Wolverhampton partnership...

22 September 2008, 10:35am

Wolverhampton partnership set to transform housing services across the city

Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton Homes today announce a new partnership to transform its housing services and strengthen community well-being for the city’s quarter of a million citizens.

Wolverhampton Homes and other managing agents which manage the council’s housing stock are working with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, to provide residents with wider opportunities to access high quality housing services and information.

Under an agreement between the City Council and Northgate worth over £1 million over five years, and following implementation which will be project managed by NCC Group, Wolverhampton’s communities will benefit from:

· greater resident empowerment through enhanced communications with housing employees and improved feedback into services;

· access to multi-lingual self-service systems and assistance in their operation, enabling employees to better reach out to Wolverhampton’s diverse communities, at the point of need;

· improved staff access to comprehensive and up-to-date housing information to help citizens with every aspect of their housing needs;

· a quicker and more proactive management of property allocation for all citizens, including those hardest to reach;

· enhanced management and monitoring of homeless applicants and their requirements, helping to tackle and solve homelessness in the area;

· a proactive housing repairs service that plans repairs and reacts quickly and effectively and puts the needs of residents at its heart.

Northgate will also provide Wolverhampton Homes and the other managing agents with specialist advice on performance transformation, enabling the organisations to realise efficiencies, focus on achieving the Decent Homes Standard, and meet future challenges with confidence.

Richard Carr, Chief Executive of Wolverhampton City Council said: “We are proud of our new partnership with Northgate as the Council strives to deliver first class housing services that focus on the needs of all Wolverhampton citizens. Our partnership will deliver enhanced housing services, enabling us to target and support hard-to reach groups effectively and deliver long-term sustainable value for money services to all residents.”

Lesley Roberts, Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Homes said:

"Wolverhampton Homes is on the way to becoming one of the best housing providers in the country but has been held back by legacy IT systems. The Northgate partnership will enable us to achieve three star status by increasing the capacity of the organisation and making significant value for money savings. We will be able to put more resources into maintaining the housing stock, and less into back room administration and bureaucracy. And tenants and leaseholders will have quicker and easier access to housing services. "

Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Local Government & Social Housing for Northgate Public Services, said today: “Northgate is passionate about delivering first-class housing services that focus on the needs of all residents, including those in the most vulnerable communities. We wholeheartedly support Wolverhampton Homes’ objective of providing affordable and sustainable housing that places residents at the heart of trusted public services.”

To know more: Kathy Sutton ksutton@fellowsassociates.com

GeoConnexion UK