BEST VALUE REVIEW
Internal Issues
REPORT RECOMMENDATION	ACTIONS	BY WHEN	OUTCOME	PROGRESS
			Effectiveness  will be measured by on-going staff questionnaire
Address the Sickness issue	Raise awareness, develop procedures, monitor progress	Jun-04	Reduced sickness levels	Completed
	Look at long-term sickness on individual basis	Jun-04	Consistent approach for all cases	Ongoing
	Apply return to work procedures	Mar-04		Already in place
	Investigate stress audit	Sep-04	Identify areas that may be causing stree	First stage completed Sept 04
Flexi-system	Apply the corporate rules uniformly	Mar-04		Completed
Training	Communicate Jenny's role			Completed
	Individual training issues. Collate days training + evaluation + managment checks	Jun-04 + ongoing	Less errors and less complaints	Completed
What info can be shared with other sections / organisations	Remind staff	Jul-04	All staff aware of the requirments	Ongoing
Internal communications	Fixed dates for team meetings & PDP's	Apr-04	Monthly meetings with regular agenda items	Completed
	Continue with e-mail updates	Ongoing	Number Sent	Ongoing
	Away day	Two half days annually	Staff input into service planning	Ongoing
	Ongoing consultation & staff involvement	Ongoing	Staff input into service planning	Ongoing
Working relationships	Develop a more open & honest atmosphere	Ongoing	Staff to share any concerns with managers	Ongoing
Personnel rep for Sandown	Allocate Avril as the personnel rep	Already in place		Completed
Closer working with other IWC sections	Improved procedures with customer accounts & homeless sections	Apr-04	Procedures written and circulated	Completed
	Training	Apr-04 + ongoing	Regular training for staff where required	Training plan agreed and monitored
	Role of other forums	Jul-04		Completed
	Sharing information - limited opportunities due to legislation	Sep-04	Information shared where permitted	Ongoing
Changing workloads	Restructure	Apr-04		Completed
	Assess the use of temps	Apr-04		Completed
Changing workloads	Home working - consider options	Possible bid date to be set	Budget issues	Ongoing investigation
	Home working - staff awareness/consultation	Possible bid date to be set	Budget issues	Ongoing investigation
	Consider Benefits staff working in C Tax	Oct-04	Joint working between teams	Draft plan being prepared
	Assess the impact of data matching & loss of renewals	01-Mar		Completed
	Assess the possible impact of the Pathfinders project(no payments to landlords etc)	Likley to be a requirement from 1 April 2006	Agreed plan for implementation	Updates from current sites to identify issues
Issues raised during the review, but not acted on
Too many forms of id required	Must have a national Insurance No. but not seen as a major issue
Take support workers evidence of proof of identity etc	Not possible, but can do more training
HA tenants have to provide proof of rent + amount of Ctax	Not true for council tax - an awareness issue
Cross-check info with library cards / WL cards etc	No saving as Benefits would still need the basic evidence
Develop staff specialisms (young, old , hard of hearing)	Difficult to organise & better to be generalists
Named member of staff for an individual claimant	Not practical  - would inhibit quality service
Single help point for all Benefits	A long-term aim, but not feasible with current resources
Fast track for genuine eviction cases	Very few of them, and felt that new prioritisation processes make it unnecessary
Develop SLA with IT Section	Will not meet requirements due to lack of penalties for non-action