Reshaping the Council Housing Service Interim Sheffield Council Housing Board 27 th February 2014

Refresh of our ambitions Better joined up working More effective working with external partners Local community based service delivery Whole household approach More pre-tenancy support Improving household resilience Grass roots involvement Strengthening democracy Well looked after estates and neighbourhoods Protecting the Decent Homes Investment Ensuring value for money

Refresh on Housing+ Annual visit offered to each household & agree Housing+ Plan Low-level prevention & signposting (debt, health, home skills & jobs) Pro-active tenancy sustainment Help to build active and resilient communities Pro-active management of the physical aspects of the patch Effective tenancy management & enforcement

Shaping these proposals Visions from 8 Service Design Groups 13 Staff Working Groups Tenant & Staff Consultation Over 900 tenant responses, 350 staff responses Strong support for Housing+ principles Influencing final recommendations on practical delivery of Housing+

Introducing your local Neighbourhood Team Team approach Housing+ Officers - each with their own ‘patch’ (230 homes on average but ranging from 170 – 330 homes) Clarity for customers about who manages their ‘patch’ Neighbourhood Support based locally 8 new Neighbourhood teams structured around Ward boundaries Clear links to Local Area Partnerships (LAPs), MAST and other partner boundaries

Help to build active and resilient communities Encourage local people in the area to be actively involved Work proactively with TARAs and other community groups in the Area to help them maximise their effectiveness. Work with other Council teams, local partners and service providers Raise awareness of activities and facilities in the area and give additional help to those who need it to access these facilities. Effective tenancy management and enforcement Manage all aspects of the tenancy process –accompanied viewings, sign-ups, new tenancy visits, permissions, quits, evictions and enforcement of tenancy conditions, etc. Take initial action on any property-related environmental issues within the patch Visit tenants in rent arrears at an early stage Deal with all low-level ASB cases Work effectively with colleagues on more serious breaches of tenancy conditions Work effectively with Temporary- and Furnished- Accommodation teams Proactive tenancy sustainment Complete a Housing+ Plan with each household Promote and support the delivery of the priorities and initiatives of other Council teams Support access to other relevant non-housing related teams Be aware of the potential issues faced by older people – particularly around loneliness and age-related health problems Give basic financial and budgeting advice and record basic financial information Provide a key point of contact for general advice and information Give general advice to customers about their home – e.g. reporting repairs, avoiding condensation etc. Provide general advice to leaseholders, and respond to their basic queries Provide basic advice and information to tenants interested in the Right-to-Buy scheme. Provide general rehousing advice and assistance, and support with registration and bidding. Support council housing investment plans by identifying customer needs and priorities and supporting consultation on proposals. Pro-active management of the physical aspects of the patch Undertake basic checks of the property and instigate action on breaches of Tenancy Conditions Identify any other issues with the property e.g. identify and refer for minor adaptations. Monitor the standards of estates maintenance in the area Contribute to any required enforcement action on council housing land. The Housing+ role…

What will change for customers? Now…Housing+…

What will change for customers? Now… Housing+…

Benefits for Customers Increased customer satisfaction Sort problems out earlier Quicker response through technology and less need to visit current Area Offices Access to more than just ‘housing’

Reshaping the whole service The whole of the service needs to be reshaped to deliver Housing+ Focus on moving staff to where they are needed More resources to go to new Neighbourhood Teams Heavily focussed on Areas so far - lot more work to do with central/consolidated teams The outcome of the Estates Services Review shape the Estates Service

The rest of the timeline…  Feb 14Interim Board Presentation  Mar 14Cabinet Report on website (12 th ) Cabinet meeting (19 th )  May 14Consultation with customers  June 14Testing the approach  Autumn 14 Begin restructuring the service  April 15Implementation citywide

Questions & Comments?? Any issues/comments/queries please contact the Future of Council Housing Team on:- Tel