Feedback sought on council’s community alarm system
People who use Swindon Borough Council’s telecare system, and their families, are being asked to give their views on the service to help inform what it might look like in the future.
Published: Friday, 2nd January 2026
The Homeline service provides a response service for people, by using a pendant alarm and other technology to allow them to remain independent in their own home for longer.
At present, Homeline is provided to all of the Council’s tenants in sheltered or supported accommodation as part of their tenancy agreements. But some tenants have told the Council they should only pay for the service if they choose to opt-in.
As a result, the Council is consulting with people who use Homeline, including council tenants, their families and other stakeholders, to get their feedback on the service and is asking for their views on potential options for delivering it in the future. This is in line with its mission to build a Fairer Swindon and makes sure residents and tenants are engaged with, and have a say in, the policies and services of the Council. It also aligns with the principles set out in the Council's Working Together Plan for Adult Services.
The consultation will help assess whether people want to continue to pay for the service overall and, therefore, the financial viability and sustainability of potential service models. Tenants’ views are specifically being sought on whether they feel the service should be a mandatory part of their tenancy.
Options for the service include providing a council-run telephone support only service with no in-person response, continuing to provide both telephone and in-person response services with some or all elements being managed by an external provider with greater expertise and/or connection to health services, or stopping the Homeline service altogether.
Councillor Janine Howarth, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Homeline has been providing support to Swindon residents for a number of years, but it’s clear from feedback that we’ve received that it’s not working for everyone and we want to ensure it’s the best that it can be.
“This is an opportunity for those who use the service, and their families, to tell us what they value about Homeline, what they think could be improved and what they would be prepared to pay. We also want to find out which model of service they would prefer to see in the future.
“It is really important we receive as much feedback as possible.”
The consultation is open until 27 February with the results being considered by the Council’s Cabinet in June.