Agenda item

Mark Billings, Housing Director, presented the report. Members heard that, in July 2022, PwC had introduced Perform Plus in the Housing Management, Housing Needs and Private Sector Housing Services. Perform Plus was a coaching programme for managers and their teams which aimed to build engagement and empower staff to adopt new ways of working. Elements of Perform Plus had been introduced to teams through on the job coaching via PwC over a 14-week period, between August and November 2022.

Members heard that, as part of the development of Perform Plus, each team had identified a vision, success factors and enablers to achieve success. The teams had developed a problem-solving tracker, best practice guides and 100 day delivery plans. The new approach encouraged officers to be more open and share best practice. ‘Huddles’ had been introduced which gave the teams an opportunity to touch base, set targets for the week, share their successes and adopt a move active approach to problem solving. The project had facilitated new ways of working and had enabled officers to deliver services differently and feedback had been very positive so far. It was reported that the 100-day delivery plans were now coming to an end at which time PwC would visit again.

At the request of Members, it was agreed that the Housing Director would confirm the total cost of the project. The Committee heard that ‘rock’ and ‘sand’ as referenced in the report related to the prioritisation of workload. Ways in which officers worked together was key to success, especially in such a stressful environment. The new approach ensured everyone ‘met’ on a daily basis even if some officers were working remotely.

In response to further questions from the Committee, it was confirmed that, whenever possible, a case officer would work on a case from start to finish; however, it was recognised that this was not always possible as staff sometimes left and some cases could be very lengthy. It was recognised that it was confusing for residents when several people were involved in a case. Officers were looking at offering pre-application housing advice to support residents prior to them submitting a housing application. Members heard that residents could apply online but were also able to access the service in person at the Housing Reception.

At the request of Members, it was agreed that the Housing Director would provide an update to the Residents’ Services Select Committee at a future meeting once the new way of working had bedded in. Case studies would also be provided at that time. Democratic Services would add this to the Work Programme.

Members sought clarification regarding the objective of the transformation project. It was confirmed that the aim had been to increase morale and productivity in staff and to work more effectively in the future. It was anticipated that the new system would free up officer time and ensure residents received a better service. With regard to future projects, Councillors were informed that a team had recently been set up to work on homelessness cases in respect of single people, noting that these individuals were often extremely vulnerable. Going forward, the intention was to set up similar teams of case workers to consider other areas such as domestic abuse.

RESOLVED:

1.    That Democratic Services add a future Housing update to the Select Committee Work Programme;

2.    That the Housing Director confirm the total cost of the project; and

3.    That the Housing Transformation Project report be noted.