• Project name: Assistance with Utilities
• Lead organisation: East Ayrshire Council

Statement of support

East Ayrshire Council Housing Services showcases partnership-working between housing asset services, neighbourhood housing team and the universal credit support team.

Following a review of procedures late 2023, a working group comprising representatives from each service collaborated to develop and embed a robust method of identifying and monitoring tenanted properties where the gas supply had been capped for safety reasons. The exercise also considered actions identified to prevent and address tenants experiencing self-neglect.

The group refreshed the reporting regime and was enhanced to interrogate data from internal housing systems. This data highlights properties whereby the gas meter is due to be capped.

Daily reports of these properties are generated by housing asset services with an alert added to the tenant’s record. Thereafter neighbourhood coaches seek to engage with the tenant utilising all possible methods, including liaising with support services. This proactive approach ensures that communication between services is consistent to prevent escalation and statutory interventions. Cases are monitored by the neighbourhood manager who can escalate to a dedicated multi-agency forum which includes services and agencies involved in supporting the tenant.

Neighbourhood coaches use a coaching approach to encourage tenants to engage, talk about any concerns and focus on encouraging tenants to identify solutions, focusing on their skills and aspirations. Coaches make use of all resources to help tenants address financial hardship which may impact on their ability to manage utilities including referring to Lemon Aid via Citrus Energy to support people most at risk of experiencing fuel poverty and providing assistance to tenants who are disconnected from their energy supply or on pre-payment meters at risk of disconnection or via an application to the Tenant Support Fund.

The Tenant Support Fund was introduced in June 2023 and aims to mitigate the short to medium term financial challenges being experienced by tenants as a result of the cost of living crisis.  It enables the council to prevent homelessness and sustain tenancies by directly reducing, alleviating or paying off rent arrears; providing fuel support and in exceptional circumstances direct financial assistance to tenants. In recognising the significant impact of the cost of living crisis and as part of a broader holistic homelessness prevention approach, the fund is delivered under three key work-streams which include fuel support.

The fund is open to all council tenants experiencing difficulty paying their fuel costs, particularly those with rent arrears who are at risk now or in the near future of losing their home. In supporting those most at risk of experiencing fuel poverty, the fund provides financial assistance to tenants who are disconnected from their energy supply; those using pre-payment meters at risk of disconnection and those living in areas not supplied by the gas network (off grid) who are at risk of disconnection via vouchers issued by Lemon Aid.

Case study

A tenant had been living in his tenancy with the gas meter capped since 2022. He was struggling to deal with his gas supplier and as he was confused by the bills he was receiving with increasing debt and went to his mother’s house when he wanted to take a shower or use hot water.

Following notification on the new report from Housing Asset Services, the neighbourhood coach assisted our tenant with contacting the gas supplier himself with all necessary information to hand. The neighbourhood coach was able to support our tenant with a referral to the Tenant Support Fund with assistance provided by Lemon Aid. His meter debt was cleared and he is now up and running with his gas supply and able to choose the tariff most affordable to him.

Outcomes and achievements

East Ayrshire Council's emphasis on maximising tenant income, mitigating self-neglect and improving wellbeing has resulted in a focused approach to tenancy sustainment and homelessness prevention by building lasting relationships with tenants and enhanced joint working with other services.

In the period 2023/24, approximately 270 council properties were affected and since the introduction of the revised procedure and focus on collaboration and communication, the number of properties has decreased to under 200 with the procedure now embedded in the neighbourhood coaches’ tasks.

Since April 2024, neighbourhood coaches have carried out visits to all tenants to provide advice and assistance with a view to identifying any underlying support issues. Over 70 referrals have been made to Lemon Aid to provide direct help to tenants and a total of £20,000 has been awarded via the Tenant Support Fund to address utility debt and enable reconnection, thereby improving health and wellbeing outcomes for our most vulnerable tenants.

Neighbourhood coaches can identify wider challenges including self neglect, enabling support to be provided, including signposting to support services and community resources. Information sessions have been delivered to the East Ayrshire Federation of Tenants and Residents to raise awareness of utility debt and the supports available.

• Project name: Trust offer In-House Benefits Advice
• Lead organisation: Trust Housing Association

Statement of support

Trust in-house Benefits Advice Service offer tailored benefits advice to customers and anyone who has been made an offer to live within a Trust home. The service offers clear advice, support, and guidance on the benefits customers are entitled to claim.  

Benefits Advice Service main roles include:

• Provide training to all development and relevant office-based staff on basic benefit advice
• Provide a support service for all staff dealing with more complex benefit cases
• Produce and update publications and leaflets to keep customers up-to-date and informed
• Update the Benefits Resource Manual to ensure colleagues have the most up-to-date and relevant information
• Arrange to visit customers at home if they require a home visit
• Assisting customers complete forms and acting as an appointee
• Play a critical role in assisting Trust to monitor and deliver assistance due to any Welfare Reform changes
• Assist customers with appeals and also handle referrals made to and from other agencies
• Advise and support potential and new customers regarding housing benefit eligibility and other personal benefits to assist customer to maximise their income.

Since the introduction of the service in 2007, the Benefits Advice Service has been consistently recognised as being successful and positively viewed by colleagues and customers alike. The need for this vital in-house service has continue to grow, particularly given the challenges around the current cost of living crisis many Trust customers are experiencing.  

Throughout 2023/2024 the team was successful in securing over £2.7 million in benefit referrals for customers and have assisted in ensuring customers are receiving every benefit they may be entitled to.  

This service not only helps customers claim housing benefit allowances but has also helped customers in their personal circumstances to claim additional benefits such as attendance allowances, council tax reductions, pension credits and adult disability allowance.  

The team is now made up of three people (2.5FTE’s) who solved 359 cases last year. Their hard work and dedication continues year-on-year making customers lives better, particularly during the current cost of living challenges many households are facing.  

The skilled and committed team have reflected the following “Helping customers secure their entitled benefits is a pleasure. Customers usually come to the benefits team when they are worried or in need of help and the team are able to step in and help their financial situations, taking those worries away. Each case is completely different, and the team are able to make sure that moving into their new home is as seamless as possible.” 

• Mykela, Trust welfare benefits partner: “At end of 23/24, the Benefits Advice Service played a vital role in helping onboard new Trust customers as part of the transfer of 101 properties from Methodist Homes. The service was vital in ensuring the continuation of claims and financial support and stability was provided to new customers during the transition."

Outcomes and achievements

• Mr Maxwell said: “I would also like to thank your benefits team who have been an amazing support and source of knowledge in advising on benefits and finance. This has been particularly helpful in navigating the benefits system which I have no previous knowledge”. 
• Mrs Jack said: “Thank you to the benefits team I would’ve been so lost without your support. Thank you for sorting the issues I was having it’s a relief to have this off my shoulders.” 
• Another customer commented: “I would like to commend one of your staff, Katie McGhee. All through the months she has given me amazing support and advice and kept me in the loop all along. My impression is that she is a fantastic asset to the Trust - both in her knowledge base and compassion - people are very quick to criticise but not so quick to offer praise and thanks hence my reason for writing this.”

• Project name: Environmental Sensors
• Lead organisation: West Dunbartonshire Council

Statement of support

West Dunbartonshire Council deserves this award because our environmental sensors project demonstrates how modern technology can be used to solve long standing problems in social housing.

Damp, mould, and poor air quality are common issues in many homes. These problems not only damage the property but also pose serious health risks to the people living there. High levels of carbon dioxide, for instance, can lead to headaches, poor sleep, and make conditions like asthma worse.

Traditionally, these issues have been addressed only after they become serious enough for residents to notice and report. This reactive approach often means that by the time we respond, the damage is significant, and the residents' health may have already been affected.

To change this, we have implemented a proactive approach whereby we plan to install Aico environmental sensors in all 10,400 of our properties over the next five years, we are currently at over 800 homes connected. These sensors continuously monitor humidity, temperature, and carbon dioxide levels and send real-time data to a dashboard that we can monitor. When the AI trained algorithm detects a potential problem, like high humidity, it alerts us.

This allows us to take steps to investigate, understand and address the issue, be that through repairs or tenant education, before it escalates. By catching these issues early, we can prevent mould from developing and spreading, which helps us avoid costly repairs and, most importantly, protects the health and wellbeing of our residents. Furthermore, the fire alarms are also connected to the gateway, enabling us to monitor battery status remotely and further improving our health and safety compliance.

The gateways and sensors come with a tenant app that provides real-time information about the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in the tenants’ home. This app is an essential tool for tenants, allowing them to monitor their living environment and take steps to improve it, such as using fans after showering to reduce humidity. We write to tenants after the sensors have been installed, prompting them to download and use the app and supplying them with information packs about air quality, damp and mould and energy advice. All of which are vital for tenant wellbeing.

Our proactive approach ensures that our homes remain safe, healthy, and comfortable places to live. It also means we can focus our resources where they are most needed, improving the overall efficiency of our work because we are less reactive.

In summary, West Dunbartonshire Council’s project is a practical and innovative way to address common and serious issues in social housing. By using technology to monitor and improve living conditions, we are showing a strong commitment to the well-being of our residents and the sustainability of our housing. Additionally, our success can serve as an example for other housing authorities looking to implement similar solutions, further extending the positive impact of our work.

Outcomes and achievements

1. Number of properties connected: Since starting our installation programme, we have installed sensors in over 800 properties.
2. Initial findings: Our sensors identified 302 homes with high humidity levels that posed a significant risk for damp and mould and 132 with air quality issues.
3. Joined up working from different departments: We have working groups which meet regularly and bring together different departments whereby we discuss problematic properties and identify who is best to investigate. Analysing the data, if the problem looks to be with the building fabric, such as high surface humidity, then a building services officer is asked to attend. Meanwhile, our housing operations team have been focusing on tenant wellbeing. The officers have visited, assessed the conditions, and talked directly to tenants to understand their experiences and concerns. Meanwhile a number of tenants have been supported to download and use the app.
4. Post-inspection action and monitoring: After inspections actions have been identified- these have included fitting PIV systems, replacing windows, replacing fans, replacing downpipes and providing advice on using fans. We continue to track the problematic properties on the dashboard to ensure the action has been sufficient and conditions are improving.

The process is to contact the landlord by email and request they submit copies of the Electrical Condition Installation Report and Gas Safety certificates. They are also asked to confirm they have the required smoke, heat and Carbon Monoxide (CO) detection in place. If the landlord still fails to engage, this is followed up by a third party application to the Housing and Property Chamber (HPO), for enforcement action.

Even though this project is not a statutory requirement and the private sector team is very small dealing with a wide remit, it was felt this was a worthwhile and valuable exercise - potentially life saving, that every member of the team has been determined and keen to ensure that this project continues to be resourced.

Outcomes and achievements

As of 31st March 2024, the private sector team have requested submission of certificates regarding 666 properties, of these:

• Certificates not in place prior to enquiry - 315 
• Moved to action plans - 167
• Housing Property Chamber applications - 28

These figures demonstrate 47 per cent of landlords who advise on their registration that they have valid certificates in fact do not hold these.

Outcomes:

• Ensuring and improving private tenants’ safety and interests by ensuring that they are living in safe accommodation that is of a good standard.
• Helped create a level playing field for landlords.
• Due to the volume of referrals the team are sending now to the HPC (Housing Property Chamber) linked to this project, the HPC have changed their procedures to issue a Notice of Direction in the first instance requesting the landlord provide copies of the required documents. This change has resulted in increased efficiencies - saving HPC and private sector team officers’ time and resources attending property inspections and hearings in relation to certification cases only.
• PST were asked to present this initiative at The Scottish Housing Network Forum to demonstrate the success of the project.
• Further to this presentation eight local authorities to date have contacted the team for further information on Falkirk's procedure and how they can adopt this process.