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The current IT Database for Housing Demand
provided by CDP Soft limited, allows the Councils Specialist
Support team, who are part of Housing Demand and our key external
providers of supported housing and floating support, to record
assessments of those referred
as vulnerable to assist them with housing and support needs.

This IT system allows 3rd party providers to inform us of voids, so
that we may refer our homeless clients for consideration quicker.
Thus, reducing accommodation costs to the council and reduces void
times to the provider.

The CDP Soft System was initially procured in 2008 and the 1yr
extension expires on 31st May 2023.

The need for continuity of access to the system whilst we integrate
over to our new service providers is paramount to ensure the
officers can assess, record and place residents as and when needed.
Should the contract not be extended we will no longer have access
to the clients’ records which will delay placements and
support that is vitally required to the most
vulnerable cohort of homeless clients. We would have no choice but
to go back to a paper file system which is both inefficient and
expensive and goes against the Councils will move toward a
paperless office environment.

The work required from the Specialist Support Team is very
different to that of the housing management or homeless service
therefore a system that is property and person specific is highly
required especially for the service providers who are commissioned
by the council to provide supported housing and floating support
services for vulnerable client groups including mental health,
substance misuse, rough sleepers, ex-offenders, and young
people.

CDP Soft are willing to continue the current arrangements for
another 8 months to assist with this at a cost of
£16,424.82.

It is important to note that there are only a few IT providers who
can provide the assessment based system that allows us to obtain
and record applicants in the way that CDP Soft system currently
does.
The Housing Demand Team us currently undertaking a Request for
Quotes (RFQ) process to identify a new provider, and subject to
governance a winning bid has been identified.

However, it is likely to take up to 8 months to finalise the award
of contract, sign the new software licence, migrate the software
and train staff to use the new system.