Council to consider external provider for Homeline

Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet will consider proposals to secure the future of the Homeline service by commissioning a specialist external provider to deliver it.

Under the recommended option, Homeline will continue to operate as it does now - including its 24-hour monitoring and in-person response - but will be delivered by a provider with greater clinical capability. This approach aims to improve safety, strengthen safeguarding and ensure the service can meet the increasingly complex needs of residents.

Homeline is the council’s community alarm and response service, supporting more than 3,000 people across Swindon to remain safe and independent in their own homes.

A report going to Cabinet on 1 July sets out the outcome of a public consultation on the service, alongside recommendations for how it could be delivered in the future.

The review has been driven by feedback from residents and tenants, as well as the growing complexity of need among those using the service. Over time, Homeline has evolved to support people with higher levels of frailty, more complex health conditions and greater safeguarding requirements.

However, the current model is not clinically led, and staff do not have access to medical equipment or patient information, which can mean additional input from health professionals is needed to make decisions.

Councillor Matty Courtliff, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, said: “Homeline plays an important role in supporting residents to live safely and independently, particularly those who may need extra reassurance and support, so it is vital that the service continues to meet its users’ needs.

“We have consulted with Homeline users and their families, and we understand how valued it is, which is why we need to guarantee a sustainable future for it.

“These proposals build on the consultation feedback and will ensure the service continues whilst improving its quality, reliability and long-term sustainability, as well as giving council tenants greater choice over whether they opt-in and pay for it.”

The proposed new model would be commissioned jointly by the council and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), enabling stronger clinical oversight and closer integration with health services. This would particularly support areas such as falls response, hospital avoidance and urgent community care.

The report concludes that this is the most sustainable long-term option, improving resilience, strengthening safeguarding and reducing risks associated with delayed or fragmented responses.

The council’s consultation, which received more than 1,000 responses, showed strong support for the service, particularly its in-person response. The majority of respondents opposed both a telephone-only model and closure of the service.

The report also recommends that Homeline is no longer included as a mandatory part of council tenancies, moving instead to an opt-in model so tenants only pay if they choose to receive it.

Councillor Vinay Manro, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “As people’s health and care needs become more complex, it’s essential that services like Homeline are better connected to the wider health and care system.

“By working in partnership with the Integrated Care Board, we can strengthen clinical oversight and ensure the service links more effectively into the support people may need, including urgent community response and hospital care.

“These proposals will help us continue to enhance the service, ensuring residents receive timely, appropriate support while helping them to remain safe, independent and connected to the care they need for longer. “

If approved, further work will be carried out to implement the proposals, including procurement of a provider and statutory consultation with tenants on proposed changes to tenancy agreements. A further report outlining the next steps for the new service and the procurement process will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet at the end of this year.

There will be no immediate changes to how residents access the service while this work is carried out.