4,200 properties
across Somerset
0.79% Arrears Rate
ending April 2024, down from 1.52% in 2017
78% of tenants
went on to have a conversation with the team after listening to a Voicescape message
An arms-length management organisation (ALMO) operating throughout Somerset, Homes in Sedgemoor currently manages just under 4,200 properties – including tenants and leaseholders. Originally owned by Sedgemoor District Council, Homes in Sedgemoor’s ownership transferred to Somerset Council following a merger of local authorities in April 2023. The Homes in Sedgemoor team provides high-quality services to their tenants. But like many housing organisations, they’ve faced several challenges over the years – including financial constraints and growing demands on their income team.
The Challenge
Homes in Sedgemoor employs a small team of income officers to manage rent collection and ultimately reduce arrears. However, following internal restructures and the roll out of Universal Credit, team capacity was reduced and more complex cases were becoming evident.
Historically, Homes in Sedgemoor had maintained a strong arrears performance. The income team needed to find a way to keep delivering the outstanding service they were known for – even with more complex cases using the same resource.
They also made the decision to emphasise support and engagement rather than enforcement, to attempt to prevent as many tenants being evicted as a result of rent arrears as possible, from a peak of 19 evictions in the year ending April 2017.
The Solution
Enter: Voicescape Collections. Homes in Sedgemoor adopted our innovative rent collection solution in 2018 as part of a broader initiative to streamline their operations and maximise efficiency. Our software’s automation capabilities served as the answer to the income team’s increased workload. Using our automated reminders for early-stage arrears, Homes in Sedgemoor were able to make sure the tenants at risk of falling behind on rent were contacted swiftly and efficiently – all the while freeing up income officers to focus on more complex cases.
Our system also streamlined the management of high-level arrears cases, enabling immediate follow-up for tenants who had received legal notices or court warnings. In this way, Homes in Sedgemoor’s income team were able to handle a larger caseload without the need for additional staff – empowering them to manage their workload more effectively.
The Results
Before the introduction of Voicescape, Homes in Sedgemoor had an arrears rate of 1.52%. For year-end April 2024, this figure had dropped to 0.79% – significantly outperforming the industry average. Typically, the arrears rate for similar organisations in the upper quartile sits at 2.11%, while the lower quartile is at 3.99%.
Arrears related evictions reduced from a peak of 19, down to zero in the year ending April 2019, with a total of just 12 evictions across the next 6 years.
Homes in Sedgemoor’s drop in an already impressive arrears rate and reduction in evictions, can be attributed to the increased efficiency and responsiveness provided by Voicescape Collections.
Another notable difference was the improvement in tenant engagement, with automated communication enabling the team to focus on supporting those who needed it most – particularly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Voicescape Collections’ ability to provide timely and consistent follow-up for arrears helped the team mitigate the impact of external challenges – facilitating the arrangement of 80% rent payments while furloughed tenants’ salaries were cut by 20% and engaging with tenants who historically paid rent on time but were struggling due to the pandemic.
“Interestingly, our arrears weren’t impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, and even through the COVID-19 pandemic we didn’t see a dip in our collection rates. Voicescape is certainly one of the tools that helped us mitigate these events by engaging more with our tenants.”
Ian Richards, Income Team Leader at Homes in Sedgemoor
The Future
Looking ahead, Homes in Sedgemoor plans to keep leveraging Voicescape to manage its caseload and adapt to the changing landscape of housing management as they take their next steps in the local government re-organisation alongside Somerset Council. They will also soon be using Voicescape Collections for rechargeable repairs debts too!
“We know that we couldn’t manage the level of contact we make without Voicescape! We just wouldn’t be able to do what we do. We’d need at least two additional officers to cope with the workload.”
Ian Richards, Income Team Leader at Homes in Sedgemoor
We will continue to work with Homes in Sedgemoor and other Voicescape Collections customers on developing our innovative solution to better meet their needs. Discover how we can help you make early interventions, simplify rent collection for your tenants, and collect with care by booking a demo.
Get in touch!
Want to see how Voicescape technology could help your housing association? Get in touch