Inspectors swooped on a council housing department this week - but the exercise was more about testing their own methods than the council's services
The Audit Commission confirmed that the first of several 'field tests' for the new best value housing inspectorate was underway at Lincoln Council.

Several more test inspections are planned, although the other councils which will take part have not been finally decided.

Lincoln is thought to have been targeted because it is taking part in a Best Value pilot.

The inspection follows the results of Liverpool council's independent inspection by the Housing Quality Network.

Lincoln's director of housing and environmental health, John Bibby said: "This is not an inspection of Lincoln - they are simply field testing their methodologies. We hope to give some feedback to them and for us to get an indication of the weaknesses in services they might or might not reveal."

The test inspection is likely to take about a month, although Lincoln hopes to have some feedback by the start of August.

Liverpool has drawn up an improvement plan for its housing services after Housing Quality Network inspectors criticised its arrears and allocations services.

The network, which carried out the inspection in February in an expenses-only deal, acknowledged that significant improvements had already been made to the arrears procedures and changes were being considered for the allocations process. The inspectors also praised the council's homelessness services, its work on anti-social behaviour and the attitude of staff in area offices.

Housing director Mike Maunder said Liverpool had invited the independent inspectors because the council wanted "both an independent view of our strengths and weaknesses to find out what an inspection might be like".

An Audit Commission spokesman said the commission did not want to make any 'sweeping judgements' about the Liverpool inspection but would treat it as a "looking and learning" exercise.

Source

Housing Today