Private Sector Housing Adrian Brown Lead Housing Inspector

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Private Sector Housing Adrian Brown Lead
Housing Inspector London (East)29th June 2007
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This session will cover

• Why is private sector housing important
• Local Authorities response the Audit
  Commission's perspective
• KLoEs and how to get the most out of them
• Key elements of an excellent service

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Why is private sector housing important ?

• The private sector its big
• Owner Occupied 71
• Private Rented 11
• Local Authority 10
• RSL 8
• and its in poor condition
• Social Sector non decent 29 1.2m homes
• Private Sector non decent 27 4.8m homes
• Of which, in the PRS 41 1.0m homes
• 2005 EHCS key findings

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Costs to make decent
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The Decent Homes target for the private sector
(PSA7)

• The target will be met if
• there is a year on year increase in the
  proportion of vulnerable private sector
  households in decent homes
• if the 2006-07 EHCS, reporting in October 2007,
  shows the proportion of vulnerable households in
  decent private sector homes to be more than 65
• if the 2010-11 EHCS, reporting in October 2011,
  shows the proportion of vulnerable households in
  decent private sector homes to be more than 70
• if the 2020-21 EHCS reporting in October 2021,
  shows the proportion of vulnerable households in
  decent private sector homes to be more than 75.

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Private sector households living in non decent
homes (000s)
English house condition survey 2005
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Private Sector Housing scores up to 31.3.06
PSH - 59 ALL - 68
PSH - 41 ALL - 31
PSH - 84 ALL - 72
PSH 16 ALL 28
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What are KLoE?

• Sets of questions and statements - service or
  judgement specific issues
• Provide consistent and transparent criteria for
  assessing and measuring the effectiveness and
  efficiency of housing services
• A framework through which to view and assess
  services
• Mark out the goalposts include descriptors of
  excellent and fair services
• Are live documents 1 or 2 are reviewed twice a
  year
• They are key lines of enquiry not exclusive lines
  of enquiry
• Local context is important

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How to get the most from the KLoEs

• To assist in preparation for inspection
• A tool to assist in the ongoing self
  assessment/review and improvement processes
  self challenge
• Increased self awareness across the housing
  sector
• Reinforce the importance of the customer in
  service provision and delivery
• Outcomes are paramount processes and structures
  are merely a means to delivery

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Private Sector Housing KLoE

• The private sector housing KLoE covers the
  following areas
• ? Access, customer care and service user focus
• ? Diversity
• ? Private sector stock condition and housing need
  data
• ? Strategic approach to private sector housing
• ? Impact and effectiveness of approach
• ? Value for money
• Those in italics are also stand alone KLoE
  those within other KLoE are targeted
• Primarily for Local Authorities, but there are
  important points to note for RSL

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Benchmarking

• It is a can opener to comparative and
  longitudinal performance
• Not just for inspection
• Benchmark with the best
• Benchmark what is relevant to you
• If it doesnt exist set it up if you need it
  someone else probably will as well.

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Key elements of an excellent service (1)

• Understanding the housing market
• In the local area, sub-region and the region
• Robust information which is kept updated
• Needs and condition
• High quality, fit for purpose Housing Strategy
  based on market info
• Consistency, and firm links with other
  appropriate corporate strategies
• High quality plans, policies and other tools to
  deliver the strategy
• Close involvement of stakeholders in strategies
  and plans
• Effective consultative structures - monitor
  progress outcomes
• Effective internal communications and working
  making the best use of resources

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Key elements of an excellent service (2)

• Understand the impact of the strategic approach
  on poor housing conditions
• Appropriate priorities
• Maximises resources (value for money)
• Full range of powers explored and used where
  appropriate
• Progress against national targets e.g. PSA7
• Has a clear, SMART action plan
• Effective performance management reporting
  systems

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Key elements of an excellent service (3)

• Making the best use of existing housing
• High quality and well coordinated advice
  information
• Targeted advice, enforcement, grants and loans
  etc
• Effective relationships with stakeholders e.g.
  landlords, agents other key partners

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Summary - key differences

• Excellent
• Systematic
• Innovation
• Uses information well
• Uses appropriate systems
• Designs around the service user
• Partnership working
• Internal and external

• Fair
• Inconsistent
• Statutory requirements
• Collects/monitors
• Limited systems
• Designs around organisation/ contractor
• Silos

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Summary - building blocks for improving services
A sustained focus on what matters
Ownership of problems and willingness to change

The capacity and systems to deliver performance
and improvement
Integrate service improvement into day-to-day
management
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• Thank you for listening.
• Any questions?
• Contact Details
• Adrian Brown, Lead Housing Inspector London
  (East)
• ad-brown_at_audit-commission.gov.uk