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Author: Christoph Sinn - Policy and Practice Officer (CIH)Contributor: Joanne Kent-Smith - Senior Policy and Practice Officer (CIH)Editor: Debbie Larner - Head of Practice (CIH)Acknowledgement: We are grateful to Communities and Local Government (CLG)

for supporting this practice brief and for editorial comments andsuggestions of earlier drafts. The views expressed in this publications arethose of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of CLG.

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ContentsAllocations – fair and flexible ........................................................... Page 3

Statutory guidance on allocations – principles ................................. Page 4

Aims and objectives of an allocation scheme ................................... Page 8

Framing the allocation scheme ......................................................... Page 14

Use of local lettings policies .............................................................. Page 23

Communicating the allocation scheme .............................................. Page 27

Targeted groups – one size doesn’t fit all ......................................... Page 29

Communicating lettings outcomes .................................................... Page 33

Reviewing allocation schemes – engagement and involvement ...... Page 36

Price £15.00

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Social housing plays an important role inproviding accommodation for a wide range ofhouseholds, including some of the mostvulnerable in society. Its contribution to widerpublic policy concerns such as the creation ofsocially cohesive communities, educationalperformance, health improvements andeconomic opportunities is well acknowledged.Using allocation policies more strategically,through taking account of and responding tolocal circumstances, has the potential tomaximise these and other benefits, a pointreiterated in the statutory allocation guidance.

This practice brief complements the recentlypublished statutory guidance on the allocationof social housing.1 It aims to:

1. support local authorities in responding tothe new statutory guidance

2. contribute to the increased use offlexibilities in local allocations policyand practice

3. help local authorities to effectivelycommunicate allocation schemes / policiesas well as any changes following a review,ensuring that applicants and the widercommunity receive the correct information,so as to counter any misconceptions orprevent them from becoming established inthe first instance

4. support local authorities to effectivelyengage and consult with communities whendeveloping and / or reviewing allocationschemes / policies

Who should read this practice brief?

The principal audience for this practice briefis English local authorities who by statute are required to have an allocation scheme in place. It will be of particular interest andrelevance to:

• elected members

• staff responsible for allocations and lettings,particularly those new to this area.

It will also be of interest to:

• tenant and resident groups

• stakeholders with a professional interest inhousing allocations, such as advice agencies

• registered providers of social housing2 –they will often be the sole supplier of socialhousing in an area and have entered intoagreements to allocate a certain proportionof their stock to local authority nominations.This means that they will be affected bychanges to the allocation scheme and arekey stakeholders when it comes toconsulting over any changes.

This practice brief is intended to providesome pointers on how to translate thestatutory allocation guidance in practicalterms. Wherever possible, practice examplesare used to illustrate the main points. It doesnot provide step-by-step guidance on how todevelop an allocation scheme.

Allocations – fair and flexible

1 CLG, 2009, Fair and flexible: statutory guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England, London, CLG2 For a full definition see section 80 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008

3 [2009] UKHL 14

Statutory guidance on allocations – principles

Fair and flexible: statutory guidance on socialhousing allocations for local authorities inEngland provides clarification on theflexibilities local authorities can exercise in theallocation of social housing. This follows arecent House of Lords3 judgement whichrecognised the flexibility to which localauthorities are entitled to.

Local flexibilities and decision-making in allocating housing

In consultation with local communities, localauthorities are encouraged to make greateruse of available flexibilities within the currentlegislation, such as putting more emphasison local connection and waiting time indetermining relative priority betweenapplicants. In fact, there is nothing to stoplocal authorities from operating allocationschemes which prioritise applicants who donot fall within the statutory reasonablepreference categories, as long as overallschemes do not work to the detriment ofthose in greatest housing need. The guidancereaffirms the view that priority for socialhousing should go to those in greatesthousing need, as set out in the statutoryreasonable preference categories. Allocationschemes are further expected to support anumber of government objectives and widerpolicy drivers.

Following the House of Lords ruling in Ahmadv. Newham LBC, local authorities are no longerrequired to provide for cumulative preferencewithin their allocation schemes, that isprioritising applicants according to theseverity of housing need or on the basis offalling into more than one of the reasonablepreference categories.

Prioritising applicants on the basis of waitingtime alone was held to be acceptable.Furthermore, local authorities wishing to setaside a small percentage of lets to existingtenants wanting to move but who don’t fallinto any of the reasonable preferencecategories can do so.

Whilst the guidance is not prescriptive in termsof the method used to prioritise applicants, itencourages local authorities to have simpleand transparent systems. Banding schemes areseen as less complex, easier to understand andhence ‘fairer’, compared to points-based ones.

The guidance further encourages the morewidespread use of local lettings policies to dealwith specific issues and concerns.

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Choice-basedlettings schemes

Under a choice-based lettings scheme(CBL), applicants will be given theopportunity to bid for vacant propertieswhich are advertised. Advertisements willgive details of any restrictions (such asaccommodation reserved for older anddisabled households) in place on certainproperties. Accommodation will generallybe allocated to the bidder with the highestnumber of points under the scheme.To enhance transparency and helpapplicants to make best use of thescheme, lettings outcomes are publishedat regular intervals as is information on

the likelihood of securingaccommodation of a certain kind / ina certain location, taking account ofapplicants' priority status and othercircumstances.

The government’s five year housing planSustainable Communities: Homes for Allpublished in 2005 set out the target toreplace conventional allocation schemeswith CBL by 2010. More recently,government has set out to extendCBL coverage by including low-costhome ownership and properties to rentfrom private landlords as well asencouraging CBL on regional and / orsub-regional basis.

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iTenant Services Authority standardsframework

From 1 April 2010, ‘registered providers’ ofsocial housing, including local authorities,will come under the new regulatoryframework set by the Tenant ServicesAuthority (TSA). The TSA advocates aco-regulatory approach, which is based ona balance between direct regulation andself-regulation by landlords. Registeredproviders are required to comply with anumber of nationally set standards(referred to as national standards) andthese will be complemented by localstandards which reflect local prioritiesfollowing consultation with tenants. Twoof the proposed national standards are ofparticular relevance to the topic area ofthis practice brief, namely:

the tenancy standard (which coversallocations)

• registered providers must let theirhomes in a fair, transparent and efficientway. They must take into account thehousing needs and aspirations oftenants and potential tenants andshould demonstrate how theirallocation processes:• make the best use of

available housing

• contribute to local authorities’strategic housing function andsustainable communities.

the tenant involvement and empowermentstandard

• registered providers will offer all tenantsopportunities to be involved in themanagement of their housing. Thismust include opportunities to:• influence housing-related policies

and how housing-related servicesare delivered

• be involved in scrutinisingperformance in deliveringhousing-related services.

Community engagement

It is important to communicate the way socialhousing is allocated with the wider community,both to offer clarity and to counter anymisconceptions and misinformation. Forinstance, a poll conducted by Ipsos Mori in20094 showed that nearly a third ofrespondents don’t think social housing isallocated fairly, compared to around a quarterwho thought it was, whilst nearly 45 per centhad either no or only very little knowledge ofthe way the allocation system works in theirarea. Communication includes makingavailable information on lettings outcomesand the wider background / context whichinfluences allocations decisions. By providinginformation in a transparent way, people aremore likely to view allocation policies as fair orwill take at least a more consideredperspective. Similarly, when it comes toreviewing the allocation scheme (includingalterations to certain aspects of the scheme /policy), local authorities are encouraged toconsult as wide as possible.

Partnership working with registeredproviders of social housing

The guidance is explicit about the importanceof putting in place robust and effectivepartnership arrangements between localauthorities and other registered providers ofsocial housing as part of their housingfunction. Whilst this will be important for alllocal authorities, it will be even more so forthose who have transferred their stock.Partnership working with registered providerscovers a number of areas and these are set outin the guidance as follows:

• joint development of allocation priorities

• consultation on changes to the allocationscheme at an early stage

• establishment of a nomination agreementwhich is subject to reviews at regularintervals

• development of common approaches toallocating social housing, such as theadoption of a common housing register andallocation policies.

4 CLG, 2009, Attitudes to housing: Findings from Ipsos MORI Public Affairs Monitor Omnibus Survey (England), London, CLG

The statutory guidance sets out government’sexpectations with regard to the outcomesof local authorities’ allocation schemes.On the one hand there are clear statutoryrequirements which an allocation scheme musttake into account, such as giving priority tothose with the greatest housing need andhaving regard to its equality impact.On the other hand, there are a number of‘aspirational’ outcomes which governmentwants local authorities’ allocation schemesto take into account.

The allocation scheme

Section 167 of the Housing Act 1996 requireslocal housing authorities to have a scheme inplace (known as the allocation scheme) fordetermining priorities and procedures to befollowed in allocating housing.

The procedure must include all aspects of theallocation process and should set out thepersons or job titles of people by whomdecisions are to be taken. The scheme mustinclude a statement of the authority's policy onallocating accommodation and state whetherapplicants are offered:

• a choice of housing accommodation or

• the opportunity to express preferencesabout the housing accommodation to beallocated to them.

A summary of the allocation scheme mustbe published.

However there is some discretion for localauthorities, as exemplified in R (on theapplication of Boolen) v Barking andDagenham London Borough Council [2009]EWHC 2196. Here, the court held that thepublished scheme did not have to containevery detail as to how a discretion, whichformed a part of such a scheme, was to beexercised. However, in order to counter / dispelmyth and in the light of general transparency,local authorities are encouraged to be explicitand open about all aspects of the allocationscheme, a point the statutory guidanceexplicitly stresses.

Reasonable preference categories

The statutory guidance reiterates the notionthat social housing is principally aimed atthose in greatest housing need. Therefore,priority for accommodation must be given tothose who fall within the statutory reasonablepreference categories, namely:

• people who are homeless (within themeaning of Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996)

• people who are owed a duty by a localhousing authority under s.190(2), 193(2), or195(2) of the Housing Act 1996 (or under s.65(2) or 68(2) of the Housing Act 1985) orwho are occupying accommodation securedby any such authority under s. 192(3)

• people occupying insanitary or overcrowdedhousing, or otherwise living inunsatisfactory housing conditions

• people who need to move on medical orwelfare grounds

Aims and objectives of an allocation scheme8

• people who need to move to a particularlocality in the district of the authority, wherefailure to meet that need would causehardship (to themselves or to others) due tofor instance: • a need to access medical treatment • to give or receive care • to take up an employment or training

opportunity.

Additional preference categories

Additional priority may be given to particularpeople within the reasonable preferencecategories who have urgent housing needs.5

The 2002 statutory allocation guidancesuggests that additional preference could begiven to:

• those owed a homelessness duty as a resultof violence or threats of violence likely to becarried out and as a result urgent rehousingis required. This could include: • victims of domestic violence / racial

harassment involving violence or threatsof violence

• same sex couples who are victims ofharassment involving violence or threatsof violence

• witnesses of crime who would be at riskof intimidation leading to violence orthreats of violence

• those who need to move because ofurgent medical reasons.

Critically, any scheme should enable theidentification of those with greatest housingneed and determine how individuals will beprioritised for housing. The allocation schemeshould provide a clear description of howbands for reasonable preference, and prioritywithin bands, are determined and assessed. Allschemes for determining priorities for lettingsshould be carefully designed, to reflect therange of needs that exist locally, and takeaccount of reasonable preference categories asdetermined in law. Allocation schemes shouldrecognise the need to ensure fair and equalaccess to social rented housing.

Equality and diversity

Local authorities need to ensure that theirallocation schemes are compliant with the fullrange of duties under the equality legislation,such as elimination of unlawful discrimination,the promotion of equality of opportunity andgood relations. Thus, any alterations to theallocation scheme and policies should besubject to an equality impact assessment.In order to help housing organisations tounderstand how equality, diversity, goodrelations and community cohesion impact ontheir everyday work, CIH has produced apractice brief Equality, Diversity and GoodRelations in Housing to support housingorganisations in embedding the principles ofequality and diversity throughout their work.

www.cih.org/publications/pub801.htm

5 ODPM, 2002, Allocation of Accommodation: Code of guidance for local housing authorities, London, ODPM

Allocation schemes and procedures shouldconsider the following to ensure againstpossible discriminatory effects:

arules for awarding priority should beconsistently applied to families separatedpending rehousing

alinking priority to retirement age can bedifferent for men and women

agiving a blanket priority to existing tenanttransfers, over housing register cases, may

discriminate against black and minorityethnic people if under-represented amongexisting tenants

asingle parent families should be treated thesame as two parent families

acouples in civil partnerships should betreated the same as married couples

ahomeless households should not be givenless choice compared to other accesschannels. BME groups and single parenthouseholds are often over-representedamong homeless households

acan differences in the way applications from disabled people are handled fromthose from able-bodied people reallybe justified?

aare grounds for the use of discretion clearlydefined, and are all staff members whomake discretionary lettings suitable trained?

ado processes lead to concentrations ofparticular groups in areas?

ahave lettings processes been ‘equalityproofed’. Are sufficient monitoring datacollected and evaluated to alter prioritysystems to correct any imbalances?

ais sufficient care taken to ensure thatcommunication of the allocation scheme is adequate for people who:• are newcomers to an area and not

familiar with local arrangements• may experience learning difficulties

or sensory impairment• do not have English as their first

language.Adapted from CIH practice onlinewww.cih.org/practice/online/

Practice checklist:ensuring fair and equal accessto social rented housing

a

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Equality Bill for Great Britain (June 2009)

The Equality Bill for Great Britain whichbrings together all the strands of diversitywithin one piece of legislation is due tobecome law in April 2010 (subject toParliamentary approval) and will bringwith it new and challenging expectationson housing organisations across England,Wales and Scotland. It will influence awhole range of areas that are key tohousing, including regulation andinspection, monitoring and review andengagement with local communities. It setsout to combine the nine major pieces oflegislation relating to equality, and around100 statutory instruments, into a single actwith the aim of making the law moreaccessible and easier to understand.http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_bill.aspx

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Additional outcomes which allocationschemes should achieve

Under the new statutory guidance, localauthorities are encouraged to develop theirallocation schemes with a more strategicperspective in order to support broader publicpolicy outcomes.

Promoting greater choice and wider optionsfor prospective and existing tenants

Giving applicants more choice over where theywould like to live is believed to help build morestable neighbourhoods. This is because tenantstend to be more satisfied with theiraccommodation where they have been able toexercise choice and thus will move lessfrequently. Government is keen to see choice inthe allocation system becoming the norm andhas set a target to replace conventionalschemes with CBL. In order to exercise choice,individuals need the right information andadvice about all the available housing options.The importance of broadening housing adviceso that households are more aware of theiroptions, seek advice when they are not inserious need and plan ahead for housing goalshas been highlighted in the CIH reportModernising Housing Advice.

www.cih.org/policy/ModernisingHousingAdvice.pdf

Creating more mixed and sustainablecommunities

In order to support sustainable communities,allocation schemes need to be aligned withother strategic drivers, such as thosearticulated in the sustainable communities /

housing and homelessness strategy. This is anessential part of local authorities’ strategichousing role. In practical terms, local lettingspolicies are particularly useful here, as they canbe used to address particular issues (for moredetails on their usage see page 23).

Providing for greater mobility

Making provisions in allocation schemes tosupport moves within the social housing sectorcan play an important role in promotinggreater social and economic mobility.Subregional CBL schemes can be a way ofachieving this. But even in the absence of suchschemes, cross-boundary moves between localauthorities can be facilitated through locallettings policies, which for instance could allowfor a certain number of properties to beallocated to key workers and others to fill aspecific skills gap within an area.

Utilising the existing housing stock to itsfull potential

Given that supply of social housing in mostareas outstrips supply, making most effectiveuse of the existing stock is a clear priority formany local authorities. Allocation schemes canfor instance make special provisions for thosefreeing up under-occupied properties (for moreinformation on dealing with under-occupationsee page 20) or those with adaptations wherethey are no longer needed by the occupants.

Having allocation schemes which are fair andconsidered to be fair

The perceived ‘unfairness’ of the allocationssystem often stems from insufficientknowledge, based on anecdotal rather thanfirst-hand information. The ways allocationpolicies are phrased also doesn’t help in thisrespect. The system used to prioritiseapplicants within the allocation scheme(particularly points-based ones) can seemimpenetrable to new applicants and potentiallyreinforce any misconceptions held. Thus,finding ways to effectively communicate theworkings of an allocation scheme is of crucialimportance, as is seeking views from the widercommunity prior to making changes to ascheme. These points are discussed at greatlength in the latter part of this practice brief(page 27 onwards).

Supporting people in or seeking work

Around one-third of workless households livein the social sector.6 This is perhaps notsurprising, since the allocation systemprioritises those in greatest need which tendsto be people who are in some way vulnerable,disadvantaged and / or disconnected from thelabour market. This can undermineneighbourhood stability and the long-termsustainability of whole communities, the veryoutcomes government is expecting localauthorities to prevent in part through theirallocation schemes as outlined earlier. Thus,provisions could be made within allocationschemes to give some priority to those in oractively seeking work and / or training. There isalso much that housing organisations can doto tackle worklessness (CIH has published aworklessness toolkit which provides manyexamples and pointers as to the most effectiveways of addressing this issue).

CIH (2008) Tackling worklessness: A toolkitwww.cih.org/publications/pub130.htm

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6 Cope H, 2008, Tackling worklessness: A toolkit, Coventry, CIH

Practiceexample

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Councilmakes particular use of local flexibilities toassist disabled people. Their well-establishedHousing Occupational Therapy Team make thebest use of adapted properties, promote otherhousing options for people whose homeswould be unsuitable or too expensive to adapt,and ensure that disabled people have thesame opportunities to exercise choice in theirhousing as other residents. The allocationscheme provides for disabled people to bidunder CBL not only for adapted properties butalso for properties that are identified in advertsas suitable for adaptation. Individual needs areassessed, and advice given as to what types ofproperty to bid for. The allocation is then madeby the OT team to achieve the mostappropriate match, and make the best use ofthe property. It includes the flexibility toallocate properties of a size or type thehousehold may not normally be eligible for,providing any competing needs have beenconsidered. Over the course of 2008,almost 100 households including someonewith a physical disability have been able tomove to a property of their choice that meetstheir needs. Around half were properties thatalready had adaptations, with the remainderbeing standard properties assessed as capableof adaptation at a reasonable cost.

Home Connections is a not-for-profitcompany owned by local authorities andhousing associations. Home Connectionsprovides CBL directly to a third of Londonboroughs, Birmingham City Council and15 housing associations.

It has been commissioned by the GreaterLondon Authority to run an innovative projectto develop links between CBL and employmentopportunities or services. The HousingEmployment Connections project (HECs) issupported by six London boroughs, PeabodyTrust and specialist employment providersacross London. The project will seek tointroduce and integrate employmentinformation and services to existing andpotential social tenants when they bid (apply)for properties in London.

The practical developments achieved in thisproject may be incorporated into other existingCBL schemes and any future pan-Londonchoice-based lettings and mobility scheme.

When an applicant applies for a property theywill complete a questionnaire about theiremployment needs. HECs will act as a gatewaysubmitting their details to Information Adviceand Guidance organisations and learning andskills providers (with their permission andwithin the restrictions of the Data ProtectionAct). These agencies will then work with the individual and / or signpost them to other agencies.

Practiceexample

Local authorities need to consider how theyframe their allocation schemes so as to takeaccount of both what is required by law andthe government's wider policy drivers.

Local decision-making in allocatinghousing – the implications of Ahmad v.London Borough of Newham

As held in the House of Lords judgementAhmad v Newham LBC, local authorities havediscretion in terms of how they prioritisebetween those in the reasonable preferencecategories, as long as the allocation policycomplies with legal requirements andis rational.

Newham’s allocation scheme uses twomechanisms of offering properties, reflectingtwo types of need, namely a CBL scheme(through which 75 per cent of properties areallocated), and direct offers (those withexceptionally pressing housing need) for theremaining 25 per cent. Those subject to adirect offer have priority within Newham’sallocation scheme, since only properties whichare not wanted by direct offer applicants arebrought into the CBL pool.

Applicants subject to CBL fall into one of thefollowing categories:

• priority homeseekers, i.e. those whosehouseholds contain at least one person whois in a priority need category

• tenants seeking a transfer, i.e. existingNewham tenants who are applying fora transfer but do not fall into theprevious category

• homeseekers, i.e. those who do not fall intoeither of the above categories.

No more than 5 per cent of the CBL propertiesare reserved for tenants seeking a transfer,with the remainder going to priorityhomeseeker applicants. Properties attractingmore than one bid are allocated according tothe applicant’s length of time as a priorityhomeseeker.

Mr Ahmad argued that regard should be givento ‘cumulative preference’, i.e. affordingpriority to applicants who fall into more thanone reasonable preference category, whenprioritising between applicants.

In its judgment, the House of Lords held that:

• waiting time is sufficient to prioritisebetween applicants within the reasonablepreference categories

• there is no requirement to take account of cumulative preference

• setting aside a small percentage of lets toexisting tenants wanting to move but whodon’t fall into any of the reasonablepreference categories is not unlawful.

Framing the allocation scheme14

Removal of the requirement to providefor cumulative preference

The removal of the requirement to provide forcumulative preference should however not betaken as a requirement for local authorities toabolish points-based allocation systems wherethese are regarded as being fair and workable.Rather, it will allow for the implementation ofmore simple and more transparent systems ofprioritising between applicants such asbanding schemes.

Prior to Ahmad, local authorities were requiredto pay attention to cumulative preferencewithin allocation schemes. This required localauthorities to:

• give greater priority to applicants who met more than one category of reasonablepreference

• distinguish between degrees of housingneed within reasonable preferencecategories through a detailed prioritisationof an applicant based on assessed housing need.

However, local authorities are no longerrequired to distinguish between degrees ofhousing need, or to provide applicants who fallwithin more than one reasonable preferencecategory greater priority. Instead, localauthorities are now only required to make adistinction between applicants who meet therequirements of the reasonable preferencecategories and those who do not.

In practice this means local authorities candetermine between applicants in thereasonable preference categories using forinstance waiting time alone.

Advantages include:

• simpler system to operate

• clearer and more transparent system ofprioritisation for applicants to understand

• can be easily monitored

• recognised by applicants as being a fairermeans of distinguishing between otherwisesimilar applicants.

The removal of the requirement to providecumulative preference however brings with itthe question of how a local authorityallocation scheme can determine how anapplicant can be prioritised where a number ofapplicants have a similar level of need, or areassessed to be within the same reasonablepreference categories.

Banding schemes

Banding schemes group together applicantsinto a number of broad bands which reflectboth housing need and the priorities set outwithin the local authority’s allocation scheme,including urgent / non-urgent or no housing need.

Each local authority is free to prioritise how itbands individuals together, and how itprioritises within these bands as long as thescheme meets the legal requirements and hasa clear rationale. Furthermore, the bands mustreflect the principles set within the local

authority’s allocation schemes for determiningpriorities. The more complex and numerous theprinciples are that underpin the allocationscheme, the more complex the bandingscheme will need to be in order to reflectthese principles.

Hence, local authorities are encouraged tooperate simple banding schemes as theywould offer a number of advantages:

• quick and easy to administer

• clear and transparent

• make it easier for local authorities to worktogether around the development ofCBL schemes.

Conversely, more complex schemes can:

• become expensive and time-consuming to operate

• require a value judgement to be made,making the process less transparent andopen to argument

• require more frequent monitoring andreview of applicants’ details to ensure theyare correctly banded. For instance, changesto individual circumstances over timemean applicants are more likely to movebetween different bands if banding has anarrow criteria.

It is important to note that the guidance doesnot require local authorities to replace pointswith a banding scheme. There may be goodreasons why local authorities want to continueusing points-based systems. Existing andprospective tenants may not necessarilyperceive them as lacking in transparency but

may actually value the fact that they allow formore factors to be taken into account whenmaking decisions. Regardless of which systemis used, local authorities should ensure that itis easy to understand and has the support ofboth the community and relevant stakeholders.

Determining priorities betweenapplicants with similar needs

Section 167 (2A) of the Housing Act 1996allows local authority schemes to take intoaccount other factors for the purposes ofdetermining the relative priority of applicantswith similar housing need or who are assessedto be in the same reasonable preferencecategory. Used effectively this providesauthorities with a valuable opportunity to usefactors that take account of and reflect localcircumstances, are driven by the needs andaspirations of local people and support widerstrategic drivers to shape and deliversustainable communities.

Examples given in the legislation include:

• the financial resources available to a personto meet his / her housing costs

• the behaviour of an applicant which mightaffect his / her suitability as a tenant

• any local connection (within the meaningof section 199 of the Housing Act 1996)which exists between a person and theauthority's district.

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These are not exclusive, and local authoritiesmay want to base their decisions on otherfactors (see page 18 for more information).Any priority category adopted should reflectlocal priorities, be developed in consultationwith the community and other stakeholders.

Local connection

Home-Options (Derbyshire) is a group of four local authorities and their respectiveRSL’s / ALMO who have formed a commonallocations policy and choice-based lettings system.

Local residents, elected members, boardmembers and officers expressed views that thescheme should assist those in housing needwho have a ‘connection’ to their own localauthority area in the first instance. It wasrecognised that connection extends beyondthose that currently live in the area and shouldconsider those that have lived previously in thearea but have had to move away, those whoneed to move to give or receive support, thosewho work in the area and those accepted as homeless.

Applicants with no local connection areeligible to be awarded housing priority andplaced in the appropriate band.

Local connection and new-buildproperties in a rural location

Derbyshire Dales DC helps to provide newaffordable homes across two local planningauthority areas which comprise the PeakDistrict National Park Authority and its ownlocal plan area outside the national park.In general terms, any affordable housingdevelopment has to meet the local needs ofthe village or parish the homes are built in.

Between 2002 and 2011 Derbyshire DalesDC working with housing association partners,is on course to deliver 658 new affordablehomes let to households with a provenlocal connection.

Village local lettings in the Derbyshire Dales

The village local lettings policy will applywithin the Derbyshire Dales area of the PeakDistrict National Park and to other villageswithin the Derbyshire Dales with a populationof less than 3,000. Applicants resident for sixmonths or more in a Parish with a populationof less than 3,000 will be considered firstwithin the band.

Practiceexample

Waiting time

Gateshead Council’s allocation policyreflects both the requirement to addresshousing need and the desire to assist localresidents who have accumulated waiting timeon the housing register. It recognises theimportance of creating sustainablecommunities within a local authority made up of both urban and rural areas.

The policy is flexible enough to utilise locallettings policies to address issues threateningsustainability. Additionally, a proportion ofproperties are advertised weekly to applicantsin accordance with waiting time. Thisproportion is revised regularly. As housingneed within the borough declines thisproportion is increased, thus maximising theopportunities afforded to the generalcommunity who do not demonstrate high level need.

Determining local priorities alongsidereasonable preference

Whilst overall, priority for allocating housingmust be given to those in the reasonablepreference categories, the guidanceencourages local authorities to give somepriority to applicants falling outside thereasonable preference categories, reflectingparticularly local needs and circumstances aslong as these are not dominating allocationschemes. By doing so, the allocation scheme isput on a much more strategic footing, since it

has the potential to support a number ofspecific objectives and outcomes at the locallevel, including:

• strengthening community cohesion,particularly in areas where tensions areknown to be associated with the wayhousing is allocated

• encouraging greater social and economicmobility of social housing tenants

• broadening choice and widening options forprospective tenants

• ensuring the most efficient use of thehousing stock

• responding to employment / skills needsspecific to the area

• creating more mixed communities andaddressing the long-term sustainability of neighbourhoods

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Practiceexample

• developing and maintaining balanced andstable communities

• attracting a broader customer base

• addressing specific issues at theneighbourhood level, such as anti-socialbehaviour and high turnover throughprioritising use of local lettings policies

• countering misconceptions as to theapparent unfairness of the allocationprocess.

The table on page 21 lists some examples offactors other than those set out in thereasonable preference categories that localauthorities might want to consider givingpriority to as a response to local circumstancesand in support of specific policy priorities.

Local flexibilities – establishing an evidence base

Establishing local priorities outside thestatutory reasonable preference categoriesrequires robust evidence of need. Rather thanstarting from scratch, local authorities willalready hold and have access to a wealth ofexisting information and data to assist withthis, including:

• analysis of current housing register

• data on lettings over time

• local lettings plans

• census and / or neighbourhood statistics

• housing market assessment

• economic impact assessment

• information and data collated as part of strategy documents, such as the sustainable communities strategy and local area agreements

• data from previous community orneighbourhood profiling exercises

• views gathered as part of communityengagement exercises / consultations

• information gathered on tenants andresidents via housing applications,satisfaction surveys, complaints, etc.

Working with other council departments and stakeholders, such as local businesses andemployers to identify particular skills gaps inthe area, will be able to assist withestablishing an evidence base. Therefore theimportance of joint working cannot beoverstated. Non-stock holding authorities in

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particular may want to work with local housingproviders to encourage them to streamline andco-ordinate processes to capture informationon their customers in such a way as to provideuseful ‘insight’ to inform the development oflocal priorities.7

Addressing under-occupation

Mechanisms should be provided to encourageindividual households to free up stock byreleasing under-occupied properties for lettingto larger households.

For example, the allocation scheme could beframed so as to allow for priority to be givento households who release a property twobedrooms larger than they need and a lesserpriority given to households who will release aproperty one bedroom larger.

Advantages of moving to a smaller property,such as lower rent levels / council tax andcheaper fuel and other running costs as wellas details of the under-occupation schemeshould be publicised through a variety ofmeans (see checklist on distributinginformation on page 35).

Whilst addressing under-occupation is animportant part of effective stock management,it has to be recognised that it is a potentiallysensitive issue. For many older tenants,downsizing may mean moving to a differentarea, severing social ties and leaving personalmemories behind. On a more practical level,

personal belongings accrued over many yearsneed to be accommodated as they may holdsentimental value.

Under-occupation incentives can take the form of:

• assistance with, or payment of, removal costs

• assistance with other costs such asredirection of mail and reconnection charges

• help and support with the actual removal,particularly in the case of older tenants

• providing for external storage space

• cash payments

• help with redecorating the property into which the tenant is moving or adecoration allowance

• if extensive refurbishment is being carried out, allowing tenant input into the design / finish of the home into whichthey are moving.

7 For more information on this area see Gray A Kent-Smith J and Sinn C, 2008, Customer Insight: Knowing Your Customers good practice briefing,Coventry, CIH

Priority factors Rationale

key workers responding to employment needs in the local area

economically activeaddressing a known-need for housing localemployees rebalancing communities

being in training or education encouraging tenants' aspirationscontributing to local economic growth

positive community criteria, i.e. applicantsmaking a contribution to a particular area in an economic or voluntary capacity

encouraging involvement in the community supporting community enterprises

good behavioursupporting long-term sustainability of neighbourhoodsrewarding positive behaviour

encouraging downsizing, including two for onetransfers (i.e. families occupying two homes andwanting to set up home together)

more efficient use of existing stock

applicants with dependent children under theage of 10, living in accommodation above thefirst floor

providing adequate family accommodationproviding children with a safe play environment, i.e. garden

applicants wanting to be nearer to schoolsand / or educational institutions

encouraging tenants' aspirations contributing to the long-term economic growth of the local area

people moving on from supportedaccommodation or adapted properties which are no longer needed

more efficient use of existing stock

people leaving hospital / care providing choice and supporting re-integration into community

offenders leaving prison supporting re-integration into community

applicants who have been offered full-time employment in an area but are unable to commute

contributing to local economic growthsupporting long-term sustainability ofneighbourhoodsrebalancing communities

Stoke-on-Trent’s allocation scheme makesprovision for all existing tenants who arewilling to move in order to allow the localauthority to take advantage of a particulartype of property which is scarce and in highdemand (such as a larger or adaptedproperty) by awarding them priority withinthe banding scheme.

A 'Transfer Incentive Scheme' is available toexisting tenants in 4, 5 and 6 bedroomproperties who are under-occupying by at leasttwo bedrooms. Tenants make an application tobe considered under this scheme and they areaccepted subject to qualifying criteria (i.e.secure tenancy, no tenancy breaches or courtaction, etc.). Once a tenant has been acceptedonto this scheme they are given enhancedpriority under the allocation scheme to enablethem to be able to move more quickly. Inaddition successful applicants are given afinancial incentive of £250 per bedroomreleased plus a £300 disturbance payment toassist with removal costs.

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Practiceexample

Local lettings policies are an important tool inresponse to specific local circumstances andare one of the main vehicles for localauthorities and their partners to use flexibilitieswithin the allocation process. Local lettingsmust not dominate the scheme at the expenseof the statutory reasonable preferencecategories and if used, their nature and scopemust be published alongside the allocationscheme.

Local lettings policies may be used to addressa wide range of issues, including particularhousing management and wider publicpolicy concerns.

Examples include:

• creating balanced and mixed communities

• protecting existing stable communities

• meeting housing need in rural areas bysetting aside a proportion of lets toapplicants with a local connection viasection 106 agreements

• restricting where persons who havecommitted serious crimes can be rehoused(e.g. sex offender will not be rehoused nearschools, playgrounds or other places wherechildren and young people congregate)

• reducing void rates and tenancy turnovers

• improving community stability and cohesion

• tackling low-demand areas and difficult-to-let estates

• reducing incidences of anti-social behaviour

• preventing future problems occurring onnewly developed estates or in relation torecently modernised properties.

When developing local lettings policies, it isimportant that any equalities implications arecarefully considered. For instance, giving extrapriority to local people may exclude newlyarrived migrants. It is therefore important thatproposed policies are modelled before they areintroduced to identify outcomes. If theoutcomes are acceptable and it is decided togo ahead with introducing a scheme, robustand regular monitoring of outcomes is needed.

Local lettings policies are usually put in placefor a limited time period and can differ frommainstream lettings policies in various ways,such as:

• giving priority to people who want to live inthe area

• allocating properties to applicants in non-priority groups

• disregarding household type and / orproperty type matching rules, for instanceallowing under-occupation to promotelonger-term tenancies, reduce child densityand account for future family growth (whichreduce the need for transfers).8

Use of local lettings policies

8 For more information see p.80 in Perry J and Blackaby B, 2007, Community Cohesion and Housing: A Good Practice Guide, Coventry, CIH

Proposals for local lettings policies should setout the following:

• a clear definition of the objective(s) to beachieved, backed up by clear evidence

• a method which is likely to achieve theobjective(s)

• a potential (equality) impact assessment

• how the scheme will be monitored and whowill be involved

• mechanisms of reporting and reviewing the scheme

• how the views of local communities haveshaped the scheme

• a clear exit strategy.

Local lettings toolkit

Stoke-on-Trent City Council developed a local lettings toolkit which aids thedevelopment of local lettings policies,following a five step procedure.

1. Initial assessment

• define the geographical area

• think about what you and stakeholdersperceive as the problem within the area

• consider your objectives – how would thingschange as a result of allocating properties ina different way

• short-term fix? Longer-term intervention?

• who are your stakeholders?

2. Identifying the critical issues

This includes the gathering of key data in order to identify the critical issues within theproposed area, including demand and mobilityand socio-economic background within the area.

3. Defining the scope and objective(s) of theproposed policy

4. Getting approval on the details of theproposed policy

5. Approval report

Writing up a report to seek approval forintroducing the policy, based on theinformation obtained and agreements on howto introduce, manage and monitor the schemefor a defined period.

24

Practiceexample

Sensitive lettings

In some circumstances it may be beneficial toadopt a ‘sensitive lettings’ approach as part ofa local lettings schemes. This is generally usedto address / manage specific issues, such asthe make up of a particular block of flats, i.e.having the flexibility to by-pass people at thetop of the housing register so as to avoidlifestyle clashes by not housing certain groupsunder one roof. It is important that sensitivelettings are objective and clearly evidence-based. It is therefore important that therationale for using such an approach is clearlycommunicated to both housing applicants andthe wider community, as with all other aspectsof the allocation scheme.

aensure that any policies are part of widerstrategic drivers, such as the localauthority’s housing and sustainablecommunities strategy, and are not justused in a purely ad-hoc / reactive way

ahave a robust evidence base in place toinform the development of a policy

ause community profiling and similartechniques to identify where policies maybe most beneficial

amonitor the outcomes on an ongoing basisand undertake regular impact assessmentsof the scheme(s)

ainvolve tenants and residents whendeveloping proposals and reviewing policies

aensure that information about any policiesand the rationale behind them is publishedas part of the allocation scheme oralongside it, including the length of timethat the initiative will be in place, thegeographical area(s) the scheme appliesto, what monitoring there will be, thefrequency of reviews taking place, and theproposed exit strategy.

Practice checklist:local lettings policiesa

Lettings plans

Making the allocation scheme more responsiveto local need requires a robust evidence base.Developing an annual lettings or rehousingplan helps in establishing the proportion ofstock which can be set aside for non-priority /additional preference groups and others (e.g.key workers or those who fill a certain skills /employment gap in the locality). Local lettingsplans are an important strategic tool whichenable lettings practices to be linked to widerstrategic issues. As stated in the guidance,targets and quotas should not be too rigidin order to take account of changingcircumstances. Thus, it is important to keep theplan under review throughout the year so thatamendments can be made if a particular quotaor target cannot be met or local needs havechanged.

A lettings plan involves estimating the supplyof properties likely to become available overthe next year through, for example:

• local authority relets

• mobility moves out of an area

• relets through nominations and / or referrals to housing associations

• new build for rent and low-cost homeownership

• any leasing schemes managed by registered providers.

The demand for properties is then estimated,based on past trends from the various accessroutes, such as:

• priority homeless

• people needing to move because theirhomes are being improved (decant schemes)

• temporary accommodation in permanentstock, e.g. for homeless households, asylum seekers

• lettings for move-on accommodation

• transfers / mobility / downsizing moves into the area

• lettings from the housing register

• lettings due to overcrowding

• others, such as key workers, those inemployment / training and applicants whomake a positive contribution to thecommunity (e.g in a volunteering capacity).

The demand from each of these groups can becalculated as a proportion of the totaldemand. Proportions for each group representthe target proportions of lettings to be madeduring the coming year which are thenconverted to a number of lettings based on thesupply figures. Lettings plans for local areascan be calculated by applying the targetproportion of lettings at the district level to thesupply at the local level.

26

This section sets out the broad principles ofeffective ways of communicating the allocationscheme, including the mechanisms throughwhich it is delivered (e.g. CBL).

Social housing is a scarce resource, withdemand clearly outstripping supply. This isreflected in the growing number of people onthe housing register, which has reached almost1.76 million households. Although not ameasure of actual need, housing registerfigures provide some indication as to thedemand for affordable housing within an area.This means that issues of perceived fairness,transparency and equality are particularlyimportant when it comes to distributing such ascarce resource. Given the complexity of anyallocations system it is perhaps not surprisingthat there are some common misconceptionsand misinformation about who can accessaffordable housing. Effective communication istherefore key in order to raise awareness andunderstanding of current allocation policy andpractice. Left unaddressed, misconceptionsabout the way housing is allocated can all tooeasily become the dominant view, which willbe difficult to alter.

• a study by CLG9 found that the majority ofpeople perceive the way social housing isallocated as unfair

• the same poll showed that most peoplesimply don’t or at best only know very littleabout how the allocation system works

• research by the Equality and Human RightsCommission10 exposed widely-held fearsthat the allocations process puts whiteBritish families at a disadvantage.

It is therefore important that good quality andaccessible information about how allocationschemes and systems work is provided to bothhousing applicants and the wider community.

Effective communication will help to:

• raise awareness among local people aboutwhat constitutes affordable housing, who is eligible and the wider constraintsunder which the local authority and itspartners operate

• reduce the opportunities for the circulationof misunderstandings and myths about theways in which social housing is allocated

• elicit positive response and support fromlocal people for the adopted allocationscheme and a sense that it is seen as fair

• increase the public's understanding of thecontribution which good quality, affordablehousing can make to wider public policyconcerns, such as the creation of sociallycohesive / mixed income communities,educational performance, healthimprovements and economic opportunities

Communicating the allocation scheme

9 CLG, 2009, Attitudes to Housing: Findings from the Ipsos MORI Public Affairs Monitor Omnibus Survey (England), London, CLG10 EHRC, 2009, Social housing allocation and immigrant communities, London, EHRC

• widen access to social housing, as it willencourage individuals to apply whopreviously might not have been aware thatthey would be eligible. Local authoritiesneed to be mindful how they will managethe increase in demand, which is likely tofollow from this

• increase awareness of the full range ofhousing options available.

Whilst transparency is important, it has to berecognised that information alone will notdispel myths and misperceptions aboutallocation of social housing. As the statutoryguidance recognises, deeply felt opinions donot always change in response to thepresentation of facts. In areas where tensionsare associated with housing allocations,communication of allocations policies andoutcomes will need to be part of a widercommunity cohesion strategy.

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Levels of interest about how the allocationssystem works will vary amongst individuals. For instance, home owners might only have a passing interest, those wishing to accesshousing on the other hand will have quitedifferent information requirements (e.g. how to apply for housing, likely waiting times andchances of being re-housed in certain areas,etc.). It would not be feasible or practical toprovide bespoke communications materialcovering all the various scenarios. However,being able to identify broad categories ofinterest as well as the groups to communicatewith, will help with finding the rightcommunications vehicles and channels.Knowing your community is fundamental aslocal specific circumstances (e.g. a largemigrant or older person population) will havean impact on the communications /engagement process. It also has to berecognised that views and perceptions candiffer on a very local basis on, for example theimportance of local connection.

Communication – who and what?

Wider public, including existing tenantsand residents

Here, a local authority is concerned withconveying general information of how theallocation and social housing system works.Giving people the facts, figures, contextual andbackground information in plain and simplelanguage will both increase levels ofunderstanding / knowledge and enable themto draw their own conclusions, which hopefullyrectify any misconceptions previously held.

Provide general information of how theallocations and social housing system works in plain and simple language. Placing articlesin council-produced newspapers, newsletters (or similar communication material) andutilising the local media is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience.

In addition, further detailed information can be used to supplement the above. This couldinclude a six-monthly or annual digest, whichcould cover things like:

• short introduction to social (affordable) housing

• stock profile information

• information on current levels of supply anddemand, including the hotspots areas

• overview of the allocations process

• frequency of properties becoming available,broken down by type, size, location and accessibility

• breakdown of housing register figures byneed, age, ethnicity, etc.

• likely waiting times for lets

• listing the area(s) / neighbourhood(s) where applicants are more likely to get their first choice

• information on local lettings policies.

Targeted groups – one size doesn’t fit all

Engagement with the local community

Redditch Borough Council secured fundingfrom the CLG Trailblazer initiative to promotethe Enhanced Housing Options Service withinthe local community. The aim was toencourage more individuals to contact theHousing Options service for help or adviceregarding accessing and sustaining housing,employment or education. It was further hopedthat this would encourage individualsexperiencing problems due to redundancy tocontact the department earlier to increase thelikelihood of preventing homelessness.

In order to increase the capacity to deliver, thehousing options team recruited a number ofvolunteers from the local community.All volunteers received training via workshopsfacilitated by the housing options team onhousing options available in the area,temporary accommodation, housing benefitand the work of partner organisations such aslocal colleges, the citizens advice bureau,Jobcentre Plus and the local credit union.

The contribution from these volunteers provedvaluable by increasing the number ofcustomers reached at events. A survey ofcustomers showed that some felt morecomfortable talking to members of their owncommunity than employees of the council.Since the introduction of Housing Optionsevents there has been a rise in the number ofcustomers approaching the Housing Options

service for assistance and the number of successful homelessness preventions has increased.

Housing applicants and potential applicants

Those wishing to register for social housingshould have access to all the relevantinformation, including any relevant supportwhere necessary. Information should beavailable in both printed and electronicformats.

Although the law only requires a summary ofthe allocation scheme to be published, in manyinstances local authorities make the wholedocument available on their websites (in anycase, the document has to be made availableon request). The summary should becomplemented by easy-to-use procedural step-by-step guidance (for examples of CBL guidance see www.compasscbl.org.ukand https://homechoice.northampton.gov.uk).Communities are diverse; therefore it isimportant to ensure that a range ofcommunications mechanisms are in place.

Staff

All staff need to have a basic knowledge of howthe allocations system works to ensure thatclear and consistent messages can be given out.This is of particular importance in the case offrontline staff and those who will have more‘informal’ contact with people, such as repairsand maintenance staff and neighbourhoodwardens. Those who work directly in allocationsneed to have regular training and updates on

30

Practiceexample

latest policy and legislative developments.Information on who is eligible for housing canbe complex, so accessible and up-to-dateinformation backed by training is key. CIH andthe Housing Association’s Charitable Trust (hact)with CLG funding have developed a websitewhich provides guidance on this issue and canbe accessed at www.housing-rights.info

Wakefield Council worked with the Polishcommunity to try to ensure it understood a newCBL scheme. In order to overcome the problemof reaching the geographically dispersedPolish community most effectively, a Polishdelicatessen was identified, acting as acommunity hub. The shop was used to holdsessions on the CBL scheme and display postersand leaflets in Polish. Over 100 Polish peopleattended pre-launch CBL information sessions.Given that the Polish community comprisedaround 1,000 people, the information campaigncan be deemed a success.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council hasdeveloped an interactive community map aspart of the government’s Timely Information forCitizens Project. This project reflects thecommitment made by government in theCommunity Empowerment White Paper toimprove citizens' access to information on local

services and performance data, in order toempower them to hold local service providersto account.

The interactive housing map providesinformation to enable people on the housingneeds register to make informed decisionsabout where to live by showing for example:bus routes, schools, location of shops, the levelof demand for property types and localities, andlinks to CBL property adverts. With such a rangeof information available in one place, the map isintended to be a useful facility for the broadercommunity too. User feedback capability meansthat citizens and community groups will be ableto suggest additional information and facilitiesto be included. The map is due to be launched inMarch 2010.

A1 Housing, the ALMO managing BassetlawDistrict Council's housing stock, has produced a DVD, explaining the CBL system. A DVD wasseen as the best medium to ensure youngpeople and members of the community withlow literacy levels (of which there is a highnumber of), can understand this new way ofaccessing council housing. It was felt that more'traditional' means of communication wouldn'tbe sufficient.

Practiceexample

Practiceexample

Practiceexample

Elected members

With their public-facing role, elected membersmore than anyone else need to be well-informed about the ways the social housingsystem works (this includes all electedmembers and not only housing portfolioholders). Inevitably, given scarce resources,the question of who gets social housing canbe highly political. Elected members may,consciously or not, reinforce publicly heldmisconceptions, particularly during the run-upto elections. Whilst local authority officers mustbe careful not to enter political debate, theycan help to ensure that any comments arefactually correct by making relevantinformation available to all parties. As anexample, CIH has produced a two-pagebriefing11 on housing allocations and migrationwhich provides information at national level(for England) on this issue. It is often difficultto respond to political debate, but it isimportant to have factual information availableand to respond to media inquiries (e.g. abouthow quickly households that are newly arrivedin the area are likely to be allocated socialhousing). Although care should be taken not tocomment on individual cases in a way whichwould breach confidentiality, it is stillimportant to respond quickly and accuratelywith general information that addresses theissues being raised.

Stakeholders

This includes all those with some kind ofprofessional interest in allocations, such ashealth and social services, third-sector

organisations and support / advocacy agencies.In order to give adequate client support,stakeholders need to be equipped withadequate knowledge which could be provided through:

• bespoke briefings, taking account of the specific client group

• presentations / training sessions to frontline staff

• roundtable discussions (for instance, SouthSomerset District Council invites staff fromShelter to bi-annual strategy days andforums to discuss their allocation scheme)

• regular updates on developments (as andwhen appropriate).

More formal communication arrangements willusually be in place with housing associations,not least because of nominations agreementsor common allocation policies / housingregisters. It is vital that all social housingproviders in an area work together to provideclear and consistent information on howhomes are allocated.

32

11 http://www.cih.org/policy/finalreportLGA-may08.pdf

In addition to information about the broadallocation scheme, it is important to provideclear information about lettings outcomes.This is a common feature of CBL schemes, with information provided on recent lets on a regular (often weekly) basis and includes:

• area / district where the property is situated

• address

• number of bedrooms

• floor level

• property type

• banding of the successful bidder

• lettings date

• number of bids.

This information will aid potential bidders inmaking informed decisions, giving them abetter idea of the popularity of certain propertytypes and the associated waiting times.Providing such detailed information willenhance transparency of the letting process.Equally, where properties are allocated as‘direct lets’ (i.e. those outside the general pooland set aside for priority cases or as part oflocal lettings policies), this should be madeclear. It is good practice to publish the number/ proportion of such lets and the rationalebehind them.

Wirralhomes has produced a leaflet,detailing vacancies advertised through theWirralhomes CBL scheme over a twelve monthperiod and the range of waiting times byproperty type and geographical location.It assists applicants to make more informeddecisions when bidding as well as informingthem of the realistic chances to access housingin relation to their own circumstances.

Blackpool Council publishes a fact sheetwith information on the number of councilproperties against the number of vacancies inthe previous year by area and property type.This information is provided for both generalneeds and sheltered accommodation.

Communicating lettings outcomes

Practiceexample

Practiceexample

Making use of internal expertise toeffectively communicate

Communication of the allocation schemeshould be part and parcel of a local authority’swider corporate communicationsstrategy. Where appropriate, make use ofthe corporate communications or PR team whocan provide:

• advice on how best to communicatecomplex information to different audiencesso as to ‘get the message across’

• press statements on particular issues

• advise on the most effective use of thecouncil’s existing communication vehicles,such as free newspapers, leaflets, etc.

• help with brokering contacts with thelocal media

• internal communication to staff and electedmembers so that they are ‘on message’.

Working together potentially means bettervalue for money as there will be increasedscope for cost and resource efficiencies.

ause Plain English and avoid jargon

amake printed copies available as noteveryone will have internet access and / orwill be computer literate

aconsider the reading age and readability ofyour communication material – considerthose with little or no literacy skills as wellas non-native speakers of English

aconsider how presentation and style canenhance the readability of the text

ahave access to facilities to communicate in community languages, Braille, signing,audio and use of large print literature as appropriate

amake interpreting services available where appropriate

aidentify opportunities to co-ordinateinformation so as not to overload people.Giving too much information can be asbad as giving too little.

In addition to providing the above writteninformation, local authorities need to remainmindful that some applicants may requireadditional help and support, especiallywhen dealing with the complexities ofCBL schemes.

Readability

The SMOG test (simplified measure ofgobbledygook) is a simple way to assessthe readability of any written material,giving an indication as to the readingvocabulary people can expect to acquireby a certain point in their development.For more information and an online SMOGcalculator see

www.literacytrust.org.uk

34

Practice checklist:producing communicationsmaterial

a i

ause existing tenants and residents groups /forums and other community groups tochannel information. Ask all relevantstakeholders, such as registered housingproviders and other local authoritydepartments to promote and assist withdistributing information

aidentify community leaders / anchors tohelp with developing communicationmaterial and distribution

aengage with elected members to ensureconsistent messages are conveyed

amake the most of internal communicationvehicles, such as newspapers andnewsletters. Equally, make use of localpress and media, such as newspapers andradio stations to get the message across

ause community facilities, such ascommunity centres, sports facilities,GP surgeries, advice agencies and localshops to display information

aconsider how to communicate mosteffectively with geographically dispersedcommunities, such as in rural areas. Makethe most of established channels andgroups operating in those areas

aparticipate in community events and / orconsider a stall at the local farmers’market or shopping centre to get yourmessage across. Road shows can be aparticularly good way to engage withhard-to-reach groups

ause the Local Strategic Partnership orsimilar forums to raise awareness ofallocations issues and ask them to supportyour communications campaign

aensure web links to allocations informationis placed on stakeholders’ websites

amake use of mobile libraries

ahold workshops with support providers /advocacy groups such as homeless,disability and refugee organisations toenable them to assist people withaccessing social housing.

Practice checklist:distributing informationa

We are well aware that many local authoritieswill only recently have undergone a review inresponse to the requirement of establishing aCBL scheme by 2010. We are not suggestinghere to embark on yet another comprehensivereview and consultation exercise. Localauthorities should however collate feedbackfrom existing and potential tenants as part oftheir ongoing communication activities aroundthe allocation scheme through for instancenewsletters and housing application forms. Thisfeedback will then form a good foundation forconsulting on changes to the allocationscheme in the future.

Policy drivers around communityengagement

The government aims to ensure that all socialhousing tenants have the confidence, skills andpower to engage on housing and housing-related issues and for all social landlords tounderstand the needs of their tenants and tooffer them a full range of opportunities toinfluence service delivery and policies. Thisobjective has been reiterated by the TSA’stenant-focused approach to cross-sectorregulation and by CLG’s directions to the TSAon tenant involvement. In addition, there are arange of recent statutory obligations thatrequire local authorities to provideopportunities for citizens to influence thedesign, delivery and scrutiny of public services.

Reviewing allocation schemes – engagementand involvement36

iSummary of recentgovernment policy

Creating Strong, Safe andProsperous Communities:Statutory Guidance

Since April 2009, all local authorities inEngland are under a Duty to Involverepresentatives of local persons in theexercise of any of its functions, where theyconsider it appropriate. This meansembedding a culture of engaging andempowering local people in servicedelivery throughout the exercise of any oftheir functions. This includes: • providing information

to those affected by or interestedabout services and policies in anaccessible way, which is easy tounderstand and indicates howpeople can have their say

• consultingappropriate and genuine opportunities should be offered to allow representatives to have their say, through for instance surveys,focus groups as well as direct dialogue

• involvement in other waysauthorities should consider providingrepresentatives of local persons withopportunities to get involved over andabove being informed and consulted(the range of ways to do this arecovered on pages 43-45).

White Paper “Communities inControl: real people, real power”

The white paper promotes a range of waysin which communities and government canwork together to strengthen the democraticvoice of individuals and communities by:

• incentivising active citizenship,volunteering and involvement inthe community

• providing better access to information

• giving more people a say, increasing local influence over decisions and encouraging greater participation in the democratic process

• enabling local communities to holdauthorities accountable and seek redress

• identifying ways in which people canown and run their own communityassets.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

The act promotes the sustainability of localcommunities, starting from the premisethat local people know best what needs tobe done to achieve this in their area. Itprovides an opportunity for local authoritiesto propose to government action whichthey believe would promote or improve theeconomic, social and environmentalwellbeing of their area. Decisions on whichproposals to submit are to be made afterconsultation with local communities.

Connecting CommunitiesProgramme

A programme of work to connect withand reinvigorate communities that arefeeling the pressure from recession mostacutely and ensure they are well-placed toshare in prosperity and emerge strongerand more cohesive. Support will take placein over 100 neighbourhoods, across 75local authorities. Each area will draw upspecific plans to address challenges,aimed at:

• strengthening leadership in thecommunity as community leaders willbe critical to success. Training will beprovided for front line staff andcommunity activists

• providing local people with the space toexpress their worries and engage withauthorities to help build up theirconfidence and self-esteem to give themgreater feeling of control over theircommunities and lives

• raising awareness about increasedopportunities, for example, throughinvestment in regeneration, jobs and skills, childcare and youth services,tackling anti-social behaviour as well asgiving people a greater sense thatservices are provided fairly.

i

As well as supporting wider governmentobjectives there are clear additional benefits to effective community engagement andinvolvement in the development and review of allocation schemes and policies, namely:

• better reflection of local pressures and priorities within allocation schemes and policies

• broadening the public’s understanding of how the social housing system works,including the tensions / considerations in decision-making

• improved transparency which aids inbuilding trust between the local authorityand community.

Community engagement and involvement cantake place on various levels, with the approachtaken largely depending on the issue underconsideration, as well as the specific outcomessought. The levels of participatory activities canbe grouped around the following broadheadings, as expressed in the statutoryguidance on the Duty to Involve:

• influencing or directly participating in decision-making (e.g. trying to shapelocal priorities via citizens panels, serviceadvisory panels and neighbourhoodmanagement)

• providing feedback on decisions,services, policies and outcomes(e.g. have your say section on the authoritywebsite, feedback forms, petitions)

• co-designing or co-producing andcarrying out some aspects of services(e.g. involvement in the commissioning ofservices; tenant management organisationsmanaging housing)

• working with the local authority in assessing services (e.g. user-evaluation committees, overview and scrutiny committees).

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Community engagement – principles

There are a number of general principles whichapply to any form of community engagementexercise, including involving communities inreviewing the allocation scheme. These can besummarised as follows:

• communicate and raise awareness aboutthe various engagement opportunities, sincea lack of information and knowledge aboutthese acts as a significant barrier toinvolvement 12

• work together with partners to engagepeople in setting priorities

• let people know why their views are being sought

• strengthen the capacity of the community toget involved, including vulnerable anddisadvantaged groups

• have long-term community engagementarrangements in place, co-ordinated acrosspartnerships in order to maximise theimpact of engagement exercises

• engage with minority, vulnerable anddisadvantaged groups so that all voices areheard. Try to avoid treating these groupsdifferently, but offer practical assistance ifneeded (e.g. transport, interpretingservices). As far as possible ensure thesegroups are included as part of mainstreamengagement activities

• be realistic about cost and resourceimplications as well as the overall capacityprior to embarking on the engagementexercise. Ask yourself whether resources are proportionate to the desired outcomes

• recognise the different knowledge levels ofindividuals and communities. People need to have adequate knowledge, to enablethem to get involved in a meaningful andconstructive way (e.g. the law aroundallocations). This way you are more likely to elicit considered views

• know your community, so messages andengagement methods factor in the needs of different groups

• be realistic about the time commitments you put on individuals and communities

• consider a range of methods so thatindividuals can choose how they areconsulted. Account should be taken of anyinformation already held on customers. As part of the housing registration process,ask applicants how they would like to beconsulted in the future. Also, use customerfeedback from previous engagementexercises to inform your approach. Finally,draw on the expertise of partners andstakeholders with relevant experience aboutwhat does and doesn’t work

• communicate the results of the engagementexercise to consultees and how their viewshave shaped proposals.

12 TSA and Ipsos MORI, 2009, Understanding Tenant Involvement, London, TSA

Community engagement – challenges

Even the most well-planned engagementexercise gives no guarantee that largenumbers of people will actually respond to it ortake part. There are a variety of reasons whyindividuals might not engage. Understandingwhy people choose not to engage is importantin order to maximise participation rates andprovide well-designed, transparent andgenuine engagement. It could be that areluctance to get involved may stem fromnegative experiences in the past i.e. theperception that involvement and participationhasn’t made any difference. Therefore, theimportance of informing people about theoutcome of a consultation exercise and howtheir views have shaped the allocation schemecannot be overstated.

Other challenges for effective engagement include:

• the allocation of social housing is a complexand emotive issue and there could be adanger (particularly when consulting withhousing applicants) of raising expectationsthat cannot be met

• there are likely to be competing prioritieswhen consulting widely, with tensionsbetween the interest and expectations ofthose living in social housing and those onthe housing register. Being explicit aboutthe aims and objectives of the engagementexercise is crucial, as is the provision ofbackground and contextual information toincrease understanding amongst consulteesof what is feasible and desirable

• public ‘NIMBY’ attitudes may result inpeople asking for something which the local authority cannot (and should not)deliver (e.g. excluding ex-offenders, Gypsiesand Travellers, etc.). It is important to makeit clear from the outset what can andcannot be delivered

• there is a risk of consulting with the ‘usualsuspects’, such as existing tenants andresidents groups, which are not necessarilyrepresentative or indeed have the mandateto speak on behalf of communities

• it is important to set ground rules that donot censor people but give them a voicewithin agreed boundaries to curb extremeor potentially racist views

• there will be a certain amount of resourceimplications in terms of time, money andskills. Any engagement exercise needs to bein proportion to the desired outcomes

• meaningful community engagementrequires a culture shift within a localauthority, turning the old paradigm of top-down on its head. Authorities alreadystrong on customer-focused service delivery will be at an advantage here.

40

Who to engage with?

Community engagement as part of reviewingthe allocation scheme will usually include thefollowing groups:

• housing applicants

• existing tenants and residents

• representatives from the wider community,for example using the citizens panel

• people accessing housing options and usersof support and advice agencies moregenerally

• community leaders and councillors

• parish council officers and councillors

• tenants / residents and community groups

• stakeholders and those with a professionalinterest in the allocation scheme, such ashousing associations, support services (i.e.social services, health service), third-sector /voluntary organisations (i.e. citizens advicebureau, local credit unions) and faithorganisations

• advocacy groups such as Age UK and localrefugee forums

• local community development practitionersfrom either the public or voluntary sector.

Skills for community engagement

It is important that those involved in theengagement exercise understand the principlesof good engagement, know what the effectiveprocesses are and have the right skills todeliver it. These include:

• personal skills, such as listening skills,ability to create trust; and to get peopleworking together

• contextual skills and technical knowledge,such as understanding of cultural anddiversity issues

• engagement skills, such as presentation /public speaking skills; ability to choosebetween different methods of engagementand the knowledge of how to use them.

autilising existing staff with the necessary skills

aworking with partner organisations who have the skills

ausing community representatives aschampions, peer advisors, etc.

ausing consultants, including professionalcommunication expertise in order to getthe message across

aworking with support and / or careagencies to ensure that views of peoplewith special needs are taken intoconsideration.

Ways to engage – useful methods

The following table provides an overview ofthe range of methods which could potentiallybe used when engaging with communitiesaround reviewing and / or framing theallocation scheme. The practice exampleswhich follow illustrate how local authoritieshave used a range of methods to consult onchanges to their allocation policies andschemes.13

42

Practice checklist:skills audita

13 For more information on practical techniques see www.peopleandparticipation.net; Communities Scotland, 2007, Community Engagement How To Guide, Edinburgh,Communities Scotland; and Lister S, Perry J and Thornley M, 2007, Community Engagement in Housing-Led Regeneration: A Good Practice Guide, Coventry, CIH

Met

hod

Des

crip

tion

Use

ful f

orSe

lect

ed d

raw

back

s

Citi

zens

Pan

els

Pane

l mad

e up

of a

sam

ple

of c

itize

nsw

hich

is re

pres

enta

tive

of th

e lo

cal

popu

latio

n. P

anel

agr

ees

to b

e co

nsul

ted

on a

regu

lar b

asis.

Trac

king

vie

ws

over

tim

e.Q

uick

ly ca

ptur

ing

feed

back

on

allo

catio

n pr

opos

als.

Capt

urin

g vi

ews

whi

ch a

rere

pres

enta

tive

of th

e lo

cal p

opul

atio

n.

Tim

e an

d re

sour

ce in

tens

ive.

Requ

ires

spec

ialis

t ski

lls (i

.e. s

tatis

tics)

.

Focu

s gr

oups

Smal

l disc

ussio

n gr

oups

, led

by

am

oder

ator

with

usu

ally

no m

ore

than

10

peo

ple.

Par

ticip

ants

are

recr

uite

d on

the

basis

of i

nter

est b

ut c

an a

lso

be s

elf-s

elec

tive,

dep

endi

ng o

n th

esu

bjec

t und

er d

iscus

sion.

Capt

urin

g in

-dep

th v

iew

s on

al

loca

tion

polic

y pr

opos

als.

Test

ing

the

feas

ibili

ty o

f allo

catio

n po

licy

prop

osal

s. G

ener

atin

g id

eas.

Requ

ires

spec

ialis

t ski

lls

(i.e.

mod

erat

ing)

. Vie

ws

are

not

repr

esen

tativ

e of

wid

er c

omm

unity

.Po

ssib

ility

of d

iscus

sion

bein

g hi

jack

ed

by m

ore

voca

l par

ticip

ants

.Da

nger

of m

oder

ator

bei

ng il

l-pre

pare

dto

effe

ctiv

ely

coun

ter /

add

ress

ext

rem

e an

d / o

r NIM

BY v

iew

s th

ere

and

then

.

Inte

rest

/ us

er g

roup

s /

cust

omer

pan

els

Smal

l pan

els

mad

e up

of s

ervi

ce u

sers

or

thos

e w

ith a

par

ticul

ar in

tere

st

in a

cer

tain

topi

c, m

eetin

g on

a

regu

lar b

asis

to s

hare

thei

r vie

ws.

As b

efor

e.M

ore

info

rmed

disc

ussio

ns a

spa

rticip

ants

will

hav

e m

ore

deta

iled

know

ledg

e ab

out t

he to

pic.

As b

efor

e.

Dro

p-in

ses

sion

s / o

pen

days

Shor

t ses

sions

, usu

ally

held

in th

eco

mm

unity

. Rep

eate

d se

vera

l tim

es

at v

ario

us v

enue

s an

d ne

ighb

ourh

oods

, so

as to

max

imise

parti

cipat

ion

rate

.

As b

efor

e.Ad

dres

sing

prev

ailin

g m

iscon

cept

ions

and

myt

h ab

out t

he w

ay s

ocia

l ho

usin

g is

allo

cate

d.

Upda

tes

on th

e al

loca

tions

revi

ew,

such

as

feed

back

on

the

resu

lts

of q

uest

ionn

aire

s.Ad

dres

sing

ques

tions

and

con

cern

s.

As b

efor

e.Po

or tu

rnou

t.

Com

mun

ity

conf

eren

ces

One

-off

even

ts d

edica

ted

to a

spe

cific

topi

c (e

.g. a

lloca

tions

con

fere

nce)

.

Prov

idin

g co

ntex

tual

and

bac

kgro

und

info

rmat

ion.

Info

rmin

g pe

ople

abo

utpr

opos

ed c

hang

es to

the

allo

catio

nsc

hem

e. A

ddre

ssin

g pr

evai

ling

misc

once

ptio

ns a

nd m

yths

abo

ut

the

way

soc

ial h

ousin

g is

allo

cate

d.

As b

efor

e.Le

ss o

ppor

tuni

ties

for i

n-de

pth

disc

ussio

ns.

Poss

ibili

ty o

f disc

ussio

ns b

eing

hija

cked

by m

ore

voca

l ind

ivid

uals

and

grou

ps.

Upda

tes

on th

e al

loca

tions

revi

ew,

such

as

feed

back

on

the

resu

ltsof

que

stio

nnai

res.

Addr

essin

g qu

estio

ns a

nd c

once

rns.

Road

show

s

Even

ts h

eld

in th

e co

mm

unity

, of

ten

com

bini

ng a

num

ber o

f met

hods

,su

ch a

s dr

op-in

ses

sions

, dist

ribut

ing

ques

tionn

aire

s an

d in

form

atio

n st

alls.

As b

efor

e. C

aptu

ring

feed

back

from

a

dive

rse

sect

ion

of th

e co

mm

unity

. Goo

dw

ay o

f eng

agin

g w

ith h

ard-

to-re

ach

and

unde

r-rep

rese

nted

gro

ups.

Addr

essin

g in

divi

dual

s’ q

uest

ions

and

conc

erns

. One

-to-o

ne in

tera

ctio

n.

Build

ing

trust

with

com

mun

ity.

Tim

e an

d re

sour

ce in

tens

ive.

Dang

er o

f sta

ff be

ing

ill p

repa

red

toef

fect

ivel

y co

unte

r / a

ddre

ss e

xtre

me

and

/ or N

IMBY

vie

ws

ther

e an

d th

en.

Com

mun

ity

fun

days

, eve

nts,

etc.

Di

spla

y st

and

at v

ario

us c

ounc

il, th

irdse

ctor

and

com

mun

ity ru

n ev

ents

.As

bef

ore.

As b

efor

e. M

ight

not

attr

act t

he

‘targ

et’ g

roup

. Will

mos

tly ta

ke p

lace

on

wee

kend

s, so

nee

d st

aff w

illin

g to

w

ork

‘out

of h

ours

’.

Plan

ning

for

Real

Appr

oach

usu

ally

asso

ciate

d w

ith u

rban

plan

ning

. Sim

ple

mod

els a

re u

sed

as a

foca

l poi

nt fo

r peo

ple

to p

ut fo

rwar

dan

d pr

iorit

ise id

eas o

n ho

w th

eir a

rea

can

be im

prov

ed.14

Coul

d po

tent

ially

be

appr

opria

ted

with

rega

rds t

o ho

usin

gal

loca

tions

by

look

ing

ahea

d / ‘

mod

ellin

g’ho

w a

nei

ghbo

urho

od m

ight

look

inth

e m

ediu

m to

long

term

(e.g

. var

ious

te

nure

mix

scen

ario

s, so

cio-e

cono

mic

impa

cts)

and

how

the

allo

catio

ns sc

hem

eco

uld

assis

t in

that

.

Draw

ing

up lo

cal l

ettin

gs

polic

ies

/ pla

ns.

Myt

h-bu

stin

g.

Tim

e an

d re

sour

ce in

tens

ive.

Requ

ires

spec

ialis

t ski

lls.

App

reci

ativ

e in

quir

y

Spec

ific

disc

ussio

n gr

oup

tech

niqu

e.G

roup

disc

usse

s w

hat c

urre

ntly

wor

ksan

d us

es th

is as

a b

asis

for m

akin

gsu

gges

tions

abo

ut p

oten

tial

impr

ovem

ents

.

Disc

ussin

g th

e pr

os a

nd c

ons

of th

ecu

rrent

allo

catio

ns s

chem

e as

wel

las

pro

posa

ls.G

ener

atin

g ne

w id

ea /

prop

osal

s.

Dang

er o

f mod

erat

or b

eing

ill-p

repa

red

to e

ffect

ivel

y co

unte

r / a

ddre

ss e

xtre

me

and

/ or N

IMBY

vie

ws

ther

e an

d th

en.

`

44

14CI

H, T

PAS

(200

7) C

omm

unity

Eng

agem

ent i

n Ho

usin

g-Le

d Re

gene

ratio

n, C

oven

try, C

IH

Que

stio

nnai

res

Can

be p

osta

l / in

tern

et o

rin

terv

iew

adm

inist

ered

. Ca

ptur

ing

view

s / o

pini

ons

onal

loca

tion

sche

me

prop

osal

s.Re

quire

s sp

ecia

list s

kills

(i.e

. sta

tistic

s).

Gen

eral

ly lo

w re

spon

se ra

tes.

Uti

lisin

g m

embe

rs o

f the

com

mun

ity

Com

mun

ity re

pres

enta

tives

/ le

ader

s / c

ounc

illor

s ar

e tra

ined

up

to d

issem

inat

e in

form

atio

n an

d co

llate

feed

back

from

thei

r pee

rs.

Capt

urin

g vi

ews

from

and

diss

emin

atin

g in

form

atio

n to

hard

-to-re

ach

and

unde

r-rep

rese

nted

gro

ups.

Build

ing

trust

.

Tim

e an

d re

sour

ce in

tens

ive

(i.e.

runn

ing

train

ing

prog

ram

mes

and

m

anag

ing

volu

ntee

rs).

Depe

nds

on v

olun

teer

s co

min

g fo

rwar

d.N

o gu

aran

tee

that

they

get

thro

ugh

to th

e co

mm

unity

.

Free

phon

e se

rvic

eTe

leph

one

serv

ice to

allo

w p

eopl

eto

leav

e fe

edba

ck a

s w

ell a

sre

ceiv

ing

info

rmat

ion.

Addr

essin

g in

divi

dual

qu

estio

ns a

nd c

once

rns.

Capt

urin

g id

eas

and

prop

osal

s.Ti

me

and

reso

urce

inte

nsiv

e.

Inte

ract

ive

Voic

e Re

spon

se(IV

R) t

echn

olog

y

Mea

ns o

f int

erac

tion,

util

ising

the

keyp

ad o

n a

touc

h-to

ne te

leph

one

(e.g

. pro

mpt

ing

indi

vidu

als

to a

nsw

erqu

estio

ns /

give

thei

r vie

ws

onpr

opos

als

by p

ress

ing

num

bers

on

thei

r key

pad)

.

As b

efor

e.Co

st im

plica

tions

.

SMS

Text

mes

sagi

ng s

ervi

ce.

Qui

ckly

capt

urin

g fe

edba

ck

on a

lloca

tions

sch

eme

prop

osal

s.En

cour

agin

g yo

ung

peop

le to

get i

nvol

ved.

As b

efor

e.

‘Hav

e yo

ur s

ay li

nks’

on

web

site

‘Pop

-up’

mes

sage

s en

cour

agin

g pe

ople

to le

ave

feed

back

. As

bef

ore.

Non

e.

Ann

ual r

evie

w o

f hou

sing

appl

ican

tsAs

king

for f

eedb

ack

whe

n re

view

ing

stat

us o

f app

lican

ts.

Capt

urin

g vi

ews

on th

e cu

rrent

sys

tem

. So

me

time

and

reso

urce

impl

icatio

ns.

Northampton Borough Council developedan inclusive consultation process as part of theallocation scheme review. Utilising the supportof community groups within the consultationprocess was seen as crucial as a means ofbreaking down barriers. Community grouprepresentatives were inducted in the workingsof the allocation scheme as well as the aimsand objectives of the consultation exercise.Consultation was undertaken with bothhousing applicants and the wider communityand included:

• a text messaging service

• stall / display at the local market

• articles in local press

• adverts at the central coach station andlocal lettings agencies

• stakeholder consultation meetings.

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Councilhas embarked on a comprehensive communityand stakeholder engagement exercise as partof reviewing their allocation scheme. Followingthe identification of a number of issues withthe current allocation scheme, focus groupswere held to collate views on these andgenerate ideas as well as inform and shape thenext steps of the consultation process.Intermediaries were utilised to get themessage out to various communities, including

hard-to-reach and under-represented groups.A postal questionnaire, asking for views andcomments on the proposed allocation policychanges was sent out to both housingapplicants and those recently rehoused. Thequestionnaire was developed in partnershipwith the University of Salford, who alsoundertook the data analysis. The stakeholderquestionnaire was made available online anddiffered slightly from the postal one. To broaden the opportunities for involvement,a FREETEXT service was also set up.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has adedicated lettings service improvement team inplace which meets on a monthly basis. Theteam identifies good practice and serviceprocedure improvements and inputs into policyreviews, ensuring that the ethos of best valueis part of all the services provided by the citycouncil.

The team is made up of at least 50 per centcustomer representatives (maximum number12) and consists of members from all tenuretypes and also includes members who havepreviously accessed the service and memberswho are currently accessing our service.

Members are recruited in various ways, butmainly by advertising. Adverts are placed inweekly property news sheet, tenants andresidents newsletters, at road shows andresident association meetings and via the citycouncil’s website.

46

Practiceexample

Practiceexample

Practiceexample

Since the team commenced it has beenfundamental in having an input into thefollowing:

• implementation of CBL in 2004

• transfer incentive scheme

• literature and leaflets

• service standards

• performance targets

• local lettings policies

• procedures

• satisfaction questionnaires

• allocation policy review

• IT system development

• sub-regional working.

Berneslai Homes utilised their customerpanel during their review of the allocationscheme as well as in monitoring theeffectiveness and performance of lettingsservices and policy.

The panel meets every six weeks, looking atsubjects across the housing arena. It consistsof applicants and existing tenants andresidents, with attendance in the region of 50-60 people when allocation issues are being discussed.

Customer involvement in developing the CBL scheme was a priority objective for A1 Housing in order to ensure communityunderstanding and support from the verybeginning. The initial working group wasmade up of interested tenants from the A1Hundred Club (tenants with a stronginvolvement in participation) and the range ofmembers was widened to involve applicantswho were not current tenants and thereforemore representative of applicants on thehousing register.

The initial aim was to develop anunderstanding of CBL. Once this was achievedthe next stage was to develop generalprinciples of how applicants should beprioritised. It was only when these wereagreed that the first draft of the policy wasprepared. The timetable was flexible enough toallow this to develop at a pace determined bythe group. The CBL Steering Group hascontinued throughout the process and iscurrently involved in reviewing the progressmade and recommending any changes from acustomer perspective.

Practiceexample

Practiceexample

Redditch Borough Council wanted toengage its customers in considering the realissues faced by customers trying to accesshousing in their local area and the lack ofhousing stock available.

They held 13 focus groups, using a case studyscenario approach, consisting of a total of 123participants including young people, a range ofethnic minority groups, local residents, disabledpeople, older people and elected members.

20 housing applications were randomlyselected which represented varying levels ofhousing need. Focus group participants wereadvised that they needed to rank the casestudies in the order in which housing shouldbe allocated and that only five of the 20households would in fact be rehoused.

The main findings were as follows:

• without any knowledge of legislation,participants naturally gave preference tohouseholds deemed to be in priority needunder the homelessness legislation

• housing need was considered to be moreimportant than local connection whendeciding housing allocations

• local connection was considered to beimportant when comparing households ofthe same level of housing need

• the length of time on the housing registerwas considered to be important whenselecting allocations from households withthe same level of housing need.

All focus groups 'allocated' housing to thesame five households. The order in which theywere placed varied only slightly. Localconnection was considered to be moreimportant by focus groups consisting ofresident representatives and older people.

Findings from this exercise informed theframing of the allocation scheme.

aunderstand the cost implications of theconsultation exercise and ensure thatthese can be met

aensure that the right skills are in place for delivering the planned consultation

atell people from the outset about how far they will be able to influence decisions made

arecognise the emotiveness of the subject(particularly when consulting with housingapplicants which can be very personal) andmanage expectations carefully if there is alack of supply

48

Practice checklist:consulting with communitieswhen reviewing the allocationscheme

a

Practiceexample

aset out the options available and providebackground and contextual information so that individuals are in a position tomeaningfully participate in the engagement process

ause opportunities to ‘piggyback’ with otherconsultation events and think aboutholding joint consultations with partnerand stakeholder organisations

atry to engage more widely than with thosewho usually get involved

amake sure those running the event havethe necessary skills to effectively engagewith communities

aconsider the most appropriate range ofmethods that will ensure a robustconsultation process. Also remember anyresource implications to meet the needs ofdiverse communities (e.g. translators,disability needs, etc.)

aremember the importance of face-to-facecontact during the consultation process,particularly when engaging with hard-to-reach, under-represented andspecific needs groups. Also, having apresence in the community and being seen as proactive helps with building trust

ainform consultees about the results of theconsultation and how their feedback hasshaped outcomes

asince what people want may conflict withlegislative requirements it is important tobe clear what can and cannot be delivered.

Early in 2009, Tower Hamlets embarked on amajor review of its Social Housing LettingsPolicy following a critical report from a ScrutinyWorking Group in 2008 that concluded thatthe existing policy was difficult to understand,lacked transparency, did not command thetrust of the public and did not deliver thecouncil’s objectives.

An innovative consultation plan was developedand implemented during the last quarter of2009. A brochure was produced which, in clearterms and plain English, laid out theweaknesses of the present policy, proposedchanges to overcome them, and how thesemight affect housing applicants. This brochurewas accompanied by a survey document togauge the levels of support for the proposalsand provide the opportunity to comment fullyon them. Service users could also leavecomments on the web page, as well as post inthe partnership’s online forum.

To supplement this, focus groups wererecruited from the borough’s Residents Panel.Participants generally were from the housingregister, but not exclusively, ensuring that awide range of views and opinions werecollected. Working in conjunction with the

Practiceexample

youth participation team, a workshop withchildren and young people – including theborough’s Young Mayor – was held to gatherthe views of those who may be potentialapplicants on the housing register and affectedby the proposals in the future.

A number of public participation events wereattended by council staff and staff frompartner bodies of the common housingregister. This provided the opportunity forresidents to discuss the proposals individuallywith an officer and be given support incompleting a survey form.

Throughout the period, the consultationexercise was also promoted in the TowerHamlets Partnership director’s weekly video blog.

The consultation produced a wide variety ofresponses with the overall balance indicatingsupport for the proposals. A final lettings policydocument incorporating the results of theconsultation was circulated to stakeholdersfor final comments before a report wastaken to cabinet for a decision on the newlettings policy.

50

The Chartered Institute of Housing

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) isthe professional body for people involved inhousing and communities.

We are a registered charity and not-for-profitorganisation. We have a diverse and growingmembership of over 22,000 people – both inthe public and private sectors – living andworking in over 20 countries on five continentsacross the world.

We exist to maximise the contribution thathousing professionals make to the wellbeing ofcommunities. Our vision is to be the first pointof contact for – and the credible voice of –anyone involved or interested in housing.

Practice online offers comprehensive legal, policy andmanagement information in over 20 specialist topics.Whether you’re in the office, working from home, inmeetings or in the community, you can find the informationyou need, when you need it, wherever you are.

Subscriptions are available for organisations or individuals.

Key housing topics include:

• Developing Policies and Procedures

• Equality and Diversity

• Homelessness

• Lettings and Choice

• Managing Tenancies

• Regulation Focus

• Repairs and Maintenance

• Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour…and many more

To find out more about this service, please visitwww.cih.org/practice/online

Wherever you are.Our expertise is with you.Online and on hand. That’s the Chartered

Institute of Housing’s (CIH) new internet based

information resource designed specifically for

housing professionals – practice online.

www.cih.org | your work is our business