Arun to spend six-figure sum on new housing management IT system

The council’s current system is six years old and was described at a meeting of the cabinet as ‘no longer fit for purpose’ – an issue which had become clear with so many staff working from home.

A report to the meeting on Tuesday (October 20) said: “The unprecedented demand for homeworking during the pandemic has highlighted that the current system does not offer the reliable remote accessibility required to meet the business needs of the housing service.”

The council’s current contract using the Aareon QL software system expires in November 2021 and members were keen to move on to something more suitable.

Satnam Kaur, group head of residential services, told the meeting the new system would be Cloud-based and include a self-service portal where people could report repairs, access rent statements, pay rent and pay any service charges.

It was agreed to transfer £240,000 from the Housing Revenue Account budget to pay for the delivery of the project and a new four-year contract.

Approval for a further £160,000 to buy the system is expected to be approved by the full council at a later date.

Another £200,000 will be included in the Housing Revenue Account budget in 2021/22.

There were concerns from Conservative councillors about the potential loss of jobs as the system became more automated – something officers repeatedly denied.

Philippa Dart, director of services, said there was ‘always the need to keep staff numbers under review’ but added: “This isn’t about cutting staff. This is about improving service, about getting a new system in place.”