Swindon Borough Council is set to consider plans to hand its Homeline community alarm service to an external specialist provider in a move aimed at strengthening support for more than 3,000 residents.
Cabinet members will discuss the proposals at their meeting on 1 July following a review of the service and a public consultation which attracted more than 1,000 responses.
If approved, Homeline would continue operating around the clock, including its 24-hour monitoring centre and in-person emergency response. However, the service would be delivered by an external provider with greater clinical expertise and closer links to health services.
Homeline helps older and vulnerable residents remain independent by providing emergency alarms and rapid assistance when needed.
According to the council, the service has evolved in recent years as users’ needs have become more complex, with increasing numbers of people requiring support for frailty, long-term health conditions and safeguarding concerns.
While the existing service is highly valued, officers say its current structure is not clinically led, with staff unable to access medical records or specialist equipment needed to make some healthcare decisions.
Under the proposed model, the service would be jointly commissioned by Swindon Borough Council and the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board. The council believes this would improve links with community health teams, support faster responses following falls and help avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
The report describes the proposal as the most sustainable long-term option, improving resilience while reducing the risk of delayed or fragmented care.
The consultation found strong support for retaining Homeline’s face-to-face response service. Most respondents opposed replacing it with a telephone-only service or closing it altogether.
Cabinet will also consider ending the requirement for council tenants to automatically receive and pay for Homeline. Instead, the service would become optional, allowing tenants to choose whether to subscribe.
Councillor Matty Courtliff, Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, said the review had been shaped by feedback from residents and service users.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Councillor Vinay Manro, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said integrating the service more closely with healthcare providers would better reflect the changing needs of residents.
“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,” he said.
If Cabinet approves the recommendations, the council will begin procuring a new provider and carry out a statutory consultation on the proposed tenancy changes before a further report is brought back later this year.
The council has stressed there will be no immediate changes for existing Homeline users while the procurement process is carried out.
