aberdeen city council reviewing our housing allocations policy using consultation to shape policy
TRANSCRIPT
Aberdeen City Council
Reviewing our housing allocations policy
Using consultation to shape policy
Aberdeen City Council
Philippa Mason
Research Officer & Citizens Panel Co-ordinator
Strategic Research and Information Team
Aberdeen City Council
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01224 522935
Aberdeen City Council
Background to research
• Aberdeen City Council currently own and manage approx. 23,000 properties
• 8,000 applicants on the housing waiting list
• Demand outstrips supply
• Priority needs to be housing those most in need.
Aberdeen City Council
Background to research
• What is an allocations policy?
• Current allocations policy
– Largely unchanged for many years– Small changes ‘patched’ on– Complicated and difficult to understand– Frustrating for customers and staff– No longer working
• Allocations Policy Review
Aberdeen City Council
Why consult?
• Is our ‘hunch’ correct?
• Existing and future tenants will be affected
• Strong tradition of consultation and tenant participation – expectation
• Political and public scrutiny
Aberdeen City Council
Expectations for consultation
• That it’s outcome will inform the possible models of allocation
• That it involves as many tenants and waiting list applicants as possible
• Should use several consultation techniques to make it as inclusive as possible
• Should be thorough and well planned • Honest and upfront • Should be a positive experience that will act as a
blueprint for future consultation• Regular, honest and accessible feedback
Aberdeen City Council
Consultation programme
Who?• Current tenants• Future tenants – waiting list applicants• Staff
How? • Using the right technique to gauge the information required• Quantitative and qualitative data required - mixed
methodology approach – Survey or a ‘census’ of tenants and waiting list applicants– Staff focus groups– Tenant focus groups
Aberdeen City Council
Survey
• 23,000 tenants and 5,000 waiting list applicants• 4 attitudinal questions (strongly agree, agree etc…)• 3 questions to gauge variables (age, gender and housing
tenure)• 1 additional question about taking part in a focus group
1538 tenants and waiting list applicants responded – 5.5% of those surveyed.
Headline results• Application form was straight forward enough, but the system was
not so easy to understand!• Respondents were generally dissatisfied with the feedback they
received on the progress of their applications• Younger age groups were generally more dissatisfied
Aberdeen City Council
Staff focus groups
• Which staff?– staff that manage and work with the allocations policy
» directly and indirectly » internal to the council and externally» All levels
• Why?– Work with the allocations system on a day to day basis -
have a through understanding of its advantages and disadvantages.
– Widen the consultation net – policy affects more than just those closest to us
– Encourage feelings of ownership over new policy
Aberdeen City Council
Tenant Focus Groups
• 160 focus group volunteers
• Selected a sample - random stratified sampling
• Format was identical - consistent approach and adhered to guidelines
• Consultation in context – complex area
Aberdeen City Council
Conclusions from focus groups
Getting to grips with the detail– Application form straight forward, medical form more
complicated
– Lack of personal contact when an application has been made
– Points system is preferable, but public need to be aware of how it works
– A more honest approach ‘ what’s my chances of actually getting
a house?’ Next Steps• Research has been used to create 4 models of allocation • Presented to Council later this year
Aberdeen City Council
Lessons learnt
• Research led policy making
• Using the correct method to capture the data required
• Only asking questions about things that can be influenced
• Feedback as standard
• Additional benefits