ACTION PLAN | BY WHOM | BY WHEN
[month = by month end] | BUDGET IMPLICATIONS | PROGRESS | REVISED TIMETABLE | SAVINGS |
 | | | | | | £000 |
TARGET 1: Service Aims, Objectives and Standards That:
· are responsive to customers’ needs and expectations
· reflect legal requirements and the intention to provide a good quality service
· specify the re-letting standard for Waverley homes
· are directed to minimising the time taken to re-let properties and consequent rent loss
· include clear target timescales for the different parts of the re-letting process
· adhere to Equality of Opportunity and Human Rights principles
· maximise Sustainable Development
· help to reduce Crime & Disorder and fear of crime
· are compatible with corporate objectives | | | | | | |
| Identify customer profiles and consult them about their overall priorities for the service | Service Review Group | December 2001 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Develop service aims, objectives and standards in consultation with Tenants’ Panel | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance | June 2002 | As above | Ongoing – series of workshops held on repairs/maintenance held with Tenants’ Panel during 2002. Further work to be done as part of allocations policy review | February 2003 | 0 |
In consultation with the Tenants’ Panel, determine the re-letting standard for all Waverley homes including temporary accommodation taking into consideration the:
· ‘Decent Homes’ standard
· policy of offering decoration vouchers to incoming tenants unless they are elderly and/or disabled when decoration work will be carried out by the Council | Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2002 | As above | Done although reletting standard would not necessarily meet Decent Homes standard | Done | 0 |
| Identify Equal Opportunities, Human Rights, Sustainable Development and Crime and Disorder issues to be reflected in service aims and objectives in addition to any other legal requirements | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing | June 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done as far as specifically required for repairs. Ongoing as part of allocations policy review. | January 2003 | 0 |
| Develop criteria for determining action to be taken when properties are identified as needing substantial major repairs to meet re-letting standard | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing | March 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| In consultation with customers, contractors, staff and other stakeholders agree challenging targets for each element of the voids management process that will deliver the service to the agreed standards and deliver significant reductions in overall void turnaround times and rent loss including reducing the time for applicants to view properties e.g. to 3 days and to accept/reject tenancy offer after viewing e.g. to 24 hours | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Develop and implement monitoring systems in relation to service standards and targets | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Agree with Tenants’ Panel feedback arrangements regarding performance in relation to standards | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing | April 2002 | As above | To agree with Tenants’ Panel PIs for reporting | April 2003 | 0 |
TARGET 2: A Strategy For Dealing With Low Demand Properties Dealt with in Allocations & Nominations Improvement Plan
| | | | | | |
TARGET 3: Formal Policies And Procedures For Delivery Of Voids Management Service With Particular Emphasis On:
· customer service
· health and safety
· efficiency | | | | | | |
| Identify customer profile and obtain feedback about their priorities for improving the service | Service Review Group | December 2001 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Appoint or nominate a single designated manager to have overall responsibility for all aspects of voids management (both re-letting and repairs/maintenance issues) with authority to require relevant service managers to take specified action to minimise void turnaround times | Assistant Director of Housing | January 2002 | As above | Asst Director of Hsg nominated. Voids reviewed weekly | Done | 0 |
| Develop processes for managing voids that provide for as many functions as possible being carried out in parallel rather than consecutively | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance | July 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce systems for ensuring a more co-ordinated approach to voids management including mechanisms for regular (weekly) liaison/feedback between operational staff of Housing Needs, Day-to-Day Repairs and Surveying & Maintenance | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
Introduce pre-termination visits to outgoing tenant to:
· check condition of property
· identify any repairs/damage which the outgoing is responsible for
· identify any unauthorised improvements that are likely to have to be removed
· give early feedback to repairs service about scale of likely work required to property | Housing Needs Manager/ Head of Housing Maintenance | July 2002 | As above | Investigated but not found to be practicable. Repairs required impossible to identify until tenants’ possessions removed from property. | No revised timetable required | 0 |
| Introduce procedures for early identification and action in cases where repairs required are so extensive as unlikely to be cost-effective to attempt to re-let the property | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance | March 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
Introduce accompanied visits for prospective tenants while previous tenant is still in occupation (subject to their agreement) to enable
· early viewing of property
· prospective tenant to identify any of the previous tenant’s fixtures that he/she wishes to remain (subject to any health and safety issues) | Housing Needs Manager/ Head of Housing Maintenance | July 2002 | As above | Introduced where possible | Done | 0 |
| Re-examine any legal requirement to hold properties vacant if offered and refused by homeless applicant and avoid doing so if at all possible | Housing Needs Manager | April 2002 | As above | Resolved | Done | 0 |
| Introduce requirement for outgoing tenants to hand keys back by 9.30 a.m. instead of midday (on final Monday) | Housing Needs Manager | February 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Arrange for 3 sets of keys to be provided when locks are changed to void properties (instead of 2) | Repairs Manager | November 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Investigate potential for and if possible implement the use of universal locks for void properties to reduce problems associated with availability of keys | Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2002 | As above | Not required. Additional set of keys and new procedures have resolved problem. | No revised timetable required | 0 |
| Investigate potential for and if appropriate implement the carrying out of only essential works to make a property habitable before re-letting, and carrying out all other repairs to meet the re-letting standard following re-occupation | Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | Introduction of reletting standard has made this unnecessary i.e. all repairs can be carried out before re-letting | No revised timetable required | 0 |
| Develop and adopt recording, monitoring and reporting systems for customer complaints that are compatible with Departmental and corporate procedures | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager/ Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Departmental system implemented for high-level complaints. Low-level complaints about repairs recorded on Orchard against jobs but need to be analysed. | May 2003 (analysis of complaints logged on Orchard) | 0 |
| Engage a consultant to ensure the adequacy of Health and Safety arrangements under the repairs Measured Term Contract Action point from Day-to-Day Repairs review | Head of Housing Maintenance | March 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
Develop and implement a policy for dealing with asbestos and any known other risks that includes a strategy for appropriate Action point from Day-to-Day Repairs review:
· action to be taken to determine the nature of the risk
· information to be disseminated to tenants, contractors, staff and any other affected parties
· action to be taken to make safe | Surveying & Maintenance Manager | April 2002 | As above | Policy agreed by Executive in spring 2002. Implementation plan/strategy being developed | Policy done. Implementation plan/strategy – November 2002 | 0 |
| Document policies, procedures and guidelines for all aspects of voids management service and introduce arrangements for regular review | Assistant Director of Housing/Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | In development | April 2003 | 0 |
| TARGET 4: Improved Information For Customers | | | | | | |
In consultation with the Tenants’ Panel, produce leaflet(s) explaining in plain English:
· the service aims, objectives and standards
· the re-letting standard including repairs carried out before/after re-letting
· tenants’ rights and responsibilities including the need to give proper notice (4 weeks) when they are moving out
· what happens to the tenancy when a tenant dies
· what tenants can expect to happen when they are offered a tenancy | Assistant Director of Housing | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Information included in Tenants’ Handbook | February 2003 | 0 |
| Give the leaflet(s) to prospective tenants and incorporate guidance as appropriate in the Tenants’ Handbook | Assistant Director of Housing | September 2002 | As above | See above | See above | 0 |
Give incoming tenants as much information as possible about the property they are moving into (in writing if possible) including:
· detailed information about the repairs ordered
· location of stopcock, gas and electric meters
· how to operate door and window locks
· how to use heating appliance
· general information about the area and amenities (public transport, schools, shops etc) | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance | Ongoing | Within existing budgets | Verbal information about property given during accompanied visits.
Written information included in Tenants’ Handbook | Done | 0 |
| Consult the Tenants’ Panel on the performance information to be provided about the voids management service including the possibility of publishing details of empty properties i.e. area in which located and the reasons why they are empty and when they should be re-let | Assistant Director of Housing | August 2002 and ongoing | As above | Ongoing discussions with Tenants’ Panel. General information about empty properties and the areas they are situated in to be included in spring issue of Waverley Homes | April 2003 | 0 |
| Include regular articles in Tenants’ Extra on those aspects of voids management performance identified as priorities by Tenants’ Panel | Assistant Director of Housing | Ongoing | As above | See above | See above | 0 |
| TARGET 5: Value For Money Maximised | | | | | | |
Develop and implement procedures to ensure that recharges are made for:
· repairs/damage that are the responsibility of the previous tenant Common action point with Day-to-Day Repairs review
· the cost of removing unauthorised improvements, if necessary
Examine possibility of refusing transfers to tenants in these circumstances unless tenant carries out work required or recharges are paid in full Action point for Allocations & Nominations review
Examine possibility of using debt collection agencies to recover debts | Head of Housing Maintenance/ Repairs Manager | December 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done as part of sundry debtors recovery arrangements | Done | 0 |
| Develop procedures to ensure that repairs carried out by the Council to leased homes used as temporary accommodation for the homeless are recharged to the owners Common action point with Day-to-Day Repairs review | Head of Housing Maintenance/ Repairs Manager | December 2002 | As above | Done | Done | Not yet quantifiable |
| Develop a strategy to increase the balance of expenditure on void repairs in favour of planned maintenance Common action point with Day-to-Day Repairs and Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance reviews | Head of Housing Maintenance | December 2002 | As above | Done | Done | As above |
| Re-examine and clarify roles and responsibilities of Day-to-Day Repairs staff and Surveying and Maintenance staff with a view to further streamlining and generalisation of functions where possible and appropriate Action point from Day-to-Day Repairs and Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance reviews | Head of Housing Maintenance/ Surveying & Maintenance Manager | September 2002 | As above | Relocation of S&M to Godalming has improved liaison & co-operation. Structure to be reviewed when MTC due for renewal | Done in part. Structure to be reviewed in 2004/05 | As above |
| Make the best use of existing staff resources including more generalist ways of working where possible e.g. same Housing Needs staff dealing with new and transfer applications Action point from Allocations & Nominations review | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Piloted on experimental basis. Experience to be evaluated. | March 2003 | Not yet quantifiable |
TARGET 6: Maximising Use Of IT And Working Towards E-Government Targets Common target with Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance and Day-to-Day Repairs reviews – see Improvement Plan relevant to All Housing Services
| | | | | | |
Address and resolve inefficiencies associated with current use of Orchard (integrated housing management system):
· Identify and resolve problems/anomalies reported by users of the Orchard repairs module
· Develop plan/timetable for all relevant data held by Surveying & Maintenance to be available on Orchard Common target with Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance review
· Authorise access to the repairs module of Orchard to other Housing Department staff on a read-only basis Action point from Day-to-Day Repairs review | Head of Housing Maintenance | August 2002 | Within existing budgets | · Done
· Ongoing. Implementation of Orchard by S&M in 2002/03
· Done | March 2003 | 0 |
| Investigate and if practicable implement computerised voids inspections sheets and providing Repairs Inspectors with hand-held or laptop style PCs to enable direct inputting of data during void inspections | Head of Housing Maintenance | August 2002 | As above | Resources being investigated to gather data | December 2002 | 0 |
| Investigate and if practicable implement inputting all property information gathered during void inspections onto Orchard including room measurements etc. | Head of Housing Maintenance | August 2002 | As above | As above | As above | 0 |
| Use void inspections as means of gathering stock condition information and inputting it onto Orchard Action point for Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance review | Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2003 | As above | As above | As above | 0 |
TARGET 7: Robust Systems Improved Performance Management Systems For Monitoring Quality, Value For Money And Efficiency Of Service
| | | | | | |
| Rectify weaknesses in data collection, analysis and reporting methods currently used for BVPIs as identified during BV review | Assistant Director of Housing | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
Introduce local Performance Indicators to support the BVPIs, in particular to measure the time taken to:
· repair voids
· re-let properties once repairs have been completed
and report reasons for not achieving targets | Head of Housing Maintenance/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Re-examine targets set on Orchard for the different elements of the voids management process including allocations and repairs and revise as necessary to ensure their compatibility with each other including start dates and categorisation | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Carry out comprehensive customer satisfaction monitoring, analysis and reporting in relation to the letting process and condition of the property | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Survey of new tenants to be carried out each year from 2003/04 | September 2003 and annually | 0 |
| Introduce systems for monitoring, analysing and reporting type and cost of void repairs | Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | Done as required. Introduction of voids standard has reduced need. | Done | 0 |
| Introduce improved systems for regular monitoring, analysis and reporting of expenditure on voids compared to budget and previous years’ expenditure | Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce systems for identifying trends in the type of works being carried out to inform the development of planned maintenance programmes Action point from Day-to-Day Repairs review | Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | Done as required. Introduction of voids standard has reduced need. | Done | 0 |
| Introduce systems for monitoring, analysing and reporting refusals of tenancy offers including reasons | Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Introduced as local PI from April 2002 | Done | 0 |
| Introduce systems for monitoring, analysing and reporting reasons for tenancy terminations | Housing needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Information available but not yet analysed | March 2003 | 0 |
| Introduce systems for monitoring, analysing and reporting incidence of vandalism and squatting | Head of Housing Maintenance/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Expenditure code being set up. Implementation from Nov 2002 | November 2002 | 0 |
| Develop systems to analyse information provided through complaints to identify issues and trends relating to the quality of the service | Assistant Director of Housing/ Head of Housing Maintenance/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Analysis of all complaints report to be produced for 2002/03. Results of satisfaction monitoring also to be used to identify trends. | April 2003 | 0 |
TARGET 8: Contract Arrangements For Repairs That Ensure Quality Of Service And Value For Money
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Consider and, if appropriate, implement alternative contract arrangements for void works including:
· separate Schedule of Rates from day-to-day repairs works
· continuous improvement target timescales for contractors with penalty clauses for failure to achieve them
· separate contract from day-to-day repairs on ‘partnering’ basis (in accordance with Egan/”Rethinking Construction” principles) | Head of Housing Maintenance | February 2005 | Within existing budgets | Will be investigated in 2004/05 when existing MTC contract is due for renewal | No revised timetable required | 0 |