Housing peer challenge

Overview

A Housing peer challenge offers councils an independent review of their housing service, providing the basis for substantive service improvement.

Peer challenge is a key component of an overall system of performance improvement – which also includes local authority self-evaluation, supported by peer challenge and improvement support – operating as an ongoing cycle.

The importance of housing

Housing of sufficient quantity and of quality is crucial to the success of local communities. The lack of good quality housing at an affordable price can hold back much-needed economic activity, contribute to social problems and have significant health and environmental costs.

Councils have an essential role to meet the housing needs of their communities:

• making sure new homes can be developed where they are needed and at a price that local people can afford
• improving and making best use of existing homes
• meeting the particular needs of vulnerable people.

At the same time it is necessary to understand and work with private sector housing, which is an increasingly important sector of the housing market.

The challenge is tailored to your local priorities and circumstances. The challenge will consist of the following stages:

• a scoping exercise with the council's housing service (and possibly partners)
• development of a position statement and timetable
• onsite work: principally interviews, discussion groups and meeting observation
• key findings and practical suggestions for accelerating improvement, feedback through a workshop event at the end of the team's onsite work
• action planning session.

The peer challenge is based on a framework which focuses attention on four themes:

• how well is the council succeeding in the provision of housing services that will support the outcomes which are a priority locally?
• is there a clear and locally-distinctive housing vision for the area, together with a strategy that sets out how the council will address housing needs and create a balanced housing market?
• how will the council enable citizens and communities shape their localities to meet their needs and aspirations? How the specific needs of groups or individuals within the community that require particular assistance, for example: vulnerable or elderly people, first-time buyers, key workers, Gypsies and Travellers and so on.
• how will the council work with other councils, agencies and communities to coordinate where necessary and work productively?

Other areas may be added from the pre-challenge scoping meeting.

The challenge team

We take a flexible approach so that we bring together the right team for your council. The team will usually include:

• team leader – senior housing officer
• member peer – senior councillor with housing experience
• officer peer – senior housing manager
• optional sector specialists, where agreed, for example: planning, economic regeneration and so on.
• challenge manager – programme manager from the peer support team.

The size of the team will usually number 4/5. All members of the team will be knowledgeable about, and experienced in, housing services and local government.

The cost of a Housing peer challenge

The Housing peer challenge costs will typically be £7,500 plus expenses. These costs can be reduced by dispensing with the action planning follow-up.

What others say

Bernadette O'Shea, Chief Executive, Hounslow Homes, November 2010:

"The peer team were 'pitch perfect'; able to review performance but also able to analyse the nature of the partnership arrangement between the council and the ALMO. All the tenants, leaseholders and staff who were interviewed were impressed by the quality of the scrutiny. The peer team seemed to get to the heart of the relationship and the nature of the governance."

Megan Nurse, Assistant Executive Director, Performance and Change, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, February 2011:

"The peer challenge process has been a positive experience at Tameside. It offered us the chance to showcase what we do and benchmark our services against best practice nationally. The challenge was both challenging and supportive and feedback offered us very practical advice on areas we could work on to help us continue to develop our approach further."

Further information

If you would like more information on a Housing peer challenge or the opportunity to speak to the Local Government Association (LGA) team, please contact:

Andrew Winfield
Peer Support team
Telephone: 07786 542754
Email: andrew.winfield@local.gov.uk

Clarissa Corbisiero
Senior Advisor
Telephone: 020 7664 3060
Email: clarissa.corbisiero@local.gov.uk

Caroline Green
Senior Advisor
Telephone: 020 7664 3359
Email: caroline.green@local.gov.uk