Capita Housing Conference review 2009

Digital Inclusion: the gateway for social housing through a recession?

The glorious sunshine, soaring temperatures and the opportunity to hear Professor Germaine Greer’s thoughts on the future of social housing brought Capita customers to the first Capita Housing Conference.

Held in Stratford-upon-Avon, customers from all parts of the UK converged to hear a wide range of speakers discuss the hot topics facing social housing organisations in this increasingly difficult economic climate. Keynote speakers from high profile housing providers explored how adjusting approach and technology can lead to improved tenants’ services and the freeing-up of resources in the challenging times currently being faced by both the housing organisations and their customers.

The opening plenary was given by Director of Housing, Roger Birkinshaw, recognising that both Capita staff and customers were keen to hear the key ideas and proposals from all speakers, but mostly what radical thoughts Professor Greer would voice. Professor Greer certainly lived up to her reputation, entertaining and challenging the assembled audience. With her strong ideals and views surrounding social housing, she maligned the current approach of modern housing developers and sprawling estates for destroying community cohesion and removing the hearts of towns. She suggested that to rebuild communities and a productive, cohesive society, the placement and structure of homes has to be thought about more closely, housing different ages, races and backgrounds together to mix and form strong and successful social structures.

Her ideas were listened to and questioned keenly, with many delegates being forced to re-evaluate their raison d’être. Her challenging ideas played on minds and formed topics of conversation throughout the remainder of the conference.

Finance and ICT Directors from RCT Homes in South Wales hosted the next session. It was inspiring for all to hear how their digital empowerment programme has opened up a simple and immediate two-way communication channel for the organisation to engage with its tenants. SMS technology has played a major role in the success of the programme and during this session both Malcolm Wilson and Alun Dowling discussed how it had improved a wide range of tenant services, including repairs appointment reminders, satisfaction surveys and rent management and how they continue to see it playing a major role into the future.

Following lunch, with the return of a rested and refreshed audience, Chris Deery from Solihull Community Housing delivered a thought provoking session, discussing how his organisation had planned and delivered an award winning and innovative scheme to deliver broadband to its tenants living in blocks of flats. Chris showed how, through the availability of broadband, tenants felt more able to access services and aspire to achieve goals that they felt might have been previously out of their reach. Not only were Solihull Community Housing given an award for ‘Most Innovative Project’ by the National Federation of ALMOS, but Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, who supported the project, were awarded Beacon status for Digital Inclusion, alongside only three other authorities.