Accessible Housing Register Final Report now available
The project outputs include:
- A Property Categorisation Standard.
- A Property Categorisation Tool.
- A Framework for assessing the eligibility of disabled people for accessible homes.
- A Property Inspection Checklist.
The Home Connections team have produced a detailed report containing all the findings and examples of good practice as well as the recommendations and Toolkit. Full information on the project findings and recommendations are included in the Home Connections Final Report, which you can download below.
Download the “Choice for disabled Londoners Report” by Home Connections
(PDF 1mb)
Download the “Housing choice for disabled Londoners Report” by the GLA
(PDF 516kb)
The GLA Launched their Housing choice for disabled Londoners report on the 27th September 2007. The report outlines the way forward and what needs to be done in order to deliver the AHR across London, and includes recommendations from the London AHR Steering Group.
Copies of the report are also available in Rich Text Format (RTF) at the GLA website.
For advice on how to integrate this approach with your choice based lettings scheme contact us through the website.
e-Government information systems: Evaluation-led design for public value and client trust
Home Connections Case Study produced for the European Journal of Information Systems 2007.
Abstract: e-Government systems differ from commercial information systems (IS) in that they frequently encompass strategic goals that go beyond efficiency, effectiveness and economy, and include political and social objectives such as trust in government, social inclusion, community regeneration, community well-being and sustainability. Designing e-Government systems that help to meet these objectives is a significant challenge for the future. This paper develops an evaluative design framework for e-Government projects that complements traditional approaches to IS evaluation. The framework is based upon Moor’s concept of public value. It focuses upon citizens’ and clients’ experiences of service provision and service outcomes as contributors to the formation of public trust. Trust is shown to be related to the extent to which people feel that an e-Government service enhances their sense of being well-informed, gives them greater personal control, and provides them with a sense of influence or contingency. The framework’s development and validation are founded upon analyses of a two live case studies in south-east England and London, U.K.
Download “e-Government information systems: Evaluation-led design for public value and client trust” (PDF) by Mike Grimsley & Anthony Meehan.
EU Ministerial eGovernment Conference
EU Ministerial eGovernment Conference
This Home Connections case studies was collected to accompany the Socitm (the Society of Information Technology Management) exhibit at the EU Ministerial eGovernment Conference. The event —
Transforming Public Services, took place in Manchester, 24-25 November 2005.
The Socitm exhibit was part of a wider initiative on business transformation launched by the Society earlier in 2005, partly in response to the efficiency agenda.
You can download a copy of the case study here (PDF 117kb)
Virtual Tours and marketing for London Strategic Housing
London Strategic Housing
Virtual Tours and marketing for London Strategic Housing
London Strategic Housing (LSH) is a charitable housing association that has been working in partnership with the NHS and other keyworker employers to provide high quality, affordable furnished homes for rent across London and the Home Counties. LSH commissioned us to provide Virtual Tours of their shared keyworker accommodation at a range of sites in Harrow , Hackney and Islington. Virtual Tours have helped LSH:
- Reduce voids
- Raise their profile in the marketplace
- Market their properties and services
- Assist with international recruitment drives
- Transform staff induction days.
What they said about Virtual Tours:
“Virtual Tours has helped with the big international recruitment drives in Spain , the Philippines , South Africa and New Zealand . Also, a lot of young people in Ireland and a lot of people in the UK are tempted to come down to London . Most of them like going onto the Net and fancy a stint in London , so Virtual Tours hit that market, that younger market.”
“What has struck us is that HC is professional if we ring or e-mail we always get a response back. I think you are honest; there is integrity with your business. I think we have ended up with a product that has got that integrity running through it [and] the team seem to be passionate about what they do. You’re trying to make it more like a commercial estate agent, it’s more honest but it’s trying to market them in a way that is traditionally used by the private sector. This is where LSH is going, we are setting up show homes for our private rented and with Virtual Tours you are meeting our market need. I am not aware of another provider with a housing background doing this, there are companies doing virtual tours but not that know housing.”
(Nicola Marks, Marketing Manager, London Strategic Housing March 2005)
Bringing choice to Camden ’s allocations
Camden’s allocations
Bringing choice to Camden ’s allocations
All of Camden Council’s available homes, and dozen’s of RSLs advertise each Thursday in the Camden New Journal (a borough wide free newspaper), at local housing offices, through the Internet and by mailshot. Free access to the Internet is provided at the main and local housing offices, as well as branch libraries.
Applicants registered for housing with Camden , are issued with a user ID and PIN number, and notified of their rehousing points and their eligible property size. Bids for properties by registered applicants can be made by phone, on the Internet or using text messaging. Bidders with the highest points (usually between three and five households) are invited to view the property with a member of Camden staff; contact is made by telephone to arrange this. There is no obligation to accept a property and no penalty for refusing. The applicant with the highest points who wants the property is successful in their bid. Results of previous advertisements are included in the weekly advertisement. Individuals are informed in advance of viewing as to whether they are first, second, third etc in the bidding process for a particular property.
Customer Testimonials
- “Wow - doing the virtual tour for a property was fantastic, it really gives an idea of what the flat is like…. so for someone who has very limited mobility due to severe illness it makes life so much easier as I don’t have to do exhaustive trips and bid for properties that I just guess will be suitable.”(Camden user with mobility problems using the Virtual Tour to view a property February 2005)
- “ Opportunity to bid for properties also encourages you to broaden your horizons.” (Home seeker from focus group aged 36)
- “I feel I am part of the decision making [process].” (Tenant waiting for 9 years, rehoused by Home Connections)
- “You have a chance to refuse without being suspended. Home Connections is brilliant. We feel that something is happening with our future.” (Tenant registered for housing for 6 years)
- “You can view the property before bidding so it enables you to see whether or not you could live there and check for things that would affect your decision to accept the property so this helps and definitely saves time.” (Natalie, Homeseeker in Camden using the Virtual Tour March 2005)
CBL schema to become national data standard
The Home Connections XML Schema is a freely available data standard for use by landlords and IT suppliers for choice-based lettings (CBL) services. It facilitates data sharing and the development of regional CBL schemes.After undergoing a period of review by the housing user community the Local e-government Standards Body (LEGSB) has agreed that the Home Connections schema is made into a draft recommendation.
We welcome further comment from some users - the Schemas are now held on the home-connections web site available for FTP download. This FTP area will be the main URL referenced by the LegsB site. For further information contact info@home-connections.co.uk.
Download XML Schema Package (ZIP)
CBL Individual Structure
CBL Individual Data Message
CBL Individual Admin Structure
CBL Personal Details Types Version 1.0
CBL Property Structure
CBL Property Data Message
CBL Property Allocations
CBL Property Admin Structure
CBL Address Types Version 1.0
CBL Address Structure
CBL Data Types
CBL Data Supplier Codes
CBL Contact Types Version 1.0
CBL Data Types
CBL Common Simple Types Version 1.0
CBL Message Wrapper
CBL National Ethnicity Codes
CBL Authority Specific Data
CBL Bid Admin Structure
CBL Bid Data Message
DCLG (then ODPM) Good Practice Guide
- “Home Connections measures performance against a series of critical success factors linked to the aims of the scheme. Evaluation includes analysis of the database to identify changing patterns of supply and demand, use of customer focus groups, and postal questionnaire surveys.” (ODPM Good Practice Guide “Implementing and Developing Choice-Based Lettings: A guide to key issues”)
- “Home Connections measures performance against a series of critical success factors linked to the aims of the scheme. Evaluation includes analysis of the database to identify changing patterns of supply and demand, use of customer focus groups, and postal questionnaire surveys.” (ODPM Good Practice Guide “Implementing and Developing Choice-Based Lettings: A guide to key issues”)
Housing Corp notes good practice
The recent Housing Corporation Good Practice note highlighted our virtual tours service and also our approach to CBL and BME communities. To read the extracts and the full guide download “Housing Corporation Good Practice Note 12″ (PDF).
Full marks from HouseMark
HouseMark is a joint venture by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the National Housing Federation (NHF), two not for profit organisations dedicated to improving housing standards. HouseMark is committed to working for, and with, the social housing sector to improve performance and efficiency. Following a detailed assessment and evaluation by the HouseMark Validation Panel they concluded that “Home Connections represents an example of good housing practice in terms of choice and efficiency”. The Home Connections case study is available to HouseMark members for download from HouseMark. Alternatively you can download the case study.
We are delighted to recieve this recognition of our efforts to deliver efficient and value for money services from the Validation Panel. Our CBL service is the first CBL scheme in the country to be recognised with a case study published on their site and awarded this official seal of approval.
Our Annual Conference 11/5/06 Powerpoints available
Following our very successful CBL Masterclass held at the Barbican on 11 May 2006 the Powerpoints from the event are now available here. These can now be downloaded by those delegates that attended and any of you that missed the event. The event was attended by Local Authority and RSL’s from across England.
- You can download Michael Scorer’s “Gershon and Housing Options” presentation here (PDF) 1.74mb
- You can download Anthony Meehan’s “Public Value and Trust” presentation here (PDF) 934kb
- You can download Alastair Mangham and Taiwo Adoti’s “Virtual Tours and Virtual Reality” presentation here (PDF) 493kb
- You can download Isabel Robertson (GLA)’s “Accessible Housing Register” presentation here (PDF) 193kb
