Page 33 - Solving Housing Disputes

• social workers
• DWP officers, through pre-agreement (or legislation for a pilot)
capable of being directed by the lead HDS officer on a dispute to
conduct an expedited initial assessment or mandatory review of a
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claimant’s benefit entitlement and effect any changes needed
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• appropriate ADR expertise and
• FTT (PC) or District Judges.

2.37 Phase 1 piloting should be subject to scrutiny and oversight by the HDEG
(explored below). The HDEG should convene regularly over Phase 1, and be
provided with regular updates on progress by HDS officers, local advice
providers, the local judiciary and academics evaluating the HDS pilot.

2.38 Subject to the HDEG and actors identified at paragraph 2.34 being satisfied
with the Phase 1 outcomes and evaluative measures, Phase 2 would add
additional categories of disputes to the HDS and resources to the pilot, again,
governed by dispute type and volume.

• Phase 2: new dispute types introduced here could include local authority
homelessness reviews and mortgage possession claims. It may be possible
to trial wider, multi-disciplinary issues such as anti-social behaviour
(otherwise than as a ground for possession, which will be within the ambit
of Phase 1) or harassment and illegal eviction. Additional skills, such as
debt and financial advisors, could be added to the HDS cadre at this stage.
Increasing the range of disputes at Phase 2 would provide for a broader
evidence base to assess the service for efficacy and capacity, including
whether certain disputes prove more amenable to the HDS model.

• Phase 3: subject to positive evaluative outcomes and satisfaction amongst
local actors and the HDEG, more disputes again could be introduced.
There would be a need to expand the resourcing of the HDS at this stage
to meet the influx of new types of matters. The number of pilot sites might
be expanded.

71 They would also provide direct advice on benefits where appropriate.

72 This will need to be selected with care as some forms of ADR - e.g. classic “hands off” mediation -
will not be suitable for the HDS and may even impact adversely on the development of its culture as
described in this chapter.
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