Why did you invest in RentSense

We were experiencing issues with arrears as they were rising and we had known about RentSense for a while. We spoke to other councils, including Rotherham. They showed us how easy it was from a user perspective. We also did some benchmarking with other users and saw how well they were performing, which was compelling. We wanted to focus on the right residents with the right support at the right time, and RentSense has enabled us to do this.

How did officers initially fare with RentSense?

At the beginning for some, it was a change in culture, and a new way of working, instead of using the reports from the Housing Management System. However, this was easy to overcome from a user acceptance point of view, as the system is so easy to use.

With Mobysoft’s support we further optimised the system to ensure the right priorities for Bristol and our needs.  And from a reporting point of view, it gives you all the information you need so a team leader can see how their team are performing.

How has the reporting in RentSense helped?

At an early stage we were able to see how different areas of the city were performing against others. Then go back to the team leaders to work out what they were doing to get a better return rate from the cases.

Whilst we have had the product in, we have reviewed all out processes and policies and how we work around rent collection. Having Rentsense allowed us to see how teams and officers performed, and it meant we had some reliable data to work on and improve things further.

What appealed about the Income Maximisation service from Mobysoft?

I had met the Nick – the Income Maximisation Director (IMD) previously, when he worked at Rotherham Council, and had seen their good performance and his knowledge firsthand. The insight from Mobysoft and Nick’s knowledge helped deliver a great service. It’s been a good working experience for us.

How did IMD work with you, and how did you decide on your objectives for the service?

Nick (the IMD) knew how to get the best out of RentSense system and had expertise on how to build a high performing team and embed it within a council. We worked together to use that expertise in a way that suited Bristol.

Nick met all the teams, the officers and team leaders. He was impartial, but knows the role well, so he was able to have in depth conversations with the team, about what they thought worked well and what needed to change.

This led to us putting a plan in place for the team with key objectives around collection, usage and arrears.

Were the officers involved with the Income Maximsation service and what were their thoughts and feedback on it?

The team leaders enjoyed the process, they were very receptive to his skills and knowledge, and having that external view, especially from his local authority experience. He offered them solutions and tips around best practice to which they were really receptive

How has the service helped Bristol City Council?

Would you recommend the service to other landlords?

Yes, I would. The product is good, its tried and tested and reliable and easy to use and there are on-going developments. The income maximisation service was a huge bonus as well. We are on a journey in terms of changing our approach and having that knowledge and expertise on hand to support the service and best practice has been great.