Housing Information and Advice software

What do we need to consider?

Where do we start from? Existing software systems incompatible Internet – poorly maintained Intranet – poor relation Incomplete electronic and paper manuals Inconsistent staff training No process planning Partner agencies add complexity

What results from this?

Duplication of effort Lack of credibility & sustainability Staff confusion about ‘authenticity’ Silo-working mentality No advice ‘backbone’ for staff Poor quality of public advice

What do we want?

Good advice, delivered by confident, well supported staff

Quick access to information, for staff Easy public access to Housing Options Public should be encouraged to self-refer All types of housing advice must be made

available in varied formats from a single source

...but first

Decide how we want to help people Do we need to insist on face-to-face contact? Or does a lack of resources prohibit this? How important is self-help and what are the

dangers? How much of what kind of advice, delivered

in what way?

Practical considerations

How will we ensure advice is up to date? Do we have the staff resources to maintain it? If advice is given in different formats (e.g.

Internet, leaflets, staff manuals) how do we keep them synchronised and ...

...avoid inconsistency Finally – not all LA’s have the same advice

requirements– so how can we harmonise?

ELC Preferred Model

Housing Information and Advice

database

Full Advice Procedure Manual for advisors

and others

Self-advising material at ELC

Sites

Self-advising material on ELC

website

Pdfs of topics for printing