Issue details

An important decision needs to be taken agreeing to the creation of a Direct Labour Organisation (“DLO”), allowing Council’s employees to undertake communal repairs in the community and carry out tailored property adaptations for some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents in need of additional support and care.

Creating the DLO from scratch will offer residents efficiently managed services, which are financially viable and promote the use of digital systems to track and monitor services being delivered by the DLO.

Reaching this decision to create a bespoke internalisation and delivery of communal repairs and adaptations was in direct response to listening to residents’ feedback as well as members’ throughout.
Our ability to proceed with the structural setting up of the DLO in terms of:
- Mobilisation
- Recruitment drive of competent staff (and apprenticeships)
- Absorption of Housing Services’ technical property adaptation function into the DLO
- Lease necessary hybrid/electric vehicles and partner with digitally advanced builders’ merchant and procure necessary dynamic ICT and resource management infrastructure

All the above key activity points depend upon approval of this Forward Plan decision. The decision needs to be taken by October 2020 to allow orderings and recruitment to commence.
A go-live date for the DLO is January 2021.