Housing Frontline Futures

Dr Jo Richardson,

De Montfort University, Leicester

27th March 2014 www.dmu.ac.uk/cchr

Introduction

• Research Aims

• Methodological Approach

• Key Interim Findings

• Information on respondents and responses

• Main functions and characteristics of role

• Research commissioned by CIH with sponsorship from the Wheatley Group

The Research Team

• Jo Richardson, DMU, Project

Lead

• Lisa Barker, Housing

Consultant

• Jacq Furness, Training

Consultant

• Merron Simpson, Independent

Researcher

Research Aims

• Outline the nature of the frontline role

• Understand what support is needed to deliver

• Establish key networks and ways of working

• Determine the competencies (skills, attitudes and behaviours)

• Assess the impact of technology

• Assess the current value of frontline housing roles

Methodological Approach

• Online professional survey

• Online tenant survey

• Appreciative inquiries

• Focus groups

• Interviews

• Webinars

Appreciative Inquiry

Key interim findings

• The nature of frontline roles is changing

• Customers’ needs are increasingly complex

• Tenancy sustainment increasingly important

• More ‘commercially minded’ in future

• Recruitment for attitude and behaviours

• Technology= freedom to be ‘out on the patch’

• Tenant customers want to see their HO

• There is a social added value to the role

Responses

• 1054 survey responses

• Good participation in interviews and focus groups

• Professional and tenant involvement in 4 x Appreciative Inquiries (2 in Scotland and 2 in England).

Respondent by Organisation Type

Organisation stock size

Type of respondents by geographic area

Respondent by country

Respondent by Job Title

• Very broad range of titles.

• At least 257 roles ‘core housing’ (HO, neighbourhood management) but job titles not simple/consistent

• Range of roles

Ranking of key functions

Top six ranked functions overall

1. Rent Collection and Arrears

2. Dealing with anti-social behaviour

3. Lettings/allocations

4. Neighbourhood and estate management

5. Tenancy sustainment (support)

6. Partnership working/ gateway for residents to other agencies

Important Competencies for the Frontline Housing Role • 1 Ability to problem solve

• 2= Customer focused

• 2= Good communicator

• 4 Understands the needs of vulnerable groups

• 5 Ability to negotiate and liaise

• 6 Ability to manage change

• 7 Professional

• 8 Ability to be creative and respond according to the situation

• 9 Able to work with minimal supervision

• 10 ‘Can Do’ improvement-focused

PEST factors affecting

1. Welfare reform

2. Housing supply (lack)

3. Increasing gap between earnings and household costs

4. Ageing population

5. Technological advances

6. Grant reduction

Other interim findings

• Frontline housing workers must work even more closely with other agencies to meet customers’ needs

• More ‘blending of services’ is needed e.g. housing officers provided with named direct contacts in other agencies. Signposting role

• Frontline staff will need to become ‘commercially minded’ in delivering frontline services(future importance rating five times present) but retain social values

Other interim findings cont’d

• Tenants/customers want officers to be business-like and see them as ‘customers’

• Officers need to understand tenants/customers and their problems and be able to work with them to help overcome these

• The housing professional is often valued as the one constant in some tenants’/customers’ lives

So... What’s new?

• An increasing focus on tenancy sustainment

• Need for ‘commercial head’ (business for a purpose)

• Identified future competencies not yet fully reflected in job adverts/descriptions across the sector

• Increasing focus on ‘tenancy sustainment’ for tenants

• Need for housing worker ‘resilience’.

In summary:

Next steps

• We want to hear your views on the interim findings – come and share your ideas with staff on the CIH stand.

• Full report will be published in June 2014 and launched in Manchester.

Your thoughts • Please let us know your views. We are

particularly interested in the following questions: • Tensions between ‘commercial head/ social

heart’ – how are housing organisations in Wales balancing this?

• What new approaches are needed to ensure new recruits and existing staff can manage these tensions and deliver high quality frontline services?

• Is there a role for tenant customers to work alongside frontline housing workers to deliver services?

Thank you!

jrichardson@dmu.ac.uk

@socialhousing

#housingff