Local Housing Strategies Guidance

Resourcing

This assessment criteria looked at the various funding sources identified by the LHS and how past spend influences future priorities identified in the LHS.  Future funding requirements should have been clearly set out, identifying potential sources, using a variety of resource planning assumptions.  Resources from partner agencies should have been identified and also related to LHS priorities    It should have been clear how resources were to be prioritised, but it should remain realistic.  A risk management strategy should have been in place to address any shortfalls.  Are there the skills in place in the council to take the LHS forward? 

Strengths

In general, those LHS which were assessed as having dealt with this criteria well have set out  current planned resources and programmes and have related them to LHS priorities.

Weaknesses

However, the issues which the assessment process identified as being weaker typically included LHS not being clear about how previous spend influences future priorities as identified in the LHS.  Often the full range of available resources were not considered and the action plan did not have a realistic assessment of funding and staff resources and potential or committed resources from other agencies were not identified.  Risk management was often not considered. 

Examples of Good Practice

Examples of good practice for how Resourcing was dealt with can be found in the following LHS.  For further information on these you should contact the Councils directly:

Western Isles

City of Edinburgh Council

Renfrewshire Council

The overall gradings achieved from the assessment of the Resourcing critical area were as follows: