What was the reasoning for investing in RentSense?

We were working inefficiently, and it was not the best use of the officers’ time. When we go full-service we know that arrears will increase, and last year they had plateaued. To work efficiently and combat the threat of rising arrears (through UC) we had to do something different, and that was why we started looking at RentSense.

Early intervention was key for the Trust too, why was that?

By working on cases when arrears are at their minimum means we can try and help keep the tenants out of debt, and take a more supportive role. Being proactive minimises the levels of debt, rather than focusing on them when arrears are out of control

How well did the deployment and training go?

It went well. They (Mobysoft) took the time to explain how RentSense works and were quick to respond to any queries. They also explained why some cases are flagged and others not, so we all understood and trusted the system,

What were the initial results?

We wanted arrears as low as possible before full service Universal Credit is implemented. Within one month not only had our officers’ caseload been cut dramatically, but this enabled the team to lower arrears by £65,000. We were expecting to see the workload reduce, but not necessarily the arrears so quickly.

Have the team been able to manage their workload more effectively?

The team are getting through 100% of their cases now every week, before RentSense this was unheard of. There have been several knock-on effects from this too. Obviously, arrears have fallen, but the officers have commented they have more job satisfaction, as they know they are not wasting time but they can see the results of their work.

Have there been any other benefits too?

It has helped improve team morale, you can see that. What’s more with RentSense giving the team visibility of their patches has meant they help each other out with their workload, so if someone is out visiting or at court, the rest of the team work through their cases, they really work well together.

Now the team are more efficient, how they spending that additional time?

The team have been able to dedicate more time to home visits and it has also given them more capacity to deal with cases more thoroughly. So now all arrears’ letters at stage one and two have a supplementary phone, text and email, this is really helping drive down arrears.

Why is the early intervention beneficial?