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:
· reflect supply and demand issues
· are responsive to customers’ needs and expectations
· reflect the Government’s objectives of providing choice to those seeking social housing and creating sustainable communities
· reflect legal requirements and the intention to provide a good quality service
· adhere to Equality of Opportunity and Human Rights principles
· 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 |
| Identify issues relating to Equal Opportunities, Human Rights, creating sustainable communities and Crime and Disorder to be reflected in service aims and objectives in addition to statutory requirements relating to Allocations and Nominations | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Ongoing as part of allocations policy review | January 2003 | 0 |
| Develop service aims, objectives and standards in consultation with Tenants’ Panel | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | As above | February 2003 | 0 |
| In consultation with the Tenants’ Panel and other stakeholders agree targets that will deliver the service to the agreed standards including Borough-wide and, if considered necessary, more local targets for lettings to different groups within the community | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | As above | As above | 0 |
| Develop and implement monitoring systems in relation to service standards and targets | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | As above | As above | 0 |
| Agree with Tenants’ Panel feedback arrangements regarding performance in relation to standards | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | As above | As above | 0 |
TARGET 2: A Strategy For Dealing With Low Demand Properties
| | | | | | |
| Produce report for Overview and Scrutiny Committee (No. 2) and the Executive Committee outlining the problem and the need for a strategy to be developed | Assistant Director of Housing | January and February 2002 | Within existing budgets | Report on Stock Imbalance presented to Community O&S 21/1/02 | Done | 0 |
| Agree definition of “low demand” first for accommodation for the elderly and later for general needs housing | Housing Needs Manager | February 2002 | As above | Decision made to use ODPM definition | Done | 0 |
| Identify/confirm those properties fitting within “low demand” definition, focusing on accommodation for the elderly first | Housing Needs Manager | December 2001 | As above | Included in Exempt Annexe 4 report on Stock Imbalance to 5/2/02 Executive | Done | 0 |
Develop plan for dealing with low demand properties currently designated for the elderly including:
· re-designation of appropriate properties as general needs housing and proposals for offering incentives to current elderly residents to move to designated properties
· confirmation of designation for appropriate properties and proposals for enhancing accommodation/amenities to make it easier to let
· proposals for advertising low demand accommodation that continues to be designated for the elderly more widely e.g. in The Link, local newspapers, parish magazines, on Waverley’s and national accommodation to let websites e.g. homesonthenet.com
· reducing minimum qualifying age for applicants for housing designated for the elderly
· using private letting agents to market/let low-demand sheltered housing | Housing Services Manager | March 2004 | As above | · Concessionary TV Licence report presented to 5/2/02 Executive
· Proposals to redevelop Rowland House report presented to 5/2/02 Executive
· First meeting in Nov 2002 in Cranleigh to discuss with local community the issues of de-designation – to be rolled out Borough-wide [Farnham – Feb 2003, Haslemere – June 2003, Godalming – July 2003]
· Review of elderly designated properties ongoing | Ongoing | 0 |
| Commence implementation of strategy/plan | Housing Services Manager | From April 2002 | As above | See above | Mistake in original timetable – should be from March 2004 | 0 |
TARGET 3: Formal Policies And Procedures For Delivery Of Allocations And Nominations Service With Particular Emphasis On:
· customer care
· health and safety
· matching demand for and supply of accommodation
· a choice-based approach
· equal opportunities
· 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 |
| In consultation with Tenants’ Panel review and amend allocations policy, including for fully sheltered housing, in light of the provisions of the Homelessness Act and obtain necessary Committee approval | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | In accordance with timetable laid down in Homelessness Act
| As above | Report on revisions to allocations policy necessary to meet statutory requirements | Report to 21/1/03 Community O&S | 0 |
| In consultation with Tenants’ Panel review and amend allocations policy, including for fully sheltered housing, with regard to introducing choice-based letting arrangements and obtain necessary Committee approval | Assistant Director of Housing/
Housing Needs Manager | April 2003 | As above | More fundamental review of allocations policy to follow in 2003/04 | April 2004 | 0 |
| Reconsider need for/purpose of/process for assessments of applicants for sheltered housing | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager/ Housing Services Manager | June 2002 | As above | Decided unnecessary and discontinued | Done | 0 |
| Review and act on results of ethnic monitoring of applicants/new tenants | Housing Needs Manager | Ongoing with annual reports to the Executive Committee | Within existing budgets | Ongoing | Report on 2001/02 results to 14/1/03 Executive | 0 |
| Explore with partner RSLs ways of introducing speedier and more flexible nomination arrangements including entering into service level agreements | Housing Needs Manager | December 2002 | As above | Feedback from RSLs during BV review acted upon. Decided service level agreements unnecessary. | Done | 0 |
| Develop and adopt recording, monitoring and reporting systems for customer complaints that are compatible with Departmental and corporate procedures | Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Departmental system implemented for complaints | Done | 0 |
| Document policies, procedures and guidelines for all aspects of allocations and nominations service and introduce arrangements for regular review | Housing Needs Manager | December 2002 | As above | Initially on introduction of revised allocations policy and then after major review | February 2003 for revised allocation policy then March 2004 after major review | 0 |
| TARGET 4: Improved Information For Customers And Stakeholders | | | | | | |
In consultation with the Tenants’ Panel, produce new and/or review existing leaflet(s) explaining in plain English:
· the service aims, objectives and standards
· the location and type of accommodation provided by Waverley
· availability of Language Line interpretation and translation service
· allocations policy
· nomination arrangements with registered social landlords
· how to apply for housing
· how existing tenants can apply to transfer to other accommodation
· how applications are dealt with including medical assessments and home visits, and assessments for fully sheltered housing (if relevant)
· how to complain
· appeals procedures | Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Following revisions to allocations policy | March 2004 | 0 |
Provide new and transfer applicants with information about:
· the turnover of Waverley’s homes generally
· the turnover of the particular type of accommodation in the applicant’s preferred location
· the likely date when the applicant will be offered a tenancy based on previous turnover | Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Newsletter published October 2002. Next issue April/May 2003. | Done | 0 |
| Publish information about the allocations and nominations service provided by the Council in The Link | Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 and ongoing | As above | Article to be included in spring 2003 issue | May 2003 | 0 |
| Use Waverley’s website to publish information about the allocations and nominations service | Housing Needs Manager | December 2002 and ongoing | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Provide regular information and/or briefings for partner agencies on the roles of the Housing Needs and Homelessness services | Housing Needs Support Officer | April 2002 and ongoing | As above | Housing Forums taking place with local communities in 2002/03 | Cranleigh Nov 2002
Farnham Feb 2003
Haslemere June 2003
Godalming July 2003 | 0 |
| TARGET 5: Value For Money Maximised | | | | | | |
| Re-assess funding needed to offer incentives to tenants to move to smaller homes and if necessary produce report for Members recommending increasing the budget allocated for the scheme | Housing Needs Manager | December 2002 and ongoing | Within existing budgets | Reviewed – overall budget sufficiently flexible to allow for virements if necessary | Done | Not yet quantifiable |
| Provide more publicity in Tenants’ Extra about the incentive scheme for tenants to move to smaller homes | Housing Needs Manager | June 2002 and ongoing | As above | Article to be included in Waverley Homes spring 2003 | May 2003 | As above |
| Introduce more generalist way of working where possible i.e. same staff dealing with new and transfer applications | Assistant Director of Housing/ Housing Needs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Piloted on experimental basis. Experience to be evaluated. | March 2003 | As above |
| TARGET 6: Maximising Use Of IT And Working Towards E-Government Targets Common target with Day-to-Day Repairs, Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance and Voids Management – see Improvement Plan relevant to All Housing Services | | | | | | |
| Enhance data fields on Orchard (integrated housing management system) to enable more sophisticated matching of applicants with available properties | Housing Needs Manager | August 2002 | Within existing budgets | IT development in homelessness taking priority | January 2004 | 0 |
| Investigate and if possible implement facility for inputting applicants’ details direct on screen whilst they are present Links with Target 2 of Improvement Plan relevant to All Housing Services | Housing Needs Manager | December 2002 | As above | Depends on availability of terminals in interview rooms | As above | 0 |
| Substitute any remaining paper-based systems with computerised systems as far as possible | Housing Needs Manager | December 2002 | As above | IT development in homelessness taking priority | As above | 0 |
TARGET 7: Robust Systems For Improved Performance Management Systems For Monitoring Quality, Value For Money And Efficiency Of Service
| | | | | | |
| Ensure there are local performance indicators to monitor, analyse and report on all aspects of the allocations and nominations service | IMT | January 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce accurate, consistent and, where practicable, computerised data collection, analysis and reporting methods for BVPIs and local PIs | Housing Needs Manager | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Carry out comprehensive satisfaction monitoring, analysis and reporting in relation to applications, allocations and nominations processes | Housing Needs Manager/ Housing Needs Support Officer | September 2002 | As above | For 2002/03 done as part of Tenancy Management BV review. 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 take up of customers (of all Housing services) using Language Line | Housing Needs Support Officer | April 2002 | As above | To be included in report to 14/1/03 Executive on equal opportunities monitoring | January 2003 | 0 |
| Introduce more robust arrangements for monitoring nomination agreements with registered social landlords to ensure Waverley is being offered all the nominations it is entitled to | Housing Needs Manager/ Deputy Housing Needs Manager/ Housing Enabling Officer | September 2002 | As above | Reporting requirements of RSLs regarding lettings under review | January 2003 | 0 |