Arun’s six-figure spending on new IT system defended

The council’s current system is six years old and has been described as ‘no longer fit for purpose’ – an issue which become clear when many staff started working from home.

At a meeting of the full council on Wednesday (January 13), leader James Walsh said: “This is absolutely crucial for the successful running of our housing department, our housing revenue account and the services to tenants.

“Our current one is way out of date and needs to be replaced.”

The council’s current contract using the Aareon QL software system expires in November 2021.

The new system would be Cloud-based and include a self-service portal where people could report repairs, access rent statements, pay rent and pay any service charges.

But it won’t be cheap.

The meeting saw members approve £160,000 to buy the system, while another £240,000 will be transferred from the Housing Revenue Account budget to pay for the delivery of the project and a new four-year contract.

The £200,000 balance will be covered in the 2021/22 Housing Revenue Account budget.

There were concerns from some about the potential for job losses as the system becomes more automated.

This is something officers have repeatedly denied.

Chief executive Nigel Lynn said: “This whole system is being brought in to make things much more efficient in how we deal with things within the housing team.

“There are no intentions at this point to involve staff in those efficiencies.”