Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to some questions we are frequently asked about the West Midlands Kick Start Partnership. If you would like any further information about the Partnership or you would like to become a member please contact us.

How do I join?

Complete the Self Assessment Questionnaire and send it to Lesa Kingham. The questionnaire covers policy and delivery arrangements as well as readiness to integrate loan based housing assistance into your portfolio of services. When we have received the questionnaire we will arrange to visit you to talk through how you can become a partner and to develop a draft action plan.

How is the Partnership going to support new Local Authorities when they join the Partnership?

When the time is right to become a fully fledged member of the Partnership, induction training for new Local Authorities and their Delivery Agents will be held. The Toolkit on this website will also be an essential point of reference for new partners.

What can the Partnership offer my Local Authority?

We can offer you access to private funds, tried and tested methods of delivering loan based housing assistance, networking opportunities and ongoing support to set up and deliver your programme. By working with us, you will be able to obtain better value for money and expand your programme's potential.

Do loans really work?

Yes. For some homeowners who don't have the option of accessing traditional high street funding or grants, loans offer an affordable and alternative way to make home improvements or fund relocation. The 'Kick Start' approach reflects Best Practice recommended by Home Improvement Agencies and Foundations, and offers support right from the start of the enquiry through to completing the loan and project managing the works on site.

It's important to remember that loans cannot be delivered in isolation. Support services, such as benefit checks or access to charitable funds, can complement loan based housing assistance ensuring that all options are explored before the homeowner is identified as being eligible for a loan. Services including the Caseworker approach used by Home Improvement Agencies and the Partnership's Financial Advice Service are also essential in helping explain the full range of options to homeowners.

My Local Authority has a team that issues grants. Will they now have to issue loans instead?

This depends on the approach your Local Authority wants to take when delivering the service. The Partnership promotes the use of the local Home Improvement Agency to deliver loans as part of a wider home assistance service. However the service is provided it is essential that staff understand that providing loan based housing assistance is very different from operating grant based finance options. A customer focused approach is vital, given that support is being provided to help homeowners spend their own funds. Training will be needed to ensure that Caseworker services are confident in advising the homeowner about the new approach and what is likely to be offered.

Is there still a role for grants?

Yes. Depending on your Local Authority's access to funding for grants, they can be used to provide incentives for people to use the housing services financed by loan products. They can also help the organisation and homeowners manage the transition from grants to loans. See the section on Developing a Policy for more information.

Why can't I do it on my own? Why do I have to join the Partnership?

The Partnership has been endorsed by CLG as a model of good practice, both in terms of developing the use of the RRO and demonstrating value for money by tackling this agenda collectively as a region. The cost of setting up this type of programme individually has been proven by our Pilot Programme to be much greater than working in a partnership.

The benefit of joining the Partnership is that you will have access to a ready made range of support services and networks, including evidence and advice about what works and what doesn't when delivering loan based housing assistance services .

I've been advised that I will not be able to join the Partnership until 2010/11 but I want to join sooner - what can I do?

The Partnership is committed to bringing in new members as soon as they are ready to join. If you follow the joining process and are ready to operate a local scheme your programme will be included within the Partnership's Annual Delivery Plan at the earliest possible time. This will provide you with access to the Partnership's funds, membership of the Operational Board and Technical Steering Group. As part of this process you will required to sign up to a back-to-back contract with Birmingham City Council, the Partnership's Accountable Body.

My Local Authority allocation is less than I had hoped and we can deliver more. Can the Partnership help with this?

The rules of the Partnership are that once funds have been allocated to support the Local Authorities delivery plans they are available for spend in that financial year. If Local Authorities cannot spend their allocations the funds are pooled and re-allocated to projects or Local Authorities that do have capacity and need.

The monitoring reports provided to the Operational Board review and project spend across the financial year. If there is capacity to support extra spend in local programmes the Programme Team will build this into the delivery plan using the quarterly reviews with Local Authorities.

My Local Authority is in a rural region. How is the Partnership going to support us?

The Partnership accepts that there will be different implications for rural Local Authorities in delivering loan based housing assistance. In developing your action plan we will explore the ways this might be different and see how we can best support you in terms of your individual needs.

My Elected Members are sceptical of loans. What can I do to convince them this is a good idea?

There has been some negative publicity recently with regards to equity release products and there are concerns about the gradual reduction of grants, but it is essential to explain the merits of adopting a loan based housing assistance approach. The most important thing to do is to talk to your Elected Members to alleviate concerns and to involve them in the development of your policy. The section on why use loans can help with this alongside, a sample presentation which outlines the advantages of adopting a loan based housing assistance approach.