Agenda item

7.1

The Committee received a report of the Interim Director, Housing and Neighbourhoods Service, which provided details of what Housing+ was, its aims and implementation.  The report was presented by Janet Sharpe, Interim Director, Housing and Neighbourhoods Service, and was supported by a presentation given by Paul Voyse, Area Manager, which gave examples of case studies of officers’ experiences in working with the model.  Diana Fleming, Housing Co-ordinator, and Danielle Warren, Housing Officer, were also present at the meeting to provide an officer view.

7.2

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:-

·                Each patch was expected to contain between 280 and 300 properties, with challenging neighbourhoods containing less.  The interventions in each area had been modelled to work out appropriate patch sizes and the back office services required, and these were now being tested to check that patch sizes were correct.  A review of these would be held after 12 months.

·                Councillors would be informed as to who their patch officers would be.  The aim was to try to build up a relationship between the Team Leaders and Councillors, and consideration was being given as to how lines of communication could be set up.  Events were also to be held to consider engagement with the Local Area Partnerships.

·                Communications were assisted by having Neighbourhoods and Community Safety within the same part of the organisation.

·                In relation to staff support and risk management, training programmes were provided for officers and the reshaping of services would encourage good local relationships.  The Service also worked closely with the South Yorkshire Police and the Adult Social Care Service.  Where any particular problems arose, attempts would be made to resolve these by the use of support services.  There was a team approach to operations in each Ward with staff readily supporting each other.  It was recognised that information management was a challenge throughout the Council and it was emphasised that Safeguarding Training had always been provided to staff, with the new model making a positive contribution to joining up information.

·                Intensive training had taken place, with Ward teams covering a number of roles and experience, so officers had confidence in the new service.  Team Leaders were also available if staff needed help.  It was accepted that some staff would need more support than others.

·                Attendance had varied at the drop-in sessions, but each household in the patch had received a letter which identified their patch officer.  Early indications were that customers were taking advantage of the new ways of working. 

·                In terms of lessons learnt, there was a long issues list and a training package to address these was being set up.  This appeared to be the biggest challenge so far.

·                It was early days in the process, with the ‘test phase’ in the South East of the City only operating for 2 to 3 months, so it would probably be better for the Committee to go out and meet tenants to assess implementation when the model had been in operation for a longer period.

·                Parts of the Housing+ model were being implemented in other local authorities, but in the end it all came down to savings and efficiency.  Representatives of other authorities had visited Sheffield to see how the service had been modelled and how issues were being tackled.  In turn, officers from Sheffield had visited Redditch Council to learn from their experiences.

·                There had been extensive tenant involvement in setting up Housing+ with service design groups being involved and a consultation programme implemented.

·                It was considered that tenant liaison and customer engagement was everyone’s job. The aim was for officers to liaise with the TARAs and this would be embedded in the process.  Lead responsibility for this was with the Ward Team Leaders. 

·                A review of the number of Housing Officers was being undertaken, with consideration being given to co-location.

·                Data and analysis would be captured through the model’s plan, with this being particularly relevant in relation to dealing with other services.  It was hoped to strengthen local fora to identify what was working and what wasn’t.  A systems analyst was being employed to assess data and a task and finish group had been set up to look at TARAs and engagement.

·                In relation to the timetable, change proposals would be tabled with staff at the end of October or the beginning of November, with a three month consultation period then taking place.  Recruitment would take place during April/May, with staged implementation from 1^st June 2015.  The aim was to achieve this without compromising performance and service delivery.

7.3

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       thanks Janet Sharpe, Paul Voyse, Donna Fleming and Danielle Warren for their contribution to the meeting;

(b)       notes the contents of the report and presentation and the responses to questions; and

(c)        requests that arrangements be made for the Committee to visit the South East of the City, that being the area operating the ‘test phase’ of the model, no later than March 2015, to meet tenants and assess the implementation of the Housing+ model.