Business Process Consulting
Would you welcome a healthcheck of the processes behind the delivery of your Housing Options or Housing Advice service? Our consultants and associates are experienced in looking at the strengths and weaknesses of teams working in this sector, and have a close undersatanding of the pressures and constraints within which you work. We are accomplished at mapping out existing processes, then working with you to re-design your processes to help you:
- eliminate waste,
- improve your customer focus
- maximise your efficiency savings and productivity;
- achieve improvements in performance;
- get the best from your existing technology and resources.
Outsourced Reviews Service
Since the Localism Act 2011 introduced a new power for Local Authorities to make offers of private rented property to homeless households, many authorities have radically changed their approach to Housing Options. The Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 outlines what kind of offer, whether in the private or social housing sector, would be deemed ‘suitable’.
Of course the law gives clients the right to request a review of certain decisions, including whether an offer is suitable. Some councils are experiencing significant increases in the number of challenges from customers, particularly if a shortage of resources results in offers being made further afield than is ideal for the household.
The rules around conducting reviews require that the reviewing officer has played no part in the original decision-making process. This clearly limits which members of staff can take on the reviewing role. Fortunately, the law also expressly allows Councils to contract out certain functions to suitably qualified third parties. Provided the correct procedure is followed, there is no reason why authorities cannot outsource the reviewing service, either in totality, or on an ‘ad hoc’ basis.
When it is difficult to predict the degree to which review requests will increase, internal resource-planning is very difficult. Why not pre-empt any difficulties by putting in place the facility to call in Trown Housing Reviews Service when the need arises? There is no obligation to use the service if it is not required.
Trown Housing Reviews Service is highly professional, swift and totally impartial.
If you would like to know more, please contact us at info@trownhousingconsultancy.co.uk
