Barnet Homes looks to branch out from housing as Kent bids to create first super-ALMO
ALMO to bid for schools contract
A London arm’s-length management organisation hopes to expand into refurbishing and repairing schools.
Barnet Homes is in talks with Barnet Council over managing part of the ‘building schools for the future’ programme for the borough’s secondary schools. It would mark the first major expansion for an ALMO beyond providing core housing services. The news emerged as four district councils in Kent launched a public consultation on merging their housing management services into a ‘super-ALMO’.
Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet councils want to set up the East Kent Shared Housing Landlords Services, which would manage the homes of 20,000 tenants.
Many ALMOs have completed the decent homes programmes they were set up to deliver, prompting a number of councils to consider taking housing management services back in-house or transferring homes to a housing association. This has led to speculation over the long-term future of ALMOs.
Both Barnet and Kent’s plans point to new ways forward for the organisations.
A source close to Barnet Homes said discussions regarding building schools for the future were at an early stage, but that this was one way of the council saving money through its ‘no-frills’ style of providing services, which has seen it branded ‘Easy Council’.
Minutes of a Barnet Homes board meeting suggest the council could save money by using Barnet Homes rather than spending money on a full tendering exercise. Board members suggested outsourcing activities could include ‘caretaking, school refurbishment, property repair and surveying’.
The council is putting together its BSF bid after joining the programme in October 2009. The project’s £80 million first phase will refurbish or rebuild four secondary schools, one pupil referral unit and a special school.
A council spokesperson said Barnet Homes was not yet formally involved in the BSF programme, but added: ‘We have a very successful ALMO and we would be fools not to look at other ways that we can work together.’
A spokesperson for Barnet Homes said: ‘Both the council and Barnet Homes believe Barnet Homes can provide more services on the council’s behalf in the future, as well as the current housing services we already deliver.’
Gwyneth Taylor, policy director at the National Federation of ALMOs, said a number of ALMOs were taking on new roles such as regeneration and new build on behalf of councils.
Speaking on behalf of the councils involved in Kent’s plans for a super-ALMO, a spokesperson for Thanet Council said: ‘Sharing the service is expected to deliver improvements for tenants and bring savings, which would be re-invested into council housing services.’
However, Iris Johnston, Labour spokesperson for housing at Thanet Council, said many tenants and councillors were concerned the project was introducing a super-ALMO via the back door.
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Readers' comments (2)
Peter | 12/03/2010 11:04 am
Clearly, Barnet Homes has become so good housing management that they want venture into new areas but aren't they reverting back to what the LAs used to do? Its a bit rich to suggest that these are 'new roles'! Good luck.
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max | 12/03/2010 7:00 pm
Madness, there are better placed organisations to deliver the efficiencies that LB Barnet is seeking. After all what experience does Barnet Homes have in building, repairing and refurbishing educational establishments? Or is this merely another way to milk the HRA for the benefit of the general fund tuck shop?
Its last inspection report confirmed many weaknesses including "a lack of procurement expertise and non asset management procurement is process driven rather than outcome led." So lets all hope that Barnet Homes has been a learning organisation and passed with flying colours since!
Can you imagine lots of calling cards left in the playground? Or the repairs call centre asking "when's the best time to call?" and "do you want us to avoid school hours?" What next providing school dinners, ordering school books or recruiting teachers? Barnet Homes should focus on what its best at and reading its last inspection report there is enough there to keep it busy for some time without diversifying.
As such a move will require consultation with not only tenants and leaseholders but also the Secretary of State I seriously hope that this notion is quashed. By the way if this did happen will this mean that Ofsted will regulate ALMOs by the back door or behind the bike sheds?
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