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Case Study: How the Choice-Based Lettings team did it!
We rolled out our Choice Based Lettings system in September 2007. This system was an innovative but also quite dramatic change to the way the housing register was operated and it was clear that customers would be affected in a variety of different ways. For example, local voluntary agencies had concerns that ‘older people’ would not be able to use the system due to its perceived complexity and the level of customer interaction it needed.
In a perfect example of how we should be including equalities issues in all our service planning and delivery, our Housing team took the following action to make sure ‘older people’ would not be disadvantaged:
- Attended the Voluntary Organisations Supporting Older People meeting in January 2008 to explain how the system works.
- Attended the Voluntary Organisations Supporting Older People Conference in March 2008 and carried out a joint presentation with Rother District Council to provide stats, information, and the opportunity for ‘older people’, voluntary and statutory organisations to ask questions.
- Regular monitoring of the choice based lettings statistics whereby people who were not bidding were contacted and asked whether or not they understood how the system works. If they did not, appropriate advice and assistance was given.
- A choice based lettings open-day was held by our Housing team and 1066 Housing at a community centre in June 2008. An invite was sent to all choice based lettings applicants and agencies inviting them to attend to have their questions answered, get help with bidding and other help and advice.
- Our Housing team made choice based lettings a regular agenda item for the Hastings and Rother Locality Older Persons Housing and Support Strategy meeting so that any further issues could be raised.
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Case Study: Housing Renewal
The Housing Renewal service provide financial assistance, handle complaints and inspections and licence Houses in Multiple Occupation in the Borough. The team have been capturing and analysing equalities data since 2007. The team analyses its data on a quarterly basis. Data is provided through equalities monitoring forms, case information and partnership working.
When analysing equalities data, it was identified that young people aged 16-25 were not accessing the services provided by the team, despite being a group at risk of living in non-decent accommodation.
It was also identified that Migrant Workers from the A8 and A2 ascension states had been shown to be living in accommodation of a poor standard and with levels of overcrowding. However, this group were also unwilling to access Housing Renewal services.
Following this analysis, an addition was made to the Service Delivery Plan to raise awareness of these groups through a targeted campaign which would include leaflets and drop in surgeries.
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Case Study: BME Business
Purpose
- Designing diverse approaches to service in order to increase BME communities' participation and promote equal access to services
- A mechanism of communication and consultation
- Identify barriers linked to language and cultural
- Links to training and advice: Identify other barriers to training and sustained employment, promoting information and advice on service standards, health and safety, food hygiene, business planning, cross cultural awareness, employment law, planning legislation, immigration advice, housing, landlord and tenant law and environment legislation
- Recognising positive contribution in the local community
Group's progress
- Identified safety issues: safety measures were considered (signed posted victim of hate crime to relevant agencies, and CCTV cameras to be installed in one of members' shop)
- Some members joined training opportunities on Food Hygiene and Health and Safety in April 09
- Group provided views on 'opening café' leaflet design
- Promoted business rates discount for those who are under 15K annual income
- Follow up and responses to licensing inquiries
- Debates and discussions on how recent parking restriction has impacted on businesses
- Discussions on current ongoing road works
- Group members requested to hold regular meetings to develop links with the existing Traders Association, taking part in the planning process and becoming more involved in what is going on in the local community
- Due to limited availability of group's members to meetings, it was suggested that, between meetings, HBC Officers to work with individual businesses when needed
- Group considered that it is useful to have some representations on the St Leonards Traders Association
Identified needs
- Language and culture barriers - the group requested that it would be useful to provide translation services during meetings, licensing policy and procedures and on some promotional materials
- On going safety support
- Group's members felt strongly that there was delay in responses to licensing applications
- Business start up support/business plan
- Legislations awareness
- Advocacy (financial matters)
- Litter and bins
Potential project
- Develop the 'Many Voices, One Hastings' International Cuisine Award to promote and recognise catering services and diversity of skills among catering businesses
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Case Study: Smoking Ban
When the smoking ban was introduced in 2008, the Environmental Health team identified that some Communities may have difficulty understanding the change due to a language barrier. The team worked with local community groups to arrange a series of briefings for traditionally hard to reach groups including the Turkish and Polish communities. Sompriti attended the briefings to ensure that any language and cultural issues could be easily resolved.
Following the introduction of the ban, a level of smoking related littering was identified around a local community centre for people with complex needs. Instead of immediately issuing fixed penalty notices, the team identified that the centre users needed more assistance to understand and visited the centre to explain to the client base that cigarette ends are litter, and that dropping litter could result in a fixed penalty notice or prosecution. They also handed out a lot of small personal 'butt boxes' to the client base so that there was no excuse for dropping them.
