Tower Hamlets Council is implementing a new Housing Management Data Strategy to improve data quality, governance, and analytics across its housing services. The strategy aims to address data quality issues identified during an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). According to the Approval of the Housing Management Services new Data Management Strategy, the RSH prioritised the development and implementation of the strategy following the inspection process.
The strategy, discussed at the Housing Management (Cabinet) Sub-Committee meeting on Wednesday, aims to create a unified data ecosystem that empowers staff, improves decision-making, and ensures regulatory compliance, ultimately enhancing resident outcomes. The strategy also aims to improve transparency with residents about how their data is used and managed, and to strengthen the council's approach to data management.
The strategy's key principles focus on:
- People (empowerment through data literacy)
- Processes (standardized data workflows)
- Systems (robust core dataset)
- Governance (clear accountability)
- Analytics (actionable insights)
Progress will be tracked using data quality dashboards and audits. Success will be indicated by accurate, accessible data that supports service delivery, reduces resident data issues, and fosters staff data confidence, according to Section 6 of the Approval of the Housing Management Services new Data Management Strategy.
According to the report pack, residents have had the opportunity to scrutinise the draft strategy and give detailed feedback both through the council's online Let's Talk survey platform, and through the Tenants' Voice resident scrutiny panel.
The report pack recommended that the Mayor in Housing Management Cabinet Sub-Committee approve the Housing Management Data Strategy. The meeting minutes confirm that the recommendation was approved.
According to the report pack, the strategy supports the leveraging of existing and new technologies, which will be governed by the Housing & IT Steering Group, and aligns with tenant engagement strategies to ensure transparency and co-production in line with the regulatory framework for social housing. The Housing & IT Steering Group will also ensure that the Data Management Framework encompasses compliance with legal standards and adaptability to emerging requirements, particularly those from the Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing.
