Careline Service 2026 (PDF 253KB)

Privacy Policy & Charge Schedule 2025/26

Service / Welcome Pack

Herts Careline Leaseholder or Management Company Permission Form for Freehold

What our customers say

"Herts Careline was an absolute godsend when my mum was mobile but experiencing falls, especially as they become more and more frequent. It’s like always having amazing family members in the house - thank you!

“You saved my life in January. You phoned immediately for an ambulance. It arrived; I couldn't speak. Next 24 hours I was in life critical care and survived. Thank you so much. Perfect service. I will never forget your service!”

"I feel so much safer and at peace since the equipment has been installed and more confident when I'm alone."

"Thank you for saving me when I was unconscious on floor at 2am one night about 2 years ago now. Brilliant service."

"Your call operatives sound really reassuring even on the occasion of a false alarm from me. It really is a lifeline to me and above all a real CAREline. Care - the most important word."

"I'm very pleased with the Careline system. Now I feel really safe in my home. A very big thank you."

See customer survey results 2025