How the Service Improvement Panel reviewed Allocations

When deciding which applicants are suitable for the property, there should be more focus on the individual, considering the Neighbourhood Coordinators suggestions, to see if someone is a good fit for the scheme, to reduce disruptions to settled communities.  

Lettings manager to ensure regular communication is in place between Lettings Coordinators and the Neighbourhood Coordinators. 

This may involve changing the process to make sure teams are working more collaboratively.

A shared platform and one team approach is recommended to enable oversight as to the state of the process and their ability to communicate with each other and the client, to achieve a successful outcome. Could this shared data platform be incorporated within the 'Transformation Project' that was announced at the September All Resident Call, delivering not just improved communication and transparency between teams, but also providing data to guide future performance goals.

Lettings and Voids team in are in the process of moving over to NEC using a new NEC Voids path, once live communication lenes will be much clearer.

Produce KPI topics for each area of the Allocations process to be reported on based on the data in the shared platform. 

KPIs surrounding Allocations are already being reported to the Board. 

Automated Power BI reports will be established once the NEC Void Path goes live.

Consultation with all colleagues who use NEC, with the aim of making it more user friendly. 

Testing will be done with the Lettings Coordinators to correct any issues that might impact the process.

Although we were told there have been enormous improvements to the quality of work being carried out on Voids, it was clear that, with just two surveyors, covering a huge area, urgent recruitment is needed.

We have recently recruited an additional 2 Surveyors to join the Voids team in London Southeast. 

The Voids Surveyor position in the Midlands position will be advertised shortly.

Surveyors report there are still issues with Wates using subcontractors to carry out more specialised work, such as gas engineers, causing unnecessary delays in completion. Can PA not employ their own gas contractors to supplement Wate's involvement? Perhaps there should be penalties applied where Wates overrun on jobs where they are waiting for their own subcontractors to finish work. Lost rent should be factored in.

PA to employ an additional gas contractor to improve delays.  

The Void team have previously requested we on board another Gas Contractor. However, this was challenged as the Gas team were 

able to effectively manage contractor performance improvement in the midlands by introducing twice weekly meeting. 

The Senior Gas Manager to set up a twice weekly meeting with the Voids Surveyors and the Gas Contractors to discuss and manage any incoming and ongoing gas cases.  

This will help with the monitoring contractor's performance to discover where the issues lie.

Implement penalties when Wate's cause delays to Void times. Lost rent due to delays should be considered.

Our current contract with Wates is an emergency temporary rolling contract which is reviewed on a yearly basis. 

There are no implemented penalties in due to the temporary contract.  

Previously, we implemented Rent Loss penalties for our previous contractor as the contract was permanent.  

The Voids manager to investigate whether we can implement this for our contract with Wates. 

Our only concern was with carpets and white goods being removed to clear the property ready for work to be done. Are they only removed to give the DLO clear working space and, if so, where do they go and how are they dealt with afterwards?

Item will be left where possible as part of the new lettable standard. 

Lettings Team Leaders to review the communication that we send out at the end of tenancy.

If a property is left unclean once the repairs from Voids have been completed, the cleaners should be called back to ensure the home is to a lettable standard.

Yes, if the home isn't to standard, then the cleaners should be called back to clean after the repairs have been carried out.

PA to review the gifting policy to ensure that in cases where residents have left items in perfect condition they are left in situ to the new resident (e.g. white goods, curtains and carpet).

In the sign-up checklist, items left (gifted) are listed. However, some residents will call to ask us to repair or replace the items when they’re broken. We don’t currently have a Gifting Policy. 

The Head of Lettings to agree and implement a disclaimer that details the residents' responsibilities surrounding gifted items.

PA to review the tenancy agreement template to remove unnecessary legal jargon to ensure new residents understand their responsibilities.

The Head of Lettings and governance will be conducting a review of the tenancy agreements in October 2025. 

Residents are welcome to be a part of the review.

Neighbourhood Coordinator to sit with the new resident and read through the tenancy agreement with them if requested to ensure the resident understands what they’re signing.

Neighbourhood Coordinators receive tenancy agreement training.  

Neighbourhood Coordinators to go over the residents and PA’s responsibilities within the agreement. To be added to the checklist completed by Neighbourhood Coordinators at sign-up. 

Home ownership team – this should be reflected with Shared Ownership.

Implement charges for residents leaving a property where holes left in walls.

This has already been implemented as part of our Recharge Policy 2025.