Laura Sharman 29 June 2020

Landlords urged to factor pandemics into future business plans

Landlords must factor in the threat of future pandemics into long-term business planning, according to research carried out amongst social housing leaders.

The Reaction, Recovery, Resilience report: How the pandemic response has impacted the social housing sector used qualitative data, gathered from more than 20 social housing associations in England and Wales.

It focused on key areas, including income collection and arrears, universal credit, evictions and vulnerable customers, with clear areas of improvement covering new ways of working, harnessing customer data and increasing the use of technology.

Steven Johnson, chief customer officer at Voicescape, which carried out the research, commented: 'The Covid-19 pandemic has forced landlords to find new ways of delivering services and interacting with their tenants. Whilst there has been a short-term, reactive phase to "keep the lights on", in the mid- and long-term we will see permanent changes in tenant behaviour, service delivery and landlord-tenant relationships in general.'

The research – gained from in-depth interviews as the pandemic response unfolded – was carried out to explore the challenges and opportunities Covid-19 will bring and what pre-emptive measures will be required to protect businesses, employees and tenants.

'Whilst the future is inherently uncertain,' Mr Johnson said. 'We believe a number of strong themes have emerged that landlords can confidently use to begin preparing for the "new normal". Most providers involved in our research were clear that the current situation represents a completely different threat compared to previous challenges such as welfare reform, UC and the rent cap.'

The research highlighted that pandemic preparedness was not adequately represented in most business continuity plans; landlords should consider mid-term preparedness as the threat associated with Covid-19 changes; and demand on services will increase and pressure on limited resources will intensify, meaning teams will be required to do more with less.

Mr Johnson added: 'While some providers reported that strategic change programmes had been put on hold, all pointed to the positive impact that the pandemic has had on innovation and transformation. Some already had digital transformation programmes in the pipeline, but often these were tentative in scope and slow in pace. Recent events, however, will allow teams to build clearer, more compelling business cases for an acceleration of the digital agenda.'

The collection, maintenance and analysis of customer data, establishing data quality as a key defence in the face of increasing and diversifying levels of risk, was also identified as a key area for the social housing sector post-Covid-19. This was coupled with the need to increase the use of technology, such as automated engagement programmes, driven by restrictions on face-to-face contact and social distancing measures.

Mr Johnson concluded: 'As with digital transformation, recent events provide ready-made business cases for the rapid acceleration of this agenda, along with agile working, and the foundational role it will play in protecting the future interests of landlords and the tenants they serve.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Residential Assistant

Essex County Council
£25081.00 - £25395.00 per annum
Residential AssistantPermanent, Full Time£25,081 up to £25,395 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Senior Planning Officer

Durham County Council
Grade 11 £39,513 to £43,693 Grade 12 £42,708 to £46,731 per annum (Pay Award Pending)
Durham County Council is looking for experienced and knowledgeable Senior Planning Officers to join our vibrant Development Management team. Our team Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Head of Service – Social Care

Wrexham County Borough Council
G15 £63,148 - £67,058 per annum
There is an exciting opportunity within Children Social Care to join the senior management team Wrexham (Wrecsam)
Recuriter: Wrexham County Borough Council

Head of Service Social Work & Specialist Support

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Grade M scp 60 £72,118 - scp 64 £77,293
There couldn’t be a more exciting time to join us. Blackburn, Lancashire
Recuriter: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Cafe Assistant - Weald Country Park

Essex County Council
Up to £13.3000 per hour
Café Assistant (Weald Country Park)Contract
Recuriter: Essex County Council
Linkedin Banner