Agenda item

Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director of Central Services, provided an update on the Housing Improvement Activity Plan to date. He emphasised that the plan addressed a wide range of issues related to homelessness and the customer journey. The plan included strategies and policies, workforce planning, and the importance of having more entry-level roles to build a permanent workforce. The challenges of recruiting and retaining staff in this area and the need for a ladder of career progression within local government were highlighted. He also mentioned the importance of customer care and management supervision and providing support to staff dealing with traumatic casework.

Members were informed about the housing commissioning plan, which aimed to increase the number of properties and make the best use of existing housing stock. This included encouraging under-occupiers, both council tenants and housing association tenants, to downsize, acquiring more properties, and utilising the private rented sector. The plan set challenging but achievable targets to meet these goals.

The Select Committee heard that understanding the local housing market and its pressures was another key area of focus. It was believed that by understanding the market, the Council could predict and manage it more effectively. This included knowing which private sector landlords were evicting tenants and why and building relationships with them to prevent evictions. The importance of understanding the cost of temporary accommodation and prioritising the commissioning of new properties to help people move on or prevent homelessness were also emphasised.

The Corporate Director stressed the need for a proactive approach, building a plan and investment strategy to create a positive pipeline of housing supply. He also highlighted the value of strong working relationships within the Council and with other services, such as Children’s Services and Adult Social Care. Good working relationships could help prevent homelessness and encourage families to accept accommodation offers.

Councillors were advised that the biggest challenge was responding to emergency accommodation needs, which often required finding immediate solutions. Preventing or avoiding on-the-day presentations was critical.

Councillors noted that since the review had started, every witness session had highlighted that some staff within the housing department lacked empathy. They enquired if any action was being taken to identify and address these staff members’ communication issues. Members emphasised the importance of how questions were asked and sought clarity on the plan to address this issue.

In response to this, officers acknowledged the concern, agreeing that even one or two staff members lacking empathy could impact the level of customer care. They mentioned that communications with staff about expectations had been strengthened. Managers were shadowing staff during conversations with residents, and the officers themselves were listening to calls and attending contact centre calls regularly. The need for empathy and clarity in communication, even when solutions were not readily available was highlighted. Members heard that individuals who were less helpful had been identified and the concerns addressed. Training and conversations had been conducted.

Councillors commented that it would be beneficial for the Committee to hear about tangible changes over the next few months. They suggested adding a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to track improvements in staff empathy and communication.

Members enquired as to the percentage of properties expected to be lost due to the right to buy scheme. It was confirmed that approximately 50 properties were lost each year through right to buy, and this number fluctuated with market conditions. Members heard that the programme aimed to outpace this loss by targeting family-sized properties and properties suitable for downsizers.

Councillors raised a case where a resident had to present themselves to the Civic Centre due to the out-of-hours team lacking correct homeless prevention training. They enquired about the training being offered to the out-of-hours team. In response to this, it was confirmed that the out-of-hours officers were very experienced officers, but the particular issue raised was acknowledged. Officers mentioned that they were reviewing the out-of-hours service ensure a resilient team was in place and ensure that staff were well-trained and knowledgeable about referral processes and thresholds.

The Select Committee sought further clarification as to whether the efforts being taken to reduce the number of homeless families in high-cost temporary accommodation included asylum seekers who had become homeless after being evicted from hotels. It was confirmed that Hillingdon had a high number of asylum seekers placed by the Home Office in the Borough and that officers were lobbying for more time to find solutions for those leaving hotels. Members were informed that single adults placed by the Home Office did not attract priority need unless they were vulnerable, but they were offered advice and support to secure their own accommodation. Officers emphasised the need for more funding to provide support for asylum seekers and mentioned that they were being proactive in managing expectations and finding solutions.

Councillors enquired whether the duration of temporary accommodation would decrease as more houses were bought. The Corporate Director acknowledged the challenge but stated that increasing the supply of private rented sector accommodation, social rented affordable housing, and stronger prevention and mediation efforts would help reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation. He emphasised the mission to reduce homelessness and move families out of temporary accommodation as quickly as possible.

In response to questions about outbound functions in workforce planning, it was explained that outbound functions involved training staff to undertake visits and engage with residents empathetically. Officers also highlighted the importance of supporting staff at all stages, providing strong supervision, and ensuring manageable caseloads to retain staff.

Members sought further clarification regarding the alleged lack of empathy among some staff members. They acknowledged that asking difficult questions was a challenging job and that some people may be more or less offended by these questions. They also noted that the process could be dehumanizing, given the repetitive exposure to terrible situations. However, Members emphasised the need for evidence-based retraining and enquired if all conversations were recorded so that managers could review them.

In response to this it was confirmed that not all conversations were recorded. Nevertheless, managers often supported staff by attending and coaching them before challenging conversations with residents. The Corporate Director mentioned that experienced housing officers were paired with less experienced ones to discuss scenarios and questions that might arise. Staff who needed extra help, due to complaints or concerns, were supported through training, conversations, and shadowing if necessary.

Members expressed agreement on the importance of seeing tangible results and noted that, while the plan contained many good elements, it was unclear what was already in place and what was planned. They mentioned that the language used in the plan was somewhat management-oriented and difficult to understand. Councillors sought clarity on how the plan was translating into tangible outcomes, given that similar themes were still being reported by witnesses. They also highlighted the importance of staff support, referencing witness testimony about the need for staff to have breaks from hearing harrowing stories. Councillors requested more specific details about staff welfare support in the plan, emphasising the need to encourage staff to remain with the Council and continue their valuable work.

RESOLVED: That the Select Committee reviewed and noted the ongoing improvement works and the improvement this would have on the resident experience when approaching for housing advice and support.