Action Update as at April 2023
Action | Update as at April 2023 |
Priority 1: There is a consistent approach to supporting vulnerable tenants and settling them into their new home | |
Using standardised forms at sign-up and the 6 week visit | Housing Officers using a standard form |
Moving to electronic sign-ups via IPads
| Complete for Housing Officer
Sign-ups are completed with Court Managers before the tenancy is signed, so it’s impossible to complete all of the sign up using iPad as there is no records of the resident against the property at that point. They are currently completing a paper sign up and then uploading the info to OSKA once Orchard has sent through the tenancy details |
Ensuring housing officers and court managers have access to standardised referral forms | Standard organisation referral forms and procedures are used – they vary according to the body being referred to
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Ensuring the recording of vulnerability is standardised and recorded on Orchard and regularly monitored | UDC set up for Housing Officers on Orchard
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Funding a Tenancy Support Officer within the Housing Service | New Officer in post since October 2020 |
Continuing to fund aids and adaptations for council tenants’
| Ongoing – budget set aside each year |
Ensuring adapted properties are re-let to people needing adaptions | As part of the Sussex Homemove advert adaptations are clearly stated and priority given to those that need those adaptations. Housing Solution Officer is involved to ensure existing adaptations are utilised. Where viable we are also now including room dimensions. |
Providing online training to housing applicants to help them manage and sustain their future tenancy | Pre-tenancy training set-up and in place and reviewed October 2020. Split into modules so applicants can do one or more as applicable to their circumstances. Part of the Allocations Policy. Now being used as needed. |
Priority 2: Housing staff use every opportunity to identify vulnerable tenants and leaseholders | |
As part of the sign-up carrying out a pre-tenancy assessments | Part of the Housing allocations/options process. Contacts such as sign-ups and the 6 week visit allow any additional support needs to be identified. |
Ensuring all housing officers and other front line staff have generic training on identifying vulnerability
| Housing Officers have completed safeguarding adults training. Most housing staff have also done dementia awareness. 2022 staff trained on identifying domestic abuse. In 2023 new trauma training undertaken. |
Ensuring all housing staff complete training on identifying vulnerable adults
| Mandatory HR requirement for all staff – done via the leaning pool. In 2022 new training on neurodiversity was added. |
Ensuring all housing staff receive training on equality and diversity
| All staff have undertaken this, except very new staff. |
Providing other appropriate and timely training for housing staff e.g. on new legislation | Takes place as required
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Attending and being active partners in local partnership meetings such as Joint Action Group and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference
| Ongoing and attended regularly |
Funding a Housing Solutions Worker to ensure residents have assistance/support to access appropriate long term housing solutions | 2 part time workers funded and in post |
Exploring the provision of providing council accommodation to meet the needs of complex homeless households known as “Housing First” | Successful delivered 8 one bedroom flats across the district with Government grant including grant for ongoing support. Support continues via Government funding for Rapid Rehousing Pathway and Rough Sleepers Initiatives.
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Priority 3: Vulnerable tenants and leaseholders are sign-posted/referred to appropriate support services | |
Maintaining access to an up to date Support Directory, ensuring the Support Directory is online for staff and tenants/leaseholders to access
| In-house directory has been replaced by ESCIS and 1Space online directories |
Reviewing our Anti-Social Behaviour policy and procedure every 3 years
| Review of procedure completed in 2019. New policy approved in 2020. ASB guide residents guide published Feb 2021. |
Providing funding to Wealden Citizens Advice to ensure that they are able to deliver a money advice service to tenants and leaseholders | WDC have an SLA with Citizens Advice to provide this service to all residents in Wealden. New 3 years SLA signed in 2022.
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Continuing to run a Sanctuary scheme to provide safety measures for those experiencing domestic violence | Still provided. Referral form updated in 2019. Service re-tendered in 2020 and runs until 2024 but up until 2026 if the contract is extended. |
Working with East Sussex County Council to ensure we continue to have a refuge in the district in place | post ESCC review over revenue funding there continues to be a refugee in Wealden. |
Funding the £10 set up cost of basic accounts through the East Sussex Credit Union (ESCU)for tenants and leaseholders unable to fund this themselves | Funding set aside. No current take-up. |
Working with ESCU to promote their services i.e. affordable savings accounts, loans and basic accounts
| WDC are no longer funding the credit union so outreach in Wealden has stopped. They are looking to go digital which will make it easier for us to promote them. Information is now available on the housing pages under exiting council tenants – Life, Skills and Opportunities. The Cost of Living Pressures group are exploring further work with the credit union now called Wave Community bank. |
Exploring the option of providing more intensive housing management to clients where other services are not available
| New Tenancy Support Officer in post Oct 2020 and works with the more complex cases. |
Encouraging vulnerable tenants living in general needs accommodation to use the council’s telecare provider for alarm and other services | Advertised in Threshold Spring 2020 and Spring 2021
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Exploring the use of new technology i.e. telecare and telehealth services
| Housing management team aware of Health and Social Care Connect at ESCC – can refer customers needing an assessment for a variety of needs including telecare. Customers can also self-refer. They will carry out a much wider assessment of need as part of this referral. Some of the main areas ESCC are concerned with are washing/dressing/mobility/safety.
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Providing online training to help tenants and leaseholders manage and sustain their tenancy
| Not proceeding but have pre-tenancy training which all new housing applicants will shortly have to undertake. Tenants can be referred to but we cannot make tenants undertake such training.
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Supporting and promoting money management courses offered by partners including those run via Street Learning
| No specific money management courses held in 19/20 due to lack of take-up but exploring with Street Learning partners. Covid impacted on courses that could be run as they had to move online. In 2022 GRH Training provided Money Matters courses. |