Lambeth Living is changing and it wants views on plans to improve housing services.

The arms length management organisation, which manages nearly 34,000 homes throughout Lambeth, is restructuring in order to improve services to tenants and leaseholders, provide financial stability and value for money, become customer focused, have a local presence and deliver sustained and rapid improvement.

The plans include an improved repairs service, key services joined-up and delivered locally, greater visibility of staff on estates, quicker turn around of empty homes, improved leaseholder services, reducing the use of temporary staff and consultants, better contracts including quality repairs, stronger tenancy enforcement and a zero tolerance approach to anti social behaviour.

The proposals, which will be discussed with staff and trade unions, see the number of posts reduce from 468 to 409, the number of directors from four to three and the number of managers from 101 to 73. However, the number of front line staff will remain at 80 per cent of the workforce – a ratio of four to one staff providing front line services. Subject to consultation, there could be between 40 and 70 redundancies.

Chief Executive of Lambeth Living Cathy Deplessis said: “We have listened to the views of tenants and leaseholders and plan to improve services, remain within budget and provide better results for residents. Central to the proposals are basing key services together locally, increasing the visibility of Lambeth Living staff ready to help and delivering an improved repairs service that’s better at prioritising, advising and getting the job right, first time.”
The new plans see local teams working much more collaboratively to cover all aspects of services including day-to-day repairs, customer services, tenancy enforcement, major works and estate services.
Tenants and leaseholders will know who staff are, and how and when they can be contacted. Enquiries and complaints will also be answered locally, providing services in a way that’s more convenient to customers.
The proposals are also designed to help Lambeth Living maximise the benefits from a number of new contracts. With a value of £700 million over 10 years, 12 new area-based

contracts will lead to improved quality services and works. The new area based structure is designed to reap rewards for improved responsive repairs, estate cleaning, grounds maintenance, door entry, CCTV and lifts.
It is forecast that the new structure will save Lambeth Council over £1 million immediately and £300,000 over the next three years. Lambeth Living’s annual property programme is £75million and the ALMO helped the council turn around a £12m deficit on the housing revenue account last year

Lambeth Living will consult on the proposals with tenants, leaseholders, residents, staff, unions and partners from 6 to 26 September.

Wide ranging consultation including six improvement consultation meetings

Lambeth Living is looking forward to hearing the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including councillors, as it improves to become a customer-focused organisation that provides value for money and improves services.
Lambeth residents can have their say in a number of ways. They can attend one of six area meetings, which will all take place from 7pm to 9pm:

Streatham 14 September
Palace Road Community Hall, 5 Coburg Crescent, Palace Road Estate, SW2 3HS

Brixton 15 September
Room 8, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW

Stockwell and Vassall 15 September
Wheatsheaf Hall, Wheatsheaf Lane, SW8 2UP

Norwood 15 September
Central Hill Day Centre, Lunham Road, SE19 1AA

Clapham 16 September
Hawkesworth Hall, Oaklands Estate, Cavendish Road, London SW4 8NA

North Lambeth 21 September
Pedlars Acre Hall, North Lambeth Area Housing Office

Anyone unable to attend one of the area meetings can also:
email improvement@lambethliving.org.uk by 26 September

Write: Improvement, Lambeth Living 1st Floor, Hambrook House, Porden Road, London SW2 5RW by 26 September

Phone: Sunny Tesfu on 020 7926 4138 by 26 September

Residents are encouraged to get involved and have their say on both restructure proposals and priorities for their local area.
Further information on the plans is available by visiting www.lambethliving.org.uk or by visiting one of Lambeth Living’s area housing offices.

Timetable for change

  • End of initial staff feedback period: Friday, 24 September 2010
  • End of management review period: Friday, 8 October 2010
  • New structure announced: Friday, 5 November 2010
  • Go live date (by): 1 February 2011