How Homes in Somerset Automated Welfare Checks for Independent Living Tenants

82,949

 Automated wellbeing calls delivered through Voicescape Wellbeing across a 3-year-period

 58%  

 Of tenants confirm they are safe and do not require a visit; saving valuable staff time for those who require support

7,773

 Potential vulnerabilities identified across a 3-year-period

Homes in Somerset has increased resident responses to welfare checks using Voicescape Wellbeing, saving hours of staff time and helping the team identify vulnerable tenants much earlier.Within their housing stock, Homes in Somerset manage 822 homes designed specifically to support older residents to live independently for longer.

The Challenge

Homes in Somerset struggled to carry out regular wellbeing checks across their large and growing portfolio of properties. Visiting every tenant was not sustainable long-term, particularly as many tenants were reluctant to pay for in-person visits for extra support if they do not require it (as part of a tiered service offer for independent living). This meant the team had limited visibility of whether tenants were safe unless individuals proactively reached out or were contacted during an annual review. This created growing concerns for those who remained silent, whilst the manual process of calling or visiting each tenant became progressively more time-consuming and unsustainable.

They also faced several barriers to effective welfare checks:

• A high number of silent tenants, resulting in staff carrying out in-person visits for most tenants.
• A vulnerable tenant population, typically aged 55+ with physical, mental, financial or housing-related support needs.
• Long phone calls, with some conversations still leading to an on-site visit.
• Significant travel and fuel costs, as staff frequently needed to drive out and knock on doors to confirm tenants’ wellbeing.

The Solution 

Following the successful use of Voicescape technology in their Income team, Homes in Somerset adopted it for wellbeing checks. Implemented in January 2023, Voicescape Wellbeing delivered the scalable automation they needed for tenant contact.

Voicescape Wellbeing allows Homes in Somerset to automate weekly check-ins, surfacing tenant vulnerabilities. It also allows residents to confirm their wellbeing independently while ensuring staff are automatically alerted when support may be needed.

The introduction of Voicescape Wellbeing enabled the team to:

• Automate check-in calls to tenants as tenants can easily press '1' if they are okay or '9' if they want a callback, quickly filtering those who need assistance.
• Contact tenants proactively with Wellbeing configured to the specific needs of their tenants using their preferred contact method.
• Provide a recorded message to confirm tenants’ safety - if they request assistance or fail to respond, the system notifies a relevant team member via SMS or email.

Maria Ham, Team Leader at Homes in Somerset, commented on how moving to automated check-ins was essential for them as an organisation:

"I was a bit sceptical to start with because I didn't think it would work and it wouldn't benefit us. But now, it works well for us, and it reassures us that the tenants are okay."

The Results

Since going live with Wellbeing in January 2023, Homes in Somerset has generated considerable time savings and integrated an automated check-in process that enhances tenant support.

Operational & Efficiency Impact since January 2023:

• 82,949 automated wellbeing calls delivered.
• 64,736 successful resident engagements.
• 7,773 potential vulnerabilities identified through no-response.
• Fewer in-person visits required as better visibility on those who do not require one.
• Staff can prioritise vulnerable residents by using the time saved from reduced administrative work on routine welfare checks to support those with more complex needs.
• Team Leaders can identify trends and concerns at a glance, enabling better allocation of resources.

“We have confidence in the solution's scalability. Wellbeing has made the service more scalable as our housing stock grows.”

Maria Ham, Team Leader from Homes in Somerset.

Engagement Impact:

• 58% on average confirm they are safe and do not currently require a visit.
• 10 call backs on average received per week - typically 3 reporting repairs, 4 request a visit, and another 3 are either in hospital or going away on holiday.
• Homes in Somerset now have a total of 105 tenants regularly receiving visits who require it (typically spending up to 30 minutes per visit).

Regarding engagement impact and the tenant response to Wellbeing, Maria Ham stated:

"Voicescape Wellbeing connects us to the tenants, and they like it. It helps us know they're okay or if they need help."

“Voicescape benefits our service, as it would simply not be feasible for us to contact every tenant weekly; the platform helps ensure they feel supported and allows us to focus our time where it is most needed.”

Homes in Somerset report that tenants responded positively to Wellbeing’s automated messages, with some even waiting for the check-in prompt – helping tenants feel secure, valued and confident that support is available when needed.

Using Wellbeing, tenants can quickly confirm their wellbeing without the need for a scheduled visit. Vulnerable tenants are identified earlier when the request help of fail to respond - and staff have greater visibility across schemes and can intervene when concerns arise.

"I think they feel that they're getting support now, even if it's just this phone call, which is helpful for them and for us."

Maria Ham, Team Leader from Homes in Somerset.

Next Steps

The upcoming merger with Somerset Council is expected to significantly increase housing stock. Homes in Somerset sees automation as essential to scaling welfare checks without increasing staffing levels.

Voicescape Wellbeing automates check-ins with tenants, highlights vulnerabilities and helps teams allocate resources efficiently whilst reducing the need for in-person visits. Get in touch with our team today to see how quickly you could check in with tenants and better support vulnerable tenants.