November 2025

Welcome

As the festive season approaches, we want to share some important updates and helpful information to keep you safe, informed, and connected.

This edition includes news about how we’re making homes healthier and safer, tips for reporting issues in your neighbourhood and ways you can get involved and stay connected within your local community.

We’re also proud to share that recent Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) show real improvements in key areas such as repairs, complaints handling, and respectful engagement over the past 12 months. These improvements reflect your feedback and our commitment to delivering better services for you, our tenants.

You’ll also find details on Christmas opening times as well as how to contact us over the holidays.

Other highlights include:

• Housing Options Appraisal update – a huge thank you
• Be alert to scams this Christmas
• Re-launching the Tenant Hub Facebook page
• Awaab’s Law: Making your home safer
• Christmas Sparkle Project
• Local community groups looking for you to join!
• Reporting external issues in your neighbourhood

Thank you for being part of our community – together we’re making Somerset a great place to live.

From all of us at Somerset Council we wish you a safe, happy and sparkling festive season!

Service news and updates

Aligning our services: Housing Options Appraisal update

Back in May, we announced that we would be undertaking an independent options appraisal – or review – to determine how our housing management services should be delivered in the future.

This review, which is being completed by independent consultants, Savills, is being undertaken to ensure that our services are better aligned across the county and that we deliver best value for money for all Somerset Council and Homes in Somerset tenants and leaseholders.

Be alert to scams this Christmas

The Christmas season is always a time when money can be tight and unfortunately, it also seems to be a time when immoral scammers will try and take advantage of people and their good nature.

Please be extra vigilant this time of year for suspicious emails, texts, letters or phone calls that claim to be from the Council – or indeed any other organisations – asking for your bank or personal details.

Tenant Satisfaction Measures: a look back at the year Somerset Council recently released its latest Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) results for May 2025, and there was a lot to celebrate. Let’s take a look at how things have changed since the last survey in November 2024, and what this means for you as a valued tenant.

Poll-time: help us re-launch your Tenant Hub Facebook group!

We know good, 2-way communication is something our tenants would like more of and that social media is a platform many of you use day-to-day already. You may not be aware of our Tenant Hub group on Facebook. The group hasn’t been active for some time but we’re now looking to review and re-launch the group – if you’d like us to – in the new year.

Help us to help you: keeping your information up to date

We’re working on improving how we manage information so that we can provide you with a better, more responsive service. To do this, we’ll be asking tenants to update their personal and household details. This will help us make sure we have the right information to support you and your household in the best way possible. There are 2 simple ways we’ll be doing this.

Raising a complaint to the Housing landlord team

If you’re unhappy with our service as your landlord, and have already given us a chance to put matters right, you can make a complaint. Complaints can be raised by: using our online form, calling 0300 123 2224, writing to us at: Housing Landlord Complaints, Somerset Council, County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY, or talking with any member of staff you have direct contact with.

Awaab’s Law: Making your home safer

From 27 October 2025, a new law called Awaab’s Law took effect. It was introduced after the tragic death of 2 year-old Awaab Ishak, caused by severe damp and mould in his home. This law makes sure that all social housing is safe, healthy and well maintained – and that we, as landlords, act quickly when problems are reported. What this means for you Quick action on hazards We’re already working hard to address damp, mould, and other hazards in our homes. Awaab’s Law now gives us clear timescales to act even faster.

Neighbourhoods

A decade of Christmas Sparkle!

Once again this year, the Tenants Action Group is donating to SPARKLE with the help of grant funding.

The Christmas Sparkle Project is run by the community for the community. We work with local organisations who support families in need.

Discover local groups, make new connections and get involved!

Looking for ways to meet new people, learn new skills, or have fun in your community?

There are a wide range of local groups waiting for you to join!

Building Safety: Working together to keep you safe

At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to building safety. Ensuring our residents live in secure, well-informed environments is our top priority.

That’s why we’re proud to be working closely with our engaged tenants to make sure you have the information you need to keep yourself and your family safe.

Do you know how to report external issues in your neighbourhood?

When out and about, have you noticed issues such as abandoned vehicles, fly tipping, unauthorised parking, poorly maintained footpaths and walkways, or graffiti that you think should be dealt with?

We want to help you keep your neighbourhood safe, clean and tidy, however we can’t do anything about it until we are made aware of it.

Leaseholder story: the power of community care

A recent incident at a leasehold residential property highlighted the power of community care and interdepartmental collaboration. A concerned leaseholder contacted Leasehold Services after discovering an elderly neighbour on the ground outside their flat. Acting swiftly, Somerset Lifeline was called, ensuring the neighbour was safely returned to their home.

Working together to make progress

At Somerset Council, we take your feedback seriously. We want to listen to your views and involve you in some of the key decisions that we, as your landlord, make. These decisions affect you so why not become more involved and have your say?

Stock condition survey - have you had yours yet?

Work is progressing well on the stock condition survey and around 40% of all homes have now been visited.

The information we collect during the survey helps us to judge when to replace the key components in your home, such as the kitchen, bathroom and heating system.

Surveys will be carried out by us or MD Group staff who will all carry photo ID.

If you’ve had a card or letter through the door and want to book an appointment, please call Chantelle on telephone 01278 238115.

DIY SOS! Carrie responds to painting Feniton

Our very own Carrie Robinson, a painter in our Responsive Repairs team recently volunteered her time to join the BBC’s DIY SOS team in Feniton, near Honiton, putting to fantastic use her skills to surprise a local family and help renovate their home after a family bereavement.

Tenant feedback

Staff praised for support and kindness

It’s lovely when tenants write in to thank members of the Housing team for the service and support they have received. It means a lot to the colleagues in the service but also to the wider team: “Thank you so much for your kind message and for the support extended by Somerset Council. Your compassion and kindness mean a great deal to us. “On behalf of my dad, my wife, and myself, I want to express our sincere appreciation for the help you’ve shown to our family during this time. With heartfelt thanks, Nigel.”

Christmas and New Year opening times 2025/26 and important information

Emergency contacts:

• For emergency repairs such as complete electrical failure, no heating or hot water, call 0300 123 2224
• To report an emergency such as flooding, call 0300 123 2224
• Emergency Homeless lines: 0300 123 2224 (after 5pm on a Friday) or 0300 123 2327 (weekends)
• Online Services: somerset.gov.uk
• Christmas waste collections: somerset.gov.uk/bins-recycling-and-waste

Why have I received this email?

As a tenant of Somerset Council, we’ve sent this to inform you about important updates relating to our Landlord Service. If you don’t wish to receive these in future, you can choose to opt out.