Rother District Council
Agenda Item:
Scrutiny Committee
-
Services
Date
-
6 June 2005
Report of the
-
Director of Services
Subject
-
Housing Best Value Review
Recommendation: It be RESOLVED that the Action Plan be recommended to
Cabinet for approval.
This report supports the Key Aim of Supporting the Provision of Sufficient
Good Quality and Affordable Housing
Head of Service:
Anne Fennessy
Introduction
1.
Review Team
The Housing Best Value Review commenced in 2002 and as a consequence
the membership of the Review Team has changed over time.
Project Leader
-
Link Officers
-
Other Officers
-
Councillor
Councillor
Staffside Rep
-
formerly Geoff Cackett, Deputy Director of
Community Services.
Retired in 2003 and
replaced by Anne Fennessy, Head of Housing
Joanne Wright, Policy Officer
Suzanne Grisbrook, Principal Accountant
Martin Poole (replaced by)
Gemma Whiting, Housing Policy Officer (post now
vacant)
Matthew China, Team Leader: Private Sector
Housing (replaced by)
Jane Gilbert (acting Team Leader: Private Sector
Housing)
Martin Bolton, Housing Needs Manager
Alison Dryden, Housing Policy Assistant (replaced
by)
Holly Goring, Housing Policy Assistant
Cllr Mrs Joy Hughes
Cllr David Maynard (former Councillor)
Anne Ashby (replaced by)
Jayne Wilson
2.
The full details of the review are documented in the completed “toolkits”
available in the Members’ Room.
3.
The Housing Best Value Review commenced in September 2002 and was
designated to be a light touch review as approved by the Senior Management
Team. Whilst there have been staff changes the Review Team had met
regularly until December 2004. The early draft report and Improvement Action
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Plan were held pending the Comprehensive Performance Review (CPA) in
the autumn of 2003. The purpose was to allow the Assessment Team and
the Housing Service to use information from the CPA inspection and combine
this with the Best Value Review and to update and re-evaluate the Housing
Strategy. The Housing Service also needed to respond to the criteria and
effect of the new Housing Act 2004. This wait ensured the Housing Strategy
met the ‘fit for purpose’ criteria of the Government Office of the South East
(GOSE) and its Service Action Plans for Housing Services. All these tasks
drew Housing staff away from the review and as these tasks were taken as
the priority the consequence was the review has taken until May 2005 to
complete.
4.
The total time spent and the resultant cost of the project was calculated as
follows:
Officers cost in total
Members hours
Other expenses: visit, printing, etc.
COST
£10,035
50 hours
£602
Totals
£10,637
Scope of the Review
5.
A scoping document was prepared by the Review Team in November 2002.
The Review team focused on key areas of identified weakness that had been
identified by SWOT analysis. 19 areas of weakness found during the review
were added to this list.
6.
As a result of the scope the Review focused on the following 4 themed areas:
a)
Strategic, Policy and Protocol Improvements
Key internal documents for Housing and the links between Housing
and other corporate or strategic documents need putting in place or
improving.
b)
Improving Performance
Performance needed to be improved in a few key areas in both the
Private Sector and Housing Advice services. The service needed to
introduce more benchmarking and improve its management of how it
improved performance.
c)
Improving Communication and Consultation and Accessibility
The service had room for improvement in its interaction with other
services within the Council and local partners like East Sussex County
Council. Access to the service could be improved and would help
interaction.
d)
Resources
There were issues related to high staff turnover, access to training and
low average qualifications held by staff, long term sickness and having
other professional advice available to enable officers to make effective
decisions and provide consistent performance. There were also issues
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about Service Level Agreements and Grants, in particular the Disabled
Facilities Grants and the renovation grants.
Current Position of the Service
7.
Housing Services has three main areas of activity:
Private Sector Housing
(7 full time staff: 1 Manager, 2 Senior Environmental Health officers, 1
Technical officer, 1 Housing Aid Co-ordinator, 1 Housing Support
Officer, 1 occupational therapist (ESCC funded))
 Enforcement of housing statutes in private sector housing,
 Investigates complaints, takes actions to secure repairs and
improvement, grant and loan advice and provision,
 Houses in Multiple Occupation Registration Scheme, aids and
adaptations for disabled,
 Responds to land charge enquiries.
Housing Needs
(8 staff: 1 Manager, 5 Housing Needs Officers, 2 Housing Support
Officers)
 Homelessness service
 Homelessness prevention service,
 Advice and assessment of clients’ needs,
 Maintains the Housing Register,
 Owner occupation initiatives
Housing Policy
(2 full time staff, 1 Policy Officer, 1 Policy Assistant)
 Surveys, consultation and research,
 Housing Development Programme,
 Supporting People programme,
 District Housing Strategy and Empty Homes Strategy, and
 Monitoring Registered Social Landlords.
8.
The Housing Service is based at the Council’s office in Beeching Road,
Bexhill. The housing officers also provide surgeries every Tuesday afternoon
at the Community Help Point in Battle and every Thursday afternoon at the
Rye Help and Advice Centre. Housing officers also operate a 24-hour
standby duty officer system for out of hours emergency housing incidents. As
a result of the Access to Services Review and the Housing Review public
access to the service has been moved from Beeching Road to the Town Hall
complex. This took place in November 2004. Two Housing Needs officers
provide a full time front line housing advice service at the Community Help
Point at Amherst Road, Bexhill.
9.
Revenue Budget
The total net revenue Housing budget was as follows:



2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
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=
=
=
£2,041,960
£1,572,670
£854,770
3
Whilst the revenue budget figures appeared to have significantly declined
over the past three years this is due to changes largely resulting in
accountancy treatment for deferred capital charges. If these are removed
then the revenue expenditure budget has remained relatively consistent over
the past three years, even though there has been considerable growth in
demand for services and changes in legislation requiring much more work.
Comprehensive Performance Assessment
10.
The CPA inspection team judged Rother District Council "a fair council that is
investing in its services to bring further improvements to local people" (Audit
Commission, 2004). The full CPA report has been circulated to members and
can be found on the Rother website, www.rother.gov.uk.
11.
One of the areas that the CPA focussed on was housing. The inspectors
raised no major concerns. However, the CPA report did identify a need for
service improvements in the provision of new affordable homes and a need to
better understand how to balance our housing market. The assessment found
that housing services provided by Rother District Council were good and in
the category of ‘low need for improvement’ in their main service areas. It did
not find a need for specific action in other housing service areas apart from
the delivery of our Housing Strategy 2004-09 and development of affordable
housing.
Challenge – Key Findings
12.
Following the transfer of the Council housing stock, the residual Housing
Services were tested to outside competition in 2001 (see Compete). It was
found that the service could not be provided at the current cost to the current
standard by an outside organisation.
13.
In relation to other authorities Rother’s Housing Service delivers a cost
effective, efficient service to residents. Looking at comparative costs in
neighbouring authorities Rother’s Housing Service has less housing staff
(equivalent posts) per population than all others in East Sussex.
14.
The Housing Service has a long and successful record in partnership working
and in providing services through Service Level Agreements. For example
the quality of the Council’s relationship with its Home Improvement Agency,
Moat Care and Repair, was recognised with a partnership award in 2004.
The introduction in 2003 of a Service Level Agreement with Rother Homes for
providing a Private Sector Leasing Service has meant that Rother’s Housing
Service has had access to 50 additional rented homes from this scheme
alone, which has been achieved through close working with Housing Private
Sector Team to ensure properties with high standards were obtained.
Compare
15.
The following National Best Value Performance Indicators were used to
compare Rother’s performance. Compared to other housing authorities in
East Sussex, the Housing Service has performed above average in these
Indicators.
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16.

BV62 – percentage unfit private dwellings made fit or demolished as a
direct result of action by RDC. Currently above median at the end of
2004/5 (3.97%), since 2001 it has moved up from being in the worst 25%.
(2004/5 is the last year of measurement.)

BV64 – number of private sector dwellings returned to occupation or
demolished as a direct result of action by the authority.
Current
performance is best 25%. During the course of the review planned
improvements resulted in an increase in performance from bottom 25% to
top 25% within the two years.

BV67 – proportion of homelessness applications on which the authority
makes a decision and issues written notification within 33 working days. In
2001 performance moved from below average up to the best 25%. This
was not measured after 2002.

BV183a – length of stay of families with children in bed and breakfast
temporary accommodation. Performance improved from below median in
2002/3 to above median by the end of 2004/5.

BV176 – domestic violence refuge places per 10,000 population. Top
quartile, very high above the best 25% threshold for as long as it has been
measured.

There are new performance indicators from 2004/5 and in 2005/6
regarding homelessness and domestic violence. Quartile information was
not available to make the comparison. However, the authority has had
success in reducing homelessness. It was recently announced that Rother
has the lowest number of cases accepted as homeless against population
and compares favourably across East Sussex in the prevention of
homelessness.
In 2003 East Sussex County Council’s Comprehensive Performance
Assessment graded its Social Services as ‘poor’. As a result the County
Council implemented a recommendation that had a major impact on the
Private Sector Housing service. The investment by the County Council to
appoint a team of occupational therapists has led to a significant increase in
the number of cases being recommended for a Disabled Facilities Grant. As
a consequence the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) budget commitments
stretch to one and a half years in the future. At the beginning of 2005/6 the
authority had 22 outstanding approved grants without funding. The Council
has pressure to ensure suitable levels of DFG grants are awarded because:
 A high proportion of the grants go to the elderly and Rother has the
highest proportion of retired population in the county and one of the
highest in the country.
 The demand on the service seems likely to continue to rise because
over the last two years there has been an average increase of 6% per
year of residents claiming disabled living allowance.
 In the long term the grants help residents to remain in their own homes
longer, which reduces the pressure on the Housing Service for rehousing. In the immediate term the DF grants assist the Health
Services by reducing the time people are kept in hospital waiting for
their homes to be adapted.
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
Not having a home suitable for the needs of the disabled person has a
social cost because families become unable to cope.
17.
Rother is a member of the South East Local Stock Voluntary Transfer (LSVT)
Peer Group, with over twenty local authority housing departments, in
partnership with the Housing Quality Network. The Council’s involvement
included receiving a ’mock’ Best Value inspection in 2000, followed by reports
and star rating of 2 stars and ‘likely to improve’. As a result of the mock
inspection the Housing Needs Officers section redesigned their work patterns
to take on generic roles in order to improve the standard and quality of the
services this Section delivers to its clients. The new structure provides a
better service with less disparity in workloads and clear support for applicants.
18.
The Review Team visited East Hampshire DC because:
 It is an authority that transferred its housing stock under LSVT and was
predominately rural, which gave more useful comparison with Rother
services.
 In October 2001, East Hampshire DC received a score of 2 stars with
excellent prospects for improvement from the Audit Commission following
its inspection.
19.
The following is a summary of those areas where East Hampshire had
examples of best practice, which were possible areas for improvement for
Rother.
 a comparatively larger general reception area with children’s area and a
wide range of housing leaflets available;
 A cross department Affordable Housing Working Party and Affordable
Housing Policy;
 Joint policy development workshops and strong consultation arrangements
with other local authority services;
 Preferred partner agreements;
 Good customer feedback and consultation arrangements including panels,
newsletters and surveys;
 Encouraging young graduates to join the service by looking for
transferable skills and enthusiasm to balance lack of experience;
 Using performance management and training to secure good staff
retention and enabling staff to develop their own specialist portfolios.
20.
One of the major findings of the review team was the impact on performance
that is made by staff turnover and sickness. A key example was BV62, unfit
dwellings made fit, where there were past examples of lead officers setting
targets that had not been met because of long term sickness and recruitment
problems with empty posts that could not be filled, etc.
 Staff sickness previously had been as high as 19 days a year. However,
the current level of sickness has improved significantly over the past 12
months to 8 days a year on average; bringing it more in line with the
Council overall average for sickness absence. This is partly put down to
the changes made within the section as per paragraph 17 above and the
removal of long term sickness absence.
 Rother’s Housing Service had a higher staff turnover in comparison to
other services and had fewer numbers of highly qualified staff. Staff
turnover was averaging at 33% a year. This has been addressed through
measures taken in paragraph 17 above and recruitment and training
measures. Turnover has stabilised.
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21.
Best practice examples highlighted by the Review Team also addressed
some of the key issues in the scoping exercise. In comparison to best
practice authorities the reception facilities at Beeching Road were cramped
and interview facilities were inadequate and lacked privacy. The Review
Team recommended to the Housing Service that it utilise the facilities
provided by the Community Help Points to overcome the shortcomings of the
Beeching Road reception for housing clients.
22.
The Team also identified that other authorities had better levels of
consultation and communication with users of the Housing Service, as
opposed to its partners. This involved user newsletters, regularly scheduled
user surveys, regular consultation and focus groups, and using the website to
provide enhanced information, application forms and method for interacting
and communicating with the service.
23.
During the Review period past and present Housing Policy Officers worked
extensively on the development of the Housing Strategy and in 2004/05
achieved the classification of ‘fit for purpose’ as required by Government
Office South East.
Compare - Key Findings
24.
The Housing Service compares well for the region and with similar authorities
and overall compares well in terms of national performance.
25.
The Housing Service will have to monitor and make plans to deliver the new
Best Value Performance Indicators at an above median level, in line with the
Council’s own aspirations and milestones for performance. In addition, the
service has to address the resource pressures on the Disabled Facilities
Grants (see paragraph 14).
26.
There are several best practice examples that would improve customer
consultation and communication. The service users would benefit from
improved access facilities and better consultation and communication.
27.
Staff retention (which was averaging 33% a year) and staff absence
compared unfavourably and was significantly impacting on the service’s BVPI
performance. In the past two years these issues have been addressed and
as a consequence the BVPI performance has improved significantly.
Consult
28.
The Best Value Review team undertook extensive consultation with key
stakeholders in the Housing Service. This consultation took the form of postal
questionnaires and interviews. The review Team decided to focus their
consultation on the following groups:
 Satisfaction of partner organisations and service users:
o Parish and Town Councils in the Rother District (2003)
o Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership now called the Safer
Rother Partnership (2003)
o Service User Households (November 2002)
o Housing Grants/Aid User households (November 2002)
o Partner agencies (early 2003)
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

Satisfaction of Members of Rother District Council (2003)
Relationships with other key departments within the authority:
o Human Resources, Regeneration, Planning, Technology,
Environmental Health and Emergency Planning (July 2003)
Consult – Key Findings
29.
There is recognition of strong partnership working, improving relationships
such as with private sector landlords and housing partner agencies and high
customer/user satisfaction. However, consultation and communication could
improve (e.g., increased levels, better ‘marketing’, seeing more outcomes),
although there were good examples. External partners want services
improved – i.e. grants administration.
30.
Good and improving relationships across departments within Rother District
Council were considered good but there was a need for improved protocols
and procedures particularly between Planning, Regeneration and Legal
Services.
31.
Housing contributes well to Rother District Council’s strategies and plans e.g.
Local Plan, Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy and an ability to
demonstrate corporate or cross-cutting working.
32.
There is a lot of interest and commitment by partners to develop new projects,
ways of working, etc., which is interpreted as Housing being a good partner
and open to new ideas.
33.
Concerns expressed by partners about the level of resources in the Housing
Services, which impacted on the ability of the service to grow, provide
continuity to the public and make a corporate contribution. The Housing
Service was identified as having a good ability to set ambitious plans in the
Housing Strategy and to identify gaps in the service.
However key
stakeholders challenged whether this authority had sufficient resources to
deliver its plans.
34.
There was general dissatisfaction with the reception area of Beeching Road
as unsuitable for Housing clients. There were one or two comments that
customer care could be improved although most consultees spoke positively
about the staff. The Housing Service needs to improve access to its service,
including for minority groups who were difficult to access for consultation.
Competition - Key Findings
35.
As a result of testing the Housing Service to competition in 2001, the Review
Team decided it was inappropriate to undertake this exercise again. This was
because:
(a) there appeared to be no real market, and (b) the service already provides
many services externally and in partnership and (c) RDC provided excellent
value for money in comparison to other East Sussex authorities.

During 2001 Members of the Council resolved to adopt a contract
specification to outsource the Council's Housing Needs Services. Six
organisations expressed an interest but only one completed tender was
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received.
Members rejected the tender submission, as the bid
substantially exceeded the current cost to keep it in-house.

36.
Officers undertook a review of the Services provided and presented
Members with structural changes that were considered at the Council's
Community and Environment Committee during 2001.
Members
resolved to retain the Services in-house. The Council's review of its
housing services resulted in a more proactive approach to tackling the
delivery of housing services e.g. through introducing generic working;
and selecting a Key Aim for Housing and an executive priority of
affordable housing.
The Housing Service also has a continuous record of contracting services
rather than providing them in-house. For example there is the Service Level
Agreement with Moat Care and Repair to provide Home Safety Assessments.
There are also Service Level Agreements for the Mediation Service, Shelter,
Rother Homes (for private sector rental scheme) and Hastings Furniture
Service.
Staff Side Comments
37.
The Staff Side representative, early in the Review, surveyed the Housing
staff. Many of the issues have been addressed subsequently. The following
is an extract of the Staff Side report, written by Anne Ashby, with those areas
that are still relevant highlighted.

“I have interviewed and spoken to most of the Staff in the Section who
feel that despite limitations on staff, resources, environment etc. that a
good service is provided to the public, although there is scope for
improvement.

New Housing legislation that is already in force has placed greater
responsibility on Local Government and, as a consequence, management
and staff. If Rother District Council wish to continue to maintain these
services or improve its level of services to its customers then additional
resources would be required.

Staff side firmly believe that all the current housing service functions
provided by the Council should remain under direct control of the Council.
It is evident that by providing the service this way not only is it extremely
cost effective, but that officers have the commitment to the public that they
serve and have the influence within other Council services in promoting
housing.”
Conclusions
37.
Overall, Rother has a good housing service but the Review Team has
identified room for improvement.
38.
The key areas identified in the scoping of the service undertaken at the
beginning of the Review (as per paragraph 6, above) has designed the action
plan for service improvements. These remain strategic, policy and protocol
improvements; performance improvements; improving communication and
consultation; and continuing to develop the quality and retention of our staff.
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The detailed action plan for improvement is attached as an Appendix to this
report.
Anthony Leonard
Director of Services
Risk Assessment Statement
Carrying forward the best value review findings and actions is the Council's
contribution to developing the housing services in the District and exposes the
Council's housing services in this area to healthy scrutiny. Failure to consider the
implications of the Best Value Review will cause the Council to be ill-equipped for
further service development. Without adequate preparation the Council may find its
performance in housing drops. Failure to adopt an appropriate Action Plan will mean
that the Council is not undertaking its duty to continuous improvement .
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Appendix A
Housing Best Value Improvement Action Plan
1.
IMPROVE STRATEGY, POLICY AND PROTOCOLS
 Required Outcome:

Housing has the key strategy and policy documents and all the research
that it needs to provide an informed and well planned service

Housing has the right protocols in place to work with other divisions and
services. The protocols make sure Housing has the right level of influence
and contribution into other services’ strategies and plans and vice versa.

Housing is using the strategies, policies and protocols to improve
partnership working and is seeing real outcomes that benefit the residents
of the District.
 Actions to be Taken to Bring About Outcome
1.1
Establish an internal Affordable Housing Working Group with other
appropriate services, to include Planning, Legal and Regeneration, by
March 2006, to ensure that:
 Section 106 protocols and agreements are reviewed in order to
ensure affordable housing is incorporated at an early stage and in
order for planning applications to meet the Planning BVPIs.
 Housing gives appropriate support and input in drawing up
Supplementary Planning Guidance on Affordable Housing by 2007.
 Affordable housing contribution is maximised in the Economic
Regeneration agenda
 Produce and keep updated a list of expired planning permission
sites via Planning Division to ensure further information available on
development opportunities for RDC and development partners
 Produce an Affordable Housing Practice Note including a protocol
for joint working between the relevant services
 Provide support and contributions to the Local Plan, LDS and Local
Development Framework.
1.2
Introduce a countywide RSL Development Working Group by April
2006 to investigate joint countywide solutions for more affordable
housing.
1.3
Undertake a Housing Market Assessment, which informs the Local
Development Framework by end of 2006/7 and a joint Housing Needs
Survey by end of 2005/6.
1.4
Produce a long-term plan for Supported Housing solutions by March
2007, in partnership with East Sussex County Council and
neighbouring District Councils, to ensure access on a County Wide
need assessed basis.
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1.5
Agree a homelessness joint working protocol across all East Sussex
authorities by March 2009.
1.6
Within the constraints of the Data Protection Act to establish
information sharing protocols with
 Private sector landlords by April 2006
 East Sussex County Council’s Social Services Department by June
2010
 Residential Social Landlords by April 2006
1.7
Review all current Service Level Agreements by April 2006.
1.8
Agree a Service Level Agreement with ESCC Social Services,
containing improved working methods by September 2007.
1.9
Agree between Housing Needs and Registered Social Landlords a
protocol for eviction practices and tenant debt and implement by March
2009 and update at regular planned intervals.
1.10
Working with the Head of Human Resources, undertake an impact and
needs assessment on equality and diversity issues for staff, partners
and clients by December 2005.
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2.
IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
 Required Outcome:



The Housing Service has performance management systems within the
service, which ensure participation of all staff, establish realistic but stretch
targets and ensures that those targets are achieved.
Performance of all the Best Value Performance Indicators is raised to
above median and there are medium term (5 year) plans for continuous
improvement to ensure that all indicators remain above median and move
into the top 25%.
The Service has appropriate levels of benchmarking and actively learns
from best practice so that it brings long term benefits to the service for its
users and partners.
 Actions to be Taken to Bring About Outcome
2.1
2.2
From the Housing Team Meetings and Service Plan to develop
individual work plans by December 2005
Relevant Housing staff receive training in performance management
skills by March 2006. All Housing staff to receive training in the RtPM
Performance Management system (electronic) by December 2005.
2.3
Relevant Housing staff to receive training in procurement and
managing Housing budgets by December 2006.
2.4
All Housing Staff get a one-to-one meeting with their line manager at
least once every 4 weeks to discuss the progress of their individual
action plan and contribution to the Service Plan. To be implemented by
July 2005.
2.5
Housing Strategy targets have a formal review once a quarter, with a
circulated progress report. Monitor progress at quarterly Housing
Strategy Forum and report annually to Housing Forum from March
2006. Forward the reports, conclusions and proposed actions to the
Local Strategic Partnership’s Housing Working Group.
2.6
Put Housing Strategy targets relevant to Rother DC onto RtPM to
assist monitoring and reporting. (June 2006) Establish medium term
strategy for key partners to report their own targets through RtPM.
(December 2008)
2.7
All service plan targets on RtPM to assist monitoring. (June 2006)
2.8
Write the Housing Business Continuity Plan by March 2006.
2.9
Benchmarking –
 An East Sussex private sector housing measurement of unfit
housing set up by December 2006.
 LSVT Authorities Group to research and introduce best practice on
benchmarking workloads against staffing and other areas every two
years and to agree a set of local indicators for LSVT authorities: by
November 2005.
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2.10
Deliver BV225 new performance indicator of Domestic Violence. Draft
into Service Plan by October 2005 actions to ensure that performance
improves and (depending on which quartile we find ourselves when the
first quartile results are published in December 2006) is at minimum
above median by March 2009 and moves towards best 25%.
2.11
Maximise the use of the IBS system by developing web access for
Registered Social Landlords and relates to RtPM. December 2006
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3.
IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS, CONSULTATION AND ACCESS
 Required Outcome:



All users of the Housing Service have reasonable, equal access to the
service and information about the service.
Consultation with service users is improved so that their feedback can be
used to frame future services.
Where appropriate Registered Social Landlords have access to the IBS
system.
 Actions to be Taken to Bring About Outcome
3.1
Write a Housing Communication and Consultation Policy and Action
Plan for the Housing Service using consultation with partners and
users of the service by March 2008.
3.2
Train all staff in Black and Minority Community Awareness and how to
carry out Race Incidence Reporting by December 2006. Review
system for monitor reports and ensure that appropriate action is taken
by December 2006.
3.3
Include a customer satisfaction survey in all housing register and
homeless applications and Private Sector Housing applications by
January 2006.
3.4
Analyse and follow returns with an open forum or panel to
communicate and explore reasons for findings with applicants – every
2 years August 2006, 2008 and 2010.
3.5
Review all information leaflets and applications forms and methods of
provision (e.g. print, electronic, etc.) by July 2006.
3.6
To consider the cost implications and extend support to the Rye
Customer Help Point when it opens (2007).
3.7
Work with Head of Human Resources to create a plan to promote
Rother as a place to live and work in all future advertisements by
December 2005.
3.8
Customer care training for all members of Housing staff by December
2006.
3.9
Full Housing Service staff meeting four times a year in order to
encourage communication between sections, etc in place by
September 2005.
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4.
IMPROVE RESOURCES
 Required Outcome:




The Housing Service has appropriately trained and qualified staff.
Staff turnover averages at 10% per annum and the Housing Service
rarely has empty posts or difficulty in recruiting.
Staff sickness is below 6 working days on average per person.
Disabled Facilities Grants are available to all high and medium priority
applicants within 1 year of application and available to all low priority
applicants within 2 years of application
 Actions to be Taken to Bring About Outcome
4.1
Further develop the Housing Service Training Programme in
conjunction with other services in East Sussex to improve professional
knowledge and improve qualification levels by March 2008. All
members of staff to have a short (1 year) training programme by
September 2005 and the option of a medium term (5 year) training
programme by December 2008.
4.2
Explore the option of introducing a training and employment package
for new staff that is a ‘grow your own’ approach by December 2006,
that ensures nonqualified or partly qualified staff are supported through
training and gain the right qualifications.
Explore developing
opportunities to exchange trainees for short periods so that they can
gain a wider range of experience between urban/rural authorities by
March 2008.
4.3
Offer opportunities for qualifications in management (at appropriate
levels) and on-going personal development to all staff in supervisory
and management roles by June 2005. Identify and promote those
opportunities (at appropriate levels) for other members of staff who
may wish to further their career by December 2005.
4.4
Disabled Facilities Grants – Council to consider actions for resolving
funding shortage in next 2 years by March 2006.
s0506 - Housing BV Review
16
Timetable
Year/
Month
April
May
2005/06
June
July
August Sept,
4.3
3.9
4.1
2.4
2006/07 1.2
1.6
1.7
2.6
2.7
3.5
October Nov,
Dec.
January February March
2.10
2.2
3.7
3.3
2.9
3.4
2007/08
1.10
2.3
2.9
2.11
3.2
3.8
4.2
3.7
4.3
1.8
2008/09
3.4
2.8
3.4
2.8
2009/10
2010/11
s0506 - Housing BV Review
1.6
17
2.5
2.6
1.1
1.3
2.1
2.5
2.8
4.4
1.3
1.4
2.8
3.6
2.10
3.1
4.1
4.2
1.5
2.9
1.9
4.2