Cabinet approved:
The implementation of a hybrid delivery model for Housing Solutions Services.
To bring in-house Lot 1: Frontline housing advice and homelessness prevention and Lot 3: Families Pathway, Housing Assessment, Allocations and Nominations Services, to be directly delivered by the Council by April 2025.
To insource back-office functions currently commissioned to support Housing Solutions including, a contact centre, complaint management, and finance functions, to sit within existing services across the Council.
To delegate the new operating model and associated budget for insourced services jointly to the Strategic Director of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and the Executive Director of Finance and Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform.
Reasons for Decision: Due to unprecedented challenges within the housing market, insourcing the families pathway, assessment, and homelessness decision making, allocations and nominations functions will allow the council to have the ability to provide more person-centred support for those who need it, integrate with wider Council services and have direct control and operational oversight of statutory decision making.
Implementation Date: 5pm 22/7/24