There may be “actual distress and despair” behind West Lothian Council housing division efficiency figures, a senior SNP councillor has claimed.
Depute SNP group chief Councillor Robert De Daring pointed to a fall within the share of homeless purposes being assessed in 28 days from 90 per cent to “lower than 50 per cent”.
His criticism of efficiency got here as housing officers revealed a surge in spending on homeless service prices to greater than £688,000, within the final monetary quarter of 2021/22.
The proportion in assessments accomplished with a 28 day time-frame fell from 80.23 per cent within the first quarter of final yr (April to June ) to 48.29 per cent within the first quarter of this yr.
Councillor De Daring instructed the assembly of the Housing Providers Coverage Improvement and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP): “This matches with my very own expertise of constituency work, and my colleagues. Of all indicators right here this one has essentially the most direct human affect.
“There may be actual distress and despair brought on by our present incapability to evaluate purposes as shortly as we might. We now have quite a few people, quite a few households, who're handed from resort to mattress and breakfast on an alternately each day foundation, fairly often the place these locations are positioned are usually not even inside West Lothian.
“I might ask the Administration to deal with this as a precedence to attempt to rectify this example as shortly as doable.”
Chairing the PDSP Labour’s Councillor George Paul mentioned: “The Administration does deal with it as a precedence. To say in any other case wouldn't be conducive to serving to homeless folks.”
Accompanying notes within the stories mentioned: “A evaluation of processes is being thought-about throughout the providers to extend efficiencies and make higher use of our present methods.”
And for the ultimate quarter of the final monetary year- January to April 2022- the notes painted an image of workers shortages: “This has been a results of various long run illness inside the crew coupled with different workers both leaving the council or shifting onto different posts inside the council. This has resulted in officers having to tackle further duties which has impacted on their case administration.”
The report added: “Recruitment has been ongoing and staffing ranges are slowly starting to extend and it's hoped that the crew will attain full capability by the beginning of the following quarter. Refresher coaching has been offered to the crew as a part of the development plan. As capability will increase inside the crew it is going to permit officers to refocus on their case administration and efficiency shifting ahead.”
On tackling homeless service prices, the Efficiency Report mentioned: “The elevated prices in property is a outcome of a better variety of candidates who require items storage, and who're then staying longer in short-term lodging.
“The spending on homeless service prices has dropped again beneath £200,000 within the first quarter of 2022/23.
“The service is contemplating the choice of offering unfurnished short-term lodging to scale back property and furnishings prices together with charging or eradicating college transport; nevertheless this can require a change in coverage and isn't more likely to be seen if accepted till 2022/23.”
In October final yr the Native Democracy Reporting Service reported West Lothian had the second highest variety of homeless shows in Scotland.
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