SOCIAL HOUSING & COMMUNITY FACILITIES
GETTING IT RIGHT
John Blackburn, Operations Director at Central Networks, asks how addressing and improving IT capabilities can help support the objectives of those within the social housing sector by increasing security, scalability, and support.
Being mainly Government-funded, social housing providers have a level of responsibility beyond that of a typical builder or landlord. Subject to increased scrutiny thanks to a prominent public profile, they are under heightened pressure to follow rules diligently — or face the consequences.
Failure to do so can lead to unfavourable press exposure and a possible PR disaster — which not only results in an increase in enquiries for already overstretched teams but can cost organisations dearly, thanks to potential legal and reputational repercussions.
This increases the pressure on housing associations to keep up to date with the ever-changing nature of technology and rapidly evolving security requirements, but often with little in the way of budget.
Feeling the financial squeeze Naturally, a series of recent political events — Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the conflict in Ukraine — have further impacted financial resource for governmental departments, creating a knock-on effect for many social housing providers.
In the face of such adversity, conversations around cost- cutting are inevitable. But in the social housing sector, IT must remain a priority — both in the short and longer term, if providers are to uphold the levels of service that prove crucial for many.
Vital infrastructure recommendations Due to financial constraints, a common issue for social housing teams is an ageing IT infrastructure. These systems can prove increasingly difficult to deploy, or to integrate with any newer additions. And while budget for a modern offering can be difficult to secure, the changes will in-the-not-too-distant future become
54 | TOMORROW’S FM
absolutely necessary. As a result, making improvements sooner rather than later, can produce a better return on investment, helping to make both teams and systems more efficient — a particularly attractive advantage in a currently challenging recruitment market.
Always on For social housing providers, there’s an expectation of needing to be ‘always on’. As a result, most have a variety of contact methods — phone, email, chat functionality, social media channels, as well as face-to-face community hubs. Not only do each of these platforms need to be staffed and responded to in good time, but any outages need to be addressed promptly.
And with the communications received by social housing providers often highly confidential in nature, this means that data security must be suitably robust. This is in order to protect personal details and prevent any breaches which could see the sensitive information of a large sector of society fall into the wrong hands.
These organisations must also cater to a broad variety of needs — older people, those with disabilities, families without access to the internet, as well as individuals with special educational needs. Some of these customers may not have the ability to request support online, meaning that an in-person provision must also be on offer.
Meeting modern communication and
cybersecurity demands With a multitude of channels to maintain, having access to advice and assistance from a skilled IT team is essential. With a dedicated resource to hand, teams on the ground can do what they do best – supporting tenants and ensuring their needs are met. Meanwhile technology professionals can keep channels running effectively,
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
