Scarborough Borough Council
The Art of the Possible:
The Home Improvement Agency
Multi-Agency Processes
Lynn Williams
Sharon Carey
Who are we?
The White Rose Home Improvement Agency is a
non-profit making partnership between
Scarborough Borough Council and Ryedale
District Council.
What do we do?
Assist older, disabled and vulnerable people to
stay independent in their own homes by
providing advice and support with housing
adaptations and repairs.
Services in the HIA:
• Major Adaptations (Disabled
Facilities Grants)
• Well Being Service
• Handyperson Service (since 2014)
• Gardening Service
Existing innovative ways of delivering
DFGs:
• No paper files - internet based case
manager system
• Officers using iPads to complete the
administration of DFGs
• Framework of contractors
Why Change?
In 2013 the County re-tendered HIA
and Handyperson/Well Being services,
with limited funding the bids had to be
very competitive
Our bid included:
• No administration post
• Savings in administration were used
to provide field officers
We intended to use iPads and purchase extra
case manager support
Jan 2014: Bid Successful!
Within 3 months we had to….
• Set up a Handyperson service from
scratch
• Establish an efficient process with a
number of external partners to
enable referrals to the service
Use Existing Referral Systems?
• Fax / email / phone referrals
• Lack of budget control for NYCC OT
Managers
• Double keying of information /
major administrative burdens
• Lack of security to system
Feb 2014: A chance meeting….
HIA Manager ‘gate crashes’ a meeting
looking at the Councils processes
within the other Housing teams and
the use of a new system ‘Firmstep’
This is followed by a light bulb
moment…….
Aims of the new Firmstep System:
• All partners to key on their own
referrals (no need to fax/phone/email).
• Referrals to be picked up on an iPad and
carried out by the Handypersons with
no admin involvement.
• Stock and management data would be
recorded.
A tight timescale……
can we do it?
Aim: To create
electronic version of
this ‘simple form’
Developed initial process for go live on
1st April 2014
Re-engineered with enhancements for
new forms and Dash for 1st August 2014
Scarborough Borough Council
LIVE DEMO:
Request: Gemma Albon
Authorise: Lynn Williams
Action: Gary Wright
What it delivers…
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All key partners can log into system
Budget focused on “doers” not admin
Delivers accurate and secure data
Allocates to contract frameworks
Agile working saves travelling time
Calculates costs
Speedy early release from hospital
Mapping Efficiencies: Old vs New Process
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Paper Form completed on site by NYCC, NHS, YCH, other organisations
Returned to the office – faxed or posted to NYCC for approval
Received and passed to appropriate officers in-tray (desk)
Manually recorded – approved by NYCC
Sent to HIA by email / fax / post / telephone call
Manual entry onto case management system
Allocated to Handypersons
Work sheet printed off for Handy person
Allocated to Framework contracts via emails
Handyperson collected worksheets from the office and booked
appointments
Property visit to carry out work and complete paper form
Take completed forms back to office
Manual entry of work completed onto case management system
Cost calculation and performance management done separately.
Statistics:
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1857 referrals (35 - 40 per week)
123 referring officers
£74,400 work (items at cost price) requested
100 referrals involving framework contractors
16.6% referrals actioned same day
45% referrals actioned within 48 hours
10,900 miles claimed
(average of 10 miles per referral in an area of 890
square miles)
CASE 172928 – 17/11/2014
End to end completed in 2 hours and 1 minute
CASE 199345 – 22/12/2014
End to end completed in 5 hours and 36 minute
CASE 292332 – 24/03/2014
Completed in 2 hours 24 minutes (after authorisation)
‘What did we do next’?
and
‘Where do we go next?’
Handyperson and Well Being Customer Requests
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Simplified the existing referral process
Used the same forms in a new process
Small repairs are chargeable
Promotes and offers other HIA Services (e.g. Well Being
Assessments and Winter Warm Packs)
Well Being Assessment Process
• Specifically designed to work on the ‘Mobile App’.
• Fully scripted interview for completion in the Client’s home.
• Produces full reports of all advice, contact information and
referrals advised and made by the HIA to produce support plans.
• Will automatically complete the referrals to 25+ agencies in
relation to 35+ different matters.
Will pull through data from Handyperson
and Well Being Referral or Customer Request
or can start new case.
Well Being Assessment Interview
Well Being Assessment Interview
Well Being Assessment Interview
Well Being Assessment - Printables
Well Being Assessment - Automated Referral
Use existing processes within the
App…
Opens up additional possibilities
We work in a very remote area, but
this allows us to work offline and ‘sync’
later
….so now we can now do more!
Disabled Facilities Grants: Problems
with existing process….
• Getting the recommendations to HIA
and Housing Associations securely
• Authorisation by OT Managers
• Double keying - entering cases on our
case manager system and again for a
Well Being visit
Proposed Process within Firmstep:
• Follow the handyperson / Well Being
process with referrals authorised by OT
Managers.
• Housing Associations added to process
(permissions and landlords certificates)
• Link into existing case management
system (remove double keying for
admin and well being officers)
We constantly review processes
as system develops
The question is ….
Will we end up with the full DFG
process on Firmstep
(one system for all HIA services)?
Big wins for us:
Ability to work efficiently and
seamlessly across multiple agencies.
Saving money:
Wasn’t about the money but….we
saved money too!
The Independent
22 March 2015
….harder to evidence the savings in the other agencies.