Golden Gates Housing tackles anti-social behaviour with Civica » Housing » 24dash.com

Golden Gates Housing, a three-star Audit Commission-rated social housing provider in Warrington, is planning highly targeted campaigns against anti-social behaviour through a three-year investment in Civica Public Protection software.

The Public Protection reporting software – implementation work on which is due for completion later this year – provides scope for co-ordinated multi-agency action on particular issues.

Using the Civica Public Protection platform, Golden Gates’ tenant support teams will be able to record and respond quickly to any anti-social behaviour incidents affecting the Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO)’s 8,900 tenants housed across the borough.

The software also enables incident records to be opened to third parties’ computer systems such as police, solicitors and housing associations, whether for co-ordinated action on particular cases or as part of a multi-agency shared services delivery model for operating efficiencies.

The new Civica Public Protection platform, which can be integrated with the ALMO’s existing housing management software and front line customer service teams, helps local service teams to quickly and accurately log incidents, ranging from egg throwing to more serious occurrences such as damaged windows. The software also enables teams to track and analyse incident ‘hot spots’.

Using the product’s workflow modules, the teams have clearer schedules for addressing incidents and through the integration with contact management systems, improve communication and reassurance to tenants during the incident response process.

Golden Gates Housing is also working with the town’s Community Safety team and a solicitors’ firm in Liverpool to share the software and offer a joined up response for tenants.

Golden Gates, which was spun off from Warrington Borough Council in 2004, has earned a strong reputation for customer service following its Business Transformation programme over the last three years.

The ALMO’s anti-social behaviour initiative follows the transformation programme which improved system efficiency, increased tenant support, care in their homes and increased mobile working and productivity.

Following this phased service transformation, the Audit Commission awarded the social housing provider three stars following its latest inspection.

Already used by over 200 local organisations across Britain, Civica’s Public Protection product provides a robust and proven platform for core regulatory and enforcement functions helping organisations improve reporting and customer service capabilities.

The platform was designed for and built and tested in consultation with practitioners.

Peter Fitzhenry, assistant director of housing at Golden Gates Housing, says: “We are striving to transform our service to tenants and Civica Public Protection enables us to record and categorise different incidents for action better than before.

"The capability for targeted action on any unpleasant incidents is of great reassurance, particularly to older customers.

“Our staff find the system very easy to use and the system is flexible enough to be connected with our contact management teams. Most excitingly of all, it can be opened up to end point computers at other nominated bodies like solicitors and the police.”

Tony Hughes, managing director, Civica Public Protection, commented: “Golden Gates Housing is one of the top 10 social housing providers and they’ve got where they are by continually innovating in terms of service and communication with tenants. We’re pleased to be working with them on their latest service innovation.

"We believe that we have the deep understanding of their operating environment and technology integration skills needed to help deliver Golden Gates’ vision of customer-centric service model and system-based savings.”