ALG Homelessness Working Group – 15 April 2005
Item
‘Setting the standard‘ – web-enabling the BABIE system
Report by:
Maddy Hill, 020 7983 4633
1.
1.1
APPENDIX D
Background
Since 1988, information has been collected (first by the London Research Centre’s Bed
and Breakfast Information Exchange (BABIE) and now by the GLA’s Housing and
Homelessness Unit (HHU)) on the usage and standards of bed and breakfast hotels and
other private sector shared accommodation used as temporary accommodation for
homeless households in London.
1.2
The primary aim of this system has been to improve the standards of shared temporary
accommodation used for homeless households and so enable boroughs to abide by the panLondon agreement on temporary accommodation standards.
1.3
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The GLA is now modernising the system to make improvements so that
information is much more accessible to boroughs, the primary users of this information
collation and inputting of information is done electronically rather than manually
automated reports are generated to show required inspections
the system is supported by the GLA’s Technology group
the system stores historical information
the system meets the e-government targets set by central Government.
2.
Project overview
2.1
The ‘Setting the Standard’ (STS) project has been proposed to develop and implement a
new web-based system, which will much improve the current system, making the administration of
the data quicker and easier for the HHU and enabling controlled access to the information for
other relevant users.
2.2
In addition, Setting the Standard will be designed to interface with other developing
information systems (such as NOTIFY) to increase the accuracy of the information and be
potentially able to accommodate other types of property related information in the future. This
would include capturing information relating to HMO licensing, London landlord accreditation and
private sector shared accommodation used to place asylum seekers and families placed by social
services.
3.
Strategic context
3.1
The draft London Housing Strategy (2005-2016) (LHS) acknowledges the need to continue
to improve standards in temporary accommodation, particularly in the private sector. It is expected
that the equalities impact assessment of the LHS will underline this point and make more explicit
reference to the need to improve standards for non-statutorily homeless people who are
accommodated in private sector shared temporary accommodation, such as single homeless
people, refugees, asylum seekers and social services placements.
 There is presently little information on the standards and usage of properties used to
temporarily accommodate these groups. When the BABIE standard is applied to these
properties. Setting the Standard will be designed so that it can capture information on the
standards of private sector shared accommodation groups. This information will be
important in producing evidence to argue for any improvement in standards.
 In addition, Setting the Standard will capture whether the landlord is part of the London
Landlord Accreditation Scheme – another way that standards will improve in private sector
accommodation.
3.2
The recent ODPM Select committee enquiry into homelessness included the
recommendation to introduce a registration and inspection system for all HMOs. This follows the
legislation set out in the Housing Act 2004 and the commitment in the ODPM’s 5 year plan:
Homes for all to implement licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation and improve standards for
those who rent privately.
 Setting the Standard will be designed to offer a way of recording this information for all
HMOs in London.
4.
Project timescales and progress to date
4.1
A project board has been appointed consisting of members of the GLA’s HHU and
Technology Group, an environmental health officer (LB Croydon) and a temporary
accommodation officer (LB Barnet).
4.2
A procurement exercise has been completed, resulting in the appointment of Creative
Database Projects Limited (CDP) to develop the STS system. CDP have recently developed
several other databases on behalf of the GLA that may be familiar to boroughs, including the
London Development Database, the London Housing Capacity Study and the London Wild Web.
4.3
The project board will be meeting in mid April to sign off the technical specification, from
which CDP will then develop the STS system over the next few months.
4.4
A separate communications plan is currently being developed which will include
mechanisms for making potential users aware of the system.
4.5
Testing of the new system is set for July, with a pilot, user acceptance testing, and training
set for August and September. The target ‘go-live’ date for the STS system is the week
commencing the 19th September 2005.
The project specification has been developed so that a future release of the STS system would
include integrating the information collection and submission with PDA’s with the system. Hotel
inspection forms could be completed via a handheld device, which is then uploaded to the system.
5.
Resource implications
5.1
The project to develop the STS system is being financed from the GLA’s HHU and
Technology Group’s budgets. Implementing the project has been identified as an efficiency saving
for at least the next two years, estimating to save the HHU approximately three person weeks per
year, as well as providing extra benefits to the London boroughs.
5.2
Benefits of using the STS system for boroughs include:
 saving officers’ time as there will be efficiencies built into the system so that forms can be
pre-populated with information
 improving data accuracy - the system will calculate complicated ratios and will prevent
officers from entering incorrect grades
 improving data collection – Officers will receive email reminders and notices about
properties that require inspections and so be able to direct resources more appropriately
and proactively
 having information instantly available to enable better and more targeted placements of
homeless households (e.g. being able to easily identify properties that have wheelchair
accessible lifts)
 having information instantly available on the usage of properties in their borough by other
boroughs.
 receiving email reminders about entering prices and occupancy information every six
months and being able to easily enter this directly onto the system. N.B. where this
information is being held on NOTIFY, the borough will not have to complete this information
separately
 having access to GLA reports on usage of accommodation and being able to generate
separate borough reports.
5.3
The STS project is intended to share information with boroughs that is not currently
available to them through their own or GLA systems. Users would be able to see information on
the standards of all the shared private sector accommodation that is in use by London boroughs,
however, they would only be able to make additions or changes to the information where it was
appropriate for their borough to do so. Some users would need permissions to enter data onto the
system (e.g. inspection forms or prices and occupancy information), whereas other users would
only need read-only access to the information. The following types of borough user have been
identified:
 environmental health users (can edit inspection forms, property details, rooms, but only
read prices and occupancy information)
 temporary accommodation users (can edit property details and prices and occupancy
information, but only read inspection forms and room information)
 asylum team users (can edit property details and prices and occupancy information, but
only read inspection forms and room information)
5.4
In the future (if, for example, the temporary accommodation inspections system is extended
to cover NASS and social services placements) additional roles could also be accommodated in
the system.
5.5
Over the course of the project’s development, borough officers (from the identified user
groups) will be asked to be involved in the pilot, user acceptance testing and training stages, due
to take place over August and September 2005.
5.6
Users in boroughs will need to have a pc that has at least a Pentium II processor.
5.7
Boroughs will be asked to begin using the STS after the pilot, user acceptance testing and
training have been delivered. This is scheduled for late September 2005.
6
Equalities implications
6.1
The development of the system is not in itself expected to have any equalities implications,
other than ensuring that system meets relevant accessibility standards. The end objective
(provision of management information about private sector shared accommodation) will directly
affect the London boroughs’ ability to provide decent and suitable accommodation for vulnerable
citizens and as such will have equalities implications.
6.2
The project will include a revision to the existing questions on inspection forms about
accessibility standards in accommodation, aiming to bring the questions in line with current
standards and the future London Accessible Housing Register.
7
Recommendations
7.1
London boroughs are asked for their agreement to use the new proposed system from
September 2005.
7.2
London boroughs are asked to ensure that relevant officers are aware of the project and
are committed to participating in user acceptance testing and attending a training session.