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Agenda item

Housing Management Services Update

Report is attached.

Minutes:

6.1      Neil Wightman (Director of Housing) gave a presentation on Housing Management Services, including progress made since the Task Group recommendations and the strategic priorities of the department. Neil Wightman advised that his priorities were:

 

·       Responsiveness and quality of repairs service

·       Better Service for leaseholders

·       Support vulnerable residents

·       A new housing services offer and increase resident involvement

·       Prevent homelessness

 

6.2      Neil Wightman explained that the ‘Our Voice’ survey had identified the desire to provide the right culture to deliver services and to be customer focused. Improvements to the service included the introduction of ‘Gober’ customer care training, a Members enquiry team, the ‘Your Voice’ newsletter and there was also continuous learning and immediate satisfaction monitoring. In future, speech analytics data would be used to drive improvements. Neil Wightman also set out the improvements to the repairs and maintenance performance and for leaseholders.

 

6.3      Members noted the improvement in the repairs performance but commented that there was still a relatively large number of responses that were dissatisfied with repairs carried out. The Committee welcomed the improved culture and the willingness in taking ownership of matters raised by residents. Members asked what steps were being made to ensure more staff were visiting estates and identifying problems. Details were sought about the timescales involved for the ongoing improvements to Housing Management Services. Monitoring of follow-on work where jobs had not been completed was also necessary to prevent residents having to make multiple calls and it was asked what escalation process was in place where multiple calls had to be made. Members asked why there had been a recent spike in calls from residents. Information was sought on the processes in place for self-evaluation of the service. Members also asked if there were any other ways of measuring residents’ satisfaction other than through post-call surveys. The Committee commented that whilst the Westminster on Meals service had been successful, it was not the answer to all issues residents may encounter.

 

6.4      In reply to issues raised by the Committee, Councillor Smith acknowledged that the number of repairs reported as unsatisfactory was still too high, however a better relationship between the Contact Centre and the Repairs Team was being developed to ensure that the appropriate worker was allocated to the repair job. There was also software in place to capture more in-depth feedback from residents. Councillor Smith emphasised that ownership and presence on estates was at the heart of the service’s priorities and an estate action plan would embed this. The Westminster on Wheels service was also being reviewed to make it more flexible. Councillor Smith added that there were a number of ways in which customer satisfaction was measured and the speech analytics project would provide further means once it was completed.

 

6.5      Neil Wightman advised that complaints often arose in respect of communal repairs and a re-organisation of Estate Services was taking place so that more simple repairs could be carried out there and then, rather than going through the reporting process first. The Committee heard that a new mobile working solution for staff was due to be launched in mid-December. With regards to the recent spike in calls, Neil Wightman advised that this was common at this time of year. Where there were multiple calls concerning a particular job, this would be internally looked at. Neil Wightman informed Members that the new management structure would go live on 1 December and the next phase would involve improving customer access to frontline staff and increasing post repair inspections. Turnng to self-evaluation of service, Neil Wightman stated that this involved looking at complaints data and managers had the authority to undertake an internal call-in of a particular case.

 

6.6      The Committee noted that there were still a number of performance indicators rated ‘amber’ as opposed to ‘green’ and requested an update on Housing Management Services in six months’ time.

Supporting documents: