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Other News

The More Positive Together team continues to work closely with the money advice and income team, delivering a wraparound service too all tenants and residents in the local borough. Through this relationship, the team have managed to secure job roles for 6 tenants who were previously in rent arrears due to their circumstances. This ongoing partnership has ensured these tenants are given the financial support and employment support to avoid future rent arrears.

Relationships created by money advice with third sector organisations has helped the more positive together team secure voluntary roles for their participants who are not yet ready for employment.

The Homelessness Team successfully bid for funding to extend the Rough Sleeper Support Service. The service offers those who are sleeping rough or are at imminent risk of rough sleeping and those who have complex needs that have prevented them from sustaining their own tenancies, a chance to have their own tenancy with a dedicated support worker. We have doubled capacity and now have ten flats dedicated to the scheme.

Over the past year we have consulted customers and other stakeholders about our Allocations Policy. After listening to feedback we have made some changes including increasing the savings and income limits, time limiting the highest priority band and changing the way we allocate to homeless people. These changes will ensure that we are offering housing to those in most need. The new Policy was implemented on 6th July 2023. At the same time the Homefinder system will be upgraded allowing customers to upload any documents in support of their housing application directly onto the system, rather than having to email them later.

We have introduced a new Garage Allocations & Management Policy, reviewed the garage waiting list and after listening to feedback from customers have introduced an easier way of applying for and being offered a garage tenancy. The new Policy means those living near an empty garage will get priority, the new process means that the Lettings team will contact applicants when they are next in line for a garage without the need to look out for adverts and place bids. So once the applicant has submitted their application, they do not need to do anything else.

We have introduced Digital information screens across our 12 Independent living schemes, this will ensure that residents have access to up-to-date information not only from the Independent Living team but from other services in the Council, partner agencies such as Fire & Rescue Service, NHS, and community events. The screens will help reduce usage of energy, paper, and ink for printing, reducing journeys, and staff time delivering information in paper form, meaning the team can focus on assisting and supporting customers.

We have recently employed a team of four District Caretakers to carry out the clearance of our empty homes and gardens. This was previously carried out by an external contractor. The collaborative in-house working between the new team and the voids (empty homes) repair service has seen an improvement in service delivery and cost savings.

So far 408 of our tenants have signed up to the tenant's home contents insurance scheme. This scheme provides specialist tenants contents insurance policies and cover for items such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding, electrical items, jewellery, pictures, and ornaments. To find out more about the scheme please visit our website. You can contact our insurance team by email insurance_services@westlancs.gov.uk or by calling 01695 585047.

We have been awarded £1.7million Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund which will help fund the delivery of energy efficiency measures to 250 properties within the Borough.

Your Neighbourhood

We collected 160 tonnes of rubbish over 6 community action days from across the Borough.

Our Neighbourhood Officers and other housing teams worked alongside the Councils Clean and Green team, the Police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to provide Community Skip days. The days enabled residents to dispose of their excess waste/combustible materials and speak to the teams about a range of issues.

Our Environmental Enforcement Officers and Officers from within the Waste Management Service carried out waste and environmental audits and offered advice and support to residents regarding recycling and waste disposal.

We received 193 new Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) cases an increase of 80 from 2021/2022.

Other News

The More Positive Together team continues to work closely with the money advice and income team, delivering a wraparound service too all tenants and residents in the local borough. Through this relationship, the team have managed to secure job roles for 6 tenants who were previously in rent arrears due to their circumstances. This ongoing partnership has ensured these tenants are given the financial support and employment support to avoid future rent arrears.

Relationships created by money advice with third sector organisations has helped the more positive together team secure voluntary roles for their participants who are not yet ready for employment.

The Homelessness Team successfully bid for funding to extend the Rough Sleeper Support Service. The service offers those who are sleeping rough or are at imminent risk of rough sleeping and those who have complex needs that have prevented them from sustaining their own tenancies, a chance to have their own tenancy with a dedicated support worker. We have doubled capacity and now have ten flats dedicated to the scheme.

Over the past year we have consulted customers and other stakeholders about our Allocations Policy. After listening to feedback we have made some changes including increasing the savings and income limits, time limiting the highest priority band and changing the way we allocate to homeless people. These changes will ensure that we are offering housing to those in most need. The new Policy was implemented on 6th July 2023. At the same time the Homefinder system will be upgraded allowing customers to upload any documents in support of their housing application directly onto the system, rather than having to email them later.

We have introduced a new Garage Allocations & Management Policy, reviewed the garage waiting list and after listening to feedback from customers have introduced an easier way of applying for and being offered a garage tenancy. The new Policy means those living near an empty garage will get priority, the new process means that the Lettings team will contact applicants when they are next in line for a garage without the need to look out for adverts and place bids. So once the applicant has submitted their application, they do not need to do anything else.

We have introduced Digital information screens across our 12 Independent living schemes, this will ensure that residents have access to up-to-date information not only from the Independent Living team but from other services in the Council, partner agencies such as Fire & Rescue Service, NHS, and community events. The screens will help reduce usage of energy, paper, and ink for printing, reducing journeys, and staff time delivering information in paper form, meaning the team can focus on assisting and supporting customers.

We have recently employed a team of four District Caretakers to carry out the clearance of our empty homes and gardens. This was previously carried out by an external contractor. The collaborative in-house working between the new team and the voids (empty homes) repair service has seen an improvement in service delivery and cost savings.

So far 408 of our tenants have signed up to the tenant's home contents insurance scheme. This scheme provides specialist tenants contents insurance policies and cover for items such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding, electrical items, jewellery, pictures, and ornaments. To find out more about the scheme please visit our website. You can contact our insurance team by email insurance_services@westlancs.gov.uk or by calling 01695 585047.

We have been awarded £1.7million Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund which will help fund the delivery of energy efficiency measures to 250 properties within the Borough.

Your Neighbourhood

We collected 160 tonnes of rubbish over 6 community action days from across the Borough.

Our Neighbourhood Officers and other housing teams worked alongside the Councils Clean and Green team, the Police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to provide Community Skip days. The days enabled residents to dispose of their excess waste/combustible materials and speak to the teams about a range of issues.

Our Environmental Enforcement Officers and Officers from within the Waste Management Service carried out waste and environmental audits and offered advice and support to residents regarding recycling and waste disposal.

We received 193 new Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) cases an increase of 80 from 2021/2022.

Page published: 28 Sep 2023, 02:00 PM