Minutes:
The Strategic Housing Manager gave detailed background information and explained that his team had been chosen as a pilot to apply the Lean Management Process to a review of the Council’s involvement in approving applications and monitoring the progress of adaptations under the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) scheme. However, from June 2010 the new Home Improvement Agency (HIA) for Worcestershire would come into force, dealing with all DFGs irrespective of whether it was a council tenancy (in the case of Redditch), Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT) or private sector dwellings. The Review Team had been involved in setting up the new HIA, which aimed to ensure consistent policies and procedures across the county and to include some of the savings identified in the review.
The Strategic Housing Manager advised that last year performance had improved in terms of the element of the process that had been done in house and effectively, all the budget had been committed by December. This meant that high priority cases received after that date could not be processed and potentially the Team was in danger of allocating less needy cases grants earlier in the year. The Strategic Housing Manager advised that it would be beneficial if the budget could be divided up over 12 months and allocated on a monthly basis and that this phased process was being put in place.
The Strategic Housing Manager gave information on, and Members discussed, the following issues arising from the report:
The Strategic Housing Manager advised that during the review process a new finance system had been implemented, which initially had had a negative impact on the DFG process. However, Review Team had worked with Finance to find a solution. This had been very successful and they now had the benefits of the new system without a further delay to the process. Members were concerned that other departments could continue to be affected by the new finance system.
The Board asked if specific funding was available for injured Armed Forces personnel returning from a warzone. The Strategic Housing Manager advised that charitable organisations would be contacted, particularly if a top up of a grant was needed, to assist in such a case. This was a good example of why it was more appropriate to divide the budget over a 12 month period in future.
RESOLVED that the decision to divide the budget over a 12 month period be supported.
RECOMMENDED that all departments are made aware of the Lean Systems Process and that it is used as part of the three year transformation programme.
Supporting documents: