Dear Ms Dann,
Thank you for your request dated 1 September 2022, we have treated this as a Freedom of Information request. You have asked for the following information, please see our responses below in blue:
- If staff in the Housing Options, Contact Centre assess a customer as not having a housing need or not to be threatened with homelessness how is the customer informed of this decision and their right to request a review?
Customers are referred through to the Housing Needs Teams if a decision is requested or in instances that a customer is threatened with homelessness. We understand that all customers are entitled to a formal decision with the right of review, and we are currently in the process of restructuring the front end of service to develop a new application team which will enable officers to issue formal decisions at an earlier stage. We hope to have the new team and structures in place by mid-October.
- When a customer has completed the self-referral online and the application has been reviewed by the Housing Options team; how is the customer informed of a decision not to put them on the housing register and their right to request a review the decision?
If a customer is identified as having no housing need, they will be informed and provided with the relevant advice surrounding their individual circumstances. Should the customer then wish to receive a decision in writing with the opportunity to review this decision they will be signposted to the Housing Needs Teams. The Housing Needs Teams will carry out an assessment and issue the relevant housing band decision outlining the appeals process. As stated above we are currently in the process of developing a dedicated new applications team to enable more decisions at an earlier stage within the Housing Options Team reducing the need for cases to be referred to the Housing Needs Teams.
- Is a written response provided to each contact with the Housing Options contact centre?
A written response is generated when a customer self-refers via the portal an acknowledgement is sent confirming that the Housing Options team will contact them, and the enquiry is pending.
- Is a written response provided where the customer disagrees with the Housing Options Officer’s assessment that they do not have a housing need or are not homeless or threatened with homelessness?
Should a customer disagree with advice provided by the Housing Options Officer, a referral to the Housing Needs Teams is currently made. The Housing Need Officer will carry out an assessment before issuing a formal written decision outlining the reasons why the customer has been issued this decision. Details of the reviews process will clearly be outlined.
With the introduction of a dedicated new application team in the coming months, there will be more decisions issued by Housing Options and less of a requirement to refer cases to the Housing Needs Teams.
5.How many applications do you process within 33 days of the applicant contacting Barnet Homes?
Unfortunately, our current systems do not enable us to accurately capture this information and we are working on ways to improve our data collection processes and reporting tools.
Your rights
If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by emailing Talk2Us@barnethomes.org and marking it as an appeal for the attention of the Data Controller.
If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF (telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45; website: www.ico.gov.uk).
There is no charge for making an appeal.
Kind regards
Carly Williamson
Complaints and Information Manager