Audit Commission Action Plan
In October 2008 the Audit Commission published a report based upon their inspection of EastendHomes. You can read more about the inspection and their findings here.
As part of the inspection process a series of recommendations was made to support the continuous improvement of services. These recommendations were incorporated by EastendHomes into an Action Plan.
The recommendations made can be divided into 5 broad categories: Access to Services; Asset Management; Costs & Structure; Leaseholder Issues; and All Other Weaknesses.
Access to Services: The replacement of St George's office has been completed. The extent of profiling information provided by our residents has progressed considerably. This allows visible improvements in service. For example, during a recent water service failure, EastendHomes was able to prioritise elderly residents, vulnerable residents, and residents with disabilities for urgent water deliveries.
Asset Management: EastendHomes' asset management strategy has been re-written to provide a comprehensive overview of the condition of our stock and our plans to meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2010. The strategy was presented to local boards, for comment from residents, as part of the process of reviewing the strategy.
Costs and Structure: Several reports have now been considered by resident-led local boards which look at the services provided within our local housing centres and the associated costs. This analysis has led EastendHomes to change some of the ways services are delivered, for example the horticultural service has been centralised and Glamis housing centre now operates a surgery arrangement.
Leaseholder Issues: Leasehold management training has been delivered to all frontline staff. This has been developed alongside the sub-tenant strategy which seeks to improve communication and information for tenants renting privately from leaseholders so that they have a positive impact on the wider community. Information leaflets have been delivered to every household believed to be let privately.
All Other Weaknesses: The inspection plan and recommendations were fully analysed, including the resources required to deliver them. Actions were then allocated to teams and staff members. This has allowed the most urgent changes to be made more quickly, and residents should notice the improvement in our services.