Ensuring
Local Authorities
Evolve
Factors creating stasis
Recruitment
It is getting harder for Local Authorities to recruit experienced Housing Officers, due to lack of movement within the sector.
The same employment advertisement posted over and over, in the pursuit of finding suitably knowledgable candidates.
In order to fill the void during the recruitment cycles, Local Authorities often need to hire temporary staff to ensure the statutory services are being provided.
Training
Whilst hiring unexperienced Housing Officers is becoming the norm, these initiates require extensive training.
Training, more often than not, is provided by the already existing team; placing a further burden on already stretched staff.
Training provided is not always consistent. Confusing newly initiated staff members, within an already complex field of legislation, guidance, and and case law.
Budget
Budgets for Local Authorities are getting stretched further. Whilst grants are often available, these are not always a guarantee.
Third-party training is expensive. Where recruitment is staggered, multiple yearly sessions are needed. Eating into budgets.
Budgets don’t allow ‘competitive’ salaries; recruitment cycles can often be fruitless, requiring the Local Authority to spend more than intended on temporary staff.
The housing and homelessness public sector is complex and constantly changing form. Even when Local Authorities have access to the best of the above; due to the evolving nature of the sector, it can be hard to keep up.
The landscape of the sector changes almost instantly; case law creates precedent, legislation is updated, or new guidance changes the traditional processes.
Local Authorities need to navigate the constantly changing landscape of the sector, with already limited and sometimes dwindling resources. Local Authorities cannot continue to work as they always have; as the reality of the situation now longer allows this.
The demand for housing and homelessness assistance has increased, as have the many constraints that Local Authorities face. Combined this the constant changes to landscape of the sector; more burden than ever falls upon the Local Authority and their Housing and Homelessness Teams.
Local Authorities will continue to feel the increasing burden, unless; the Local Authority starts evolving in tandem with the nature of the sector.
What does evolution look like?
Using existing resources in a smarter way, following the trends of technological advancements, and by being aware of the evolving nature of the sector.
How can evolution be achieved?
With Serenity.
What is Serenity
Serenity is an AI Model, built and crafted to be a virtual Senior Housing Officer, within your local desktop.
The architecture of Serenity
Serenity is an RAG based model. As such, Serenity can only generate advice based on the information built within the architecture. This prevents Serenity in creating, or hallucinating, data; which ensures that all information provided by Serenity is correct, up to date, and legally accurate.
Legislation and Case Law
All relevant current and upcoming Legislative Acts, alongside Case Law. Serenity handles staged commencement, superseding dates, and legislative transitions automatically; ensuring that all information is ‘future-proofed’.
Proprietary Resource Documents
These documents contain information that is not included within legislation, case law, or code of guidances. The Resource Documents are filled with the first-hand learned knowledge, and experience, of a Senior Housing Officer.
Guidances to Local Authorities
Code of Guidances, guidances referencing the allocations of housing, along with general guidances for Local Authorities. Guidance is updated as and when it is released.
Knowledge acquired through learnt experience is intrinsically valuable.
The Proprietary Resource Documents contain information that; legislation, case law, and code of guidances, alone cannot provide.
This is what sets Serenity apart from the rest.
How Serenity can help
Building a standard
With the Serenity’s consistency, it will build a standard of practice. For consolidating authorities, this would assist in harmonising practice to ensure a uniformed approach across the service.
Consistency
Serenity will apply the legal framework, consistently, to every case, every time; regardless of workload, experience level, or time of the week. Serenity never drifts, and stays consistent in the advice giving.
Accurate advice
It can be trusted that the advice given by Serenity is accurate. Information passes through several stages of processing, ensuring that the advice given is legally and holistically correct.
Less risk in hiring non-experienced staff
Because housing officers would have access to Serenity via their local desktop, they always have a ‘Senior Housing Officer’ they can ask if they are unsure. Instead of guessing, or avoiding the situation; they can ask Serenity.
Reduces burden caused by training
Training new housing officers will always be necessary. Although, Serenity can reduce the amount of technical training required. Officers can ask Serenity questions as they work, fostering their development whilst actively working.
Reduces strain on management
Housing officers rely on management, to assist with complex and difficult cases; this places a direct strain on already stretched management. Serenity directly removes that strain, by allowing officers another source of knowledge to ask.
Reduces Review and Appeal Risk
By prompting housing officers to consider all relevant factors before making decisions; Serenity actively reduces the risk of unlawful decisions. This has a direct work/cost saving implication for Local Authorities.
Builds more confident housing officers
When housing officers ask a question, get the correct answer, and accurately apply that answer to their case work; they gain confidence in their ability. Serenity provides those answers, allowing officers to learn, grow, and gain confidence.
Sets the Local Authority up for success
Serenity provides housing officers the necessary, and a resolute foundation, in which officers have everything that could possibly be required for any case. Enabling officers to ensure that the Local Authority fulfils its statutory duties.
Important features of Serenity
Timing
Local Authority consolidation is creating demand for standardised practice tools across newly merged services. Serenity has a real and immediate need, and can smooth the transition process between consolidating Authorities.
Security
Serenity runs locally on Local Authority infrastructure. No inputted data leaves the Local Authority’s environment. This removes GDPR and information governance concerns, that would arise with a hosted web based solutions.
Centrally Updateable
Despite Serenity running locally, the architecture can be updated centrally. New information can be pushed to all installations without officers needing to do anything. Serenity stays current without burden to the Local Authority.
It is important to note; that Serenity does not replace or absolve housing officers of their own judgement, or need to be satisfied. Whilst Serenity is a powerful tool, in terms of giving accurate legal and holistic advice, advising on processes, and advising on potential actions that can be taken. Serenity does not take away the housing officer’s need to make their own decisions. Serenity is meant as a supplemental tool, used as a means to support housing officers in their own growth.
Why Choose Us?
We are not a technology company. We are Housing Officers.
Housing Practice Intelligence was founded, built, and operated by Housing Officers. We understand firsthand the challenges that Local Authorities and their Housing and Homelessness Teams face, we’re here to help alleviate those struggles.
Our experience of working as Housing Officers within Local Authorities, allows us to build something, that we would ourselves find, genuinely useful. This is how we can be confident in what we do, and in what we provide.
Knowledge is useful, but the experience in how to use and apply that knowledge is vital. This is where our background speaks for itself, and sets us apart from the rest.
Our Partners
We are looking to for Local Authorities to become Founder Partners with us, prior to official launch.
Founder Partners will have access to exclusive ‘founder plans’ post official launch.
Contact Us
If you are interested in becoming a Founder Partner, prior to the official launch of Serenity, please contact us via email.
Email: HousingPracticeIntelligence@gmail.com