Council housing residents in Luton are set to benefit from improved housing services thanks to a new partnership between Luton Borough Council and global public sector software provider Civica.
Luton will implement Cx Housing Management, Cx Asset Management, Cx Contractor Workforce and Abritas Choice Based-Lettings in a new £1.09m, seven-year contract.
The Council was seeking a new, modern cloud solution which would fully integrate with mobile technology and offer improved customer self-service options as well as being future proofed to support growth ambitions.
Luton Borough Council currently manages more than 7,000 properties, as well as over 1,100 temporary accommodation residences and 1,500 garages. The new Cx software will create a single view of residents, properties and assets data enabling quicker response times and more accurate decision making.
An improved customer portal will be tailored to individuals and their communication preferences and offer prompt responses to queries.
The new Cx platform will enable employees to work smarter, supporting more agile working and putting information at their fingertips. Increased automation and better workflow will free up staff for more outreach programmes, including training and therapy sessions offered in the community.
The Council aims to tackle homelessness issues better by bringing its homelessness case management into a joined-up system with temporary accommodation management for the first time — offering quicker access to all the data to support decision making.
Civica will also add social value through a new partnership with a local education provider to run a T-level or similar work experience linked qualification. The company will attend careers fairs and publicise local employment opportunities, while running community roadshows to help train people to use the customer portal and boost digital inclusion.
Colin Moone, Service Director, Housing at Luton Borough Council said: “This is a long-term innovation partnership to support Luton Borough Council’s 2040 strategy to create a healthy, fair and sustainable town, where everyone can thrive.
“We want our residents to be able to self-serve online to get the answers to their queries more quickly and streamline our processes. The new Civica platform will improve resident and stakeholder engagement, allowing us to better capture feedback and ideas from a much wider demographic — ultimately leading to better, safer homes for everyone.”
Michelle Tyler, Managing Director, Social Housing at Civica added: “Our cloud housing platform will help to transform services at Luton, ensuring a complete picture is available across residents, assets and repairs. We’re delighted to support Luton Borough Council as it works towards its 2040 strategy and look forward to the digital transformation and social value benefits we can bring Luton in the future.”
