derby homes

Challenge

In April 2002 responsibility for managing 14,500 council homes and 50 sheltered housing schemes in Derby moved from Derby City Council to Derby Homes, an arm's length management organisation (ALMO) wholly owned and controlled by Derby City Council but run as a separate limited company.

Derby Homes is tasked with delivering £92million of major repairs and improvements to its housing stock over the next five years in order to meet the requirements of the government's 'decent homes' standard. In 2003, Derby Homes was awarded three stars by the Audit Commission for the quality of its service provision.

Despite this successful performance, Derby Homes continues to strive towards achieving greater cost efficiencies and in late 2004 began carrying out an extensive best value review of its operations in line with the recommendations of the Gershon Report.

Solution

The Derby Homes management team took the decision to engage external specialist advisors who could carry out an independent review of the value for money provided by its existing service arrangements and recommendations for improvements going forward.

NCC Group, an independent provider of business and ICT consultancy services, was appointed following a competitive tender process due to its extensive public sector experience, in particular its work with other ALMOs such as Hounslow Homes.

The NCC Group team began by undertaking a review of Derby Homes' ICT requirements and current ICT arrangements in order to establish whether staff needs were being met and value for money was being delivered. The team then presented management with proposals for an ICT strategy which would provide Derby Homes with a first class ICT structure including a three to five year 'roadmap' for ICT initiatives and improvements and a range of costed alternative options.

Once the ICT review and strategy were presented to the Derby Homes Board in January 2005 and the recommendations were approved, the Derby Homes project team reviewed existing processes, evaluated existing core business systems and developed business cases for new systems where appropriate.

Results

Mark Fairweather, IT Manager at Derby Homes comments "We initially appointed NCC Group to carry out a very specific short term assignment, but found their technical and sector knowledge very useful and we engaged them to manage later stages of the project as well. We view the process of obtaining an independent expert view as a type of due diligence."

In April 2005, following a further tendering exercise, NCC Group was appointed to project manage the next phase which includes enhancements to existing core systems and the procurement and implementation of new systems. They have been tasked specifically with looking closely at the various ICT support services provided to Derby Homes and recommending and negotiating streamlined supplier arrangements which better meet their requirements going forward.

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NCC Group is a leading global provider of independent IT assurance, security and consultancy services. As a trusted advisor, we help over 15,000 public, private and not for profit sector organisations, including 92 of the FTSE 100, to make the most efficient use of information and technology and to manage the associated risks.

Quote

"We initially appointed NCC Group to carry out a very specific short term assignment, but found their technical and sector knowledge very useful and we engaged them to manage later stages of the project as well. We view the process of obtaining an independent expert view as a type of due diligence."

Mark Fairweather, IT Manager, Derby Homes

Challenge

Derby Homes is tasked with delivering £92million of major repairs and improvements to its housing stock over the next five years in order to meet the requirements of the government's 'decent homes' standard. It wanted to carry out an extensive best value review of its operations in line with the recommendations of the Gershon Report

Solution

The Derby Homes management team took the decision to engage external specialist advisors who could carry out an independent review of the value for money provided by its existing service arrangements and recommendations for improvements going forward

NCC Group, an independent provider of business and ICT consultancy services, was appointed following a competitive tender process

Results

Once the ICT review and strategy were presented and the recommendations were approved, the Derby Homes project team reviewed existing processes, evaluated existing core business systems and developed business cases for new systems where appropriate