The Challenge

To give leaders the techniques to refine the housing benefits service so the correct payment is made to the right person at the right time.

Why change was needed

Although among the best performing departments nationally, the cost of maintaining the service at that level was ‘excessive’. A new customer contact centre had failed to deliver hoped for efficiencies.

What we did

We created a leaders group that was collectively responsible for all aspects of the council’s response to people wanting to apply for housing benefit.

Following training, the group led their teams through an intensive information gathering phase to create a ‘picture’ of what the ‘best ever system’ would look like.

Customer representatives, frontline staff, managers and councillors - 47 people in all – met over two days to redesign how the local authority delivers housing benefit to its residents.

They used Habanero’s proprietary method of ‘redesign by role play’ and after two weeks of testing found the new system sufficiently proven to introduce it.

The Results

Measurable improvements in customer service
Closer customer and benefits staff relationship
40% improvement achieved (using Best Value Performance Indicator measure)
Waiting time /processing time reduced from 25 days to 15 days
Correctly completed applications rose from 10% to 90%

The Client Says

“(Habanero) .... has the strength of character, tenacity and judgement to deliver the adaptive leadership needed to ‘unfreeze’ cultures and inspire members with the confidence and vision they need to develop excellent services.”

Chief Executive