The Changing Face of the Social Housing Market

And the imperatives for staying ahead through technology

Contents
03 About this paper About Civica Housing 04 Evolution of the UK social housing market 05 Considering the Cloud Mobile clients Mobile workflows 06 Digital inclusion Choosing a provider For more information 07 About Civica

02 Civica Housing

About this paper

This document is intended to act as a guide to those coping with the managerial challenges and changing priorities of the social housing market. It outlines the strategic and tactical opportunities afforded by an informed approach to technology and provides recommendations for gaining the most value from your technology solution and partner.

About Civica Housing

A leading partner for the social housing sector, Civica Housing provides a complete IT systems platform to help housing organisations deliver more productive tenant services. With a track record of over 20 years in the social housing sector and a demonstrable approach to improving customer service and efficiency, the company supplies a wide range of Registered Providers, Arms Length Management Organisations and local authorities. We support organisations managing 250 properties to some of the largest social housing providers in the UK and include 40% of the UKs top 100 housing groups or associations in our client base.

The Changing Face of the UK Social Housing Market 03

Evolution of the UK Social Housing market

The UK Social Housing market is in a state of change. The availability of public sector resources is reducing whilst the pressure to build and maintain increasing numbers of homes is growing. The tenant profile is changing too. Some may receive benefits while others are private tenants, some may rent while others are involved in part ownership schemes.
Added to this is the increased pressure from Central Government and the questions being asked about how citizens and tenants will access housing services in the future. Also to be considered is the range of government initiatives including Affordable Rents (which allows for a more diverse offer for the range of people accessing social housing), the proposal for a unified working age benefit and the fact that some providers are branching into the private rented sector. Change is happening on all sides, leaving Social Housing providers with the classic question of how to do more with less. The need to be as efficient as possible has never been greater and its little wonder that providers are looking to technology to help them move forward. This in turn leads to the adoption of new IT approaches including true web-based technology, mobile access and working and storage in the Cloud. As they adopt new technologies, clients will also become increasingly influential in shaping how frontline services are delivered. There is a shift towards customer-based solutions that enable landlords to look at different ways of delivering their services through the use of segmentation, targeted communication and value-added service delivery. Social Housing organisations are heavily focused on improving service quality and are investing in both technology and partnership working to improve overall efficiency (a key objective of the Varney report). They are meeting key objectives by reducing the average number of customer contacts needed to resolve issues or queries and encouraging tenants to self serve. Indeed, as the next generation of tenants evolve they will demand these types of facility or there is a risk that they will not fully engage.

Social housing providers are therefore facing the classic more with less dilemma...

04 Civica Housing

Considering the Cloud

Historically, social housing providers have managed their IT infrastructures with on-site hardware and software managed by dedicated IT teams. These days providers, as in other business sectors, are demanding the option of moving to remote web-based IT provision, commonly referred to as Cloud computing. Cloud computing offers three primary benefits; lower cost, flexibility and mobility. Capital expenditure can be avoided whilst retaining the benefits of an infrastructure that is constantly updated as new features become available. It also allows providers to pay only for what they use and to quickly scale up or down the service they receive in line with demand. Services can also be accessed from anywhere. Not all Cloud computing providers offer the same level of service however and there are some important questions when considering the most viable route:

Mobile clients
These days society is moving beyond traditional PCs and laptops as the primary web access devices. Indeed, Morgan Stanleys analysts believe that, based on the current rate of change and adoption, the mobile web will be bigger than desktop Internet use by 2015. According to Ofcom almost a third of adults in the UK now use a smartphone. This widespread adoption of web enabled smart phones, tablets and other devices gives social housing managers additional channels to clients. Smart phone apps that interface with housing management systems, for example, can provide tenants with easy access to services, particularly a younger demographic who may not want to trawl through content on a website. It can also be about encouraging people who have never visited the website to engage in a way that suits them, as well as them getting involved to help shape and fully use services. Digital exclusion in social housing, however, is a significant concern and the need to offer access to the digital world in the easiest and most practical way possible should be a priority.

> If a service agreement is to be terminated, for whatever reason, can data be effectively retrieved from the Cloud and in a format thats easy to migrate to another supplier? > Are the providers disaster recovery procedures up to scratch? In the event of loss of data what are their obligations for the retrieval and reconstitution of data? > How proactive is the provider in proposing the right level of service for maximum cost efficiency? > How easy is it to flex up to the next level of support? > Can the preferred provider help assess which IT requirements are suitable for the Cloud? > Does the preferred provider offer an end to end service including help with the planning and migration of your infrastructure to the Cloud? > Will your data stay in the UK?

Mobile workflows
Availability over the web can also reduce technical infrastructure and thereby help to deliver savings. As a result there is a huge surge in mobile working technology within social housing. The ability to spend more time with clients, such as for floating support and housing repairs while keeping in touch with, (but not having to return to) the office is a big benefit to providers. Housing repairs, staff can, for example, have a smartphone or personal digital assistant device carrying information such as the location of the job and its details, what stock they need, as well as any warnings about the property. Automatic electronic scheduling for functions such as housing repairs are also coming on stream. This means that technicians can download their job sheet in the morning without needing to travel to their department to collect it. More efficient mobile technologies are also starting to emerge, including wireless networks that technology automatically recognises and can switch to instead of using the mobile phone network. This can cut phone bills considerably. Gaining best value from a mobile strategy relies on a number of factors, not least of which is a clear match between available technology and organisational need. Making provision for adequate training and communicating fully with those who will be using the technology is also key. Assuming theyll know or pick it up on the job can be a false economy.

In many cases Cloud computing can be a good solution for social housing providers but it's important to understand the match between services currently available and likely future requirements.

The Changing Face of the UK Social Housing Market 05

Digital inclusion
Societys most vulnerable groups are concentrated in the social housing sector. 4.1m of the 8.7m UK adults who have never been online are in social housing. Most housing providers appreciate the benefits to residents of digital inclusion but are sometimes less aware of the benefits to themselves. It is estimated landlords can save 340m in communication costs by helping to improve the digital skills of tenants. Source: (Race Online 2012). Technology is the most effective way to meet the twin imperatives of social housing: letting landlords deliver more for less while fulfilling their core social commitments to tenants, such as increasing financial literacy, education and employability and reducing social isolation. Technology providers have a key role to play in ensuring their solutions deliver against digital inclusion standards, and provide both easy access and easy interaction.

> Reviewing citizen/tenant focus Considering clients and the level of connectedness thats required is another important area for investigation. Setting a benchmark with goals for improvement through technology can help achieve greater two way accessibility, particularly if the audience is diverse. > Ease of deployment Over complicated deployment can cost more money in the long run. Being clear on the deployment process, both initially and for upgrades later on, is key to maintaining financial control and delivering on ROI expectations. Can upgrades be implemented remotely at a lower cost, for example? > Suitability of solution If the majority of requirements need to be met through customisation rather than configuration, its possible a lengthy and costly implementation will ensue. Requesting a demo to help understand how configurable the solution is may help better determine likely cost implications. > Investment protection The chosen technology partner should be large enough to be financially stable but agile enough to be a source of help across business, commercial, client and inclusion needs. They should be sector specific, understand the housing sector and be willing and able to propose and deliver the right solution. The flexibility of the solution itself is another consideration and whether it will grow as the client business grows, as well as being able to meet both current and future market requirements. The technology backbone must also be modern and industry de facto standard to allow for future innovations.

Choosing a provider
The social housing sector is experiencing a surge in software solutions and web-based tools. Choosing the right partner can be daunting. The list below includes some key points to consider. > Defining goals The chances of selecting an inappropriate solution are less if goals and requirements are defined at the outset. Business and financial objectives should be established. Current service delivery costs should be examined and technological solutions designed to reduce this cost can then be identified.

For more information

Civica Housing Cx has been developed to help providers meet the technology challenges head on. For more information or to receive a copy of our brochure:Talk to a member of the Civica Housing team on 01675 433600 Visit us at www.civica.co.uk/housing Or email us at housing@civica.co.uk

06 Civica Housing

About Civica
Civica is an international market leader in specialist IT systems and business process services for the public sector. Through experienced people who understand service delivery, we apply software, managed services and outsourcing to help customers transform the way they work. For further information visit: www.civica.co.uk

The Changing Face of the UK Social Housing Market 07

United Kingdom 2 Burston Road London SW15 6AR Tel. +44 (0)20 7760 2800 www.civica.co.uk 2 Bromwich Court Coleshill B46 1JU Tel. +44 (0)1675 433600 www.civica.co.uk Australia 163 -175 ORiordan Street Mascot, Sydney NSW 2020 Tel. +61 (0)2 8324 3000 www.civica.com.au Singapore 53 Serangoon North Avenue 4 Singapore 555852 Tel. +65 6511 7888 www.civicalld.com USA CMI Inc. 52 Hillside Court Englewood OH 45322 Tel. +1 937 836 4499 www.civicacmi.com

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