Each month we select good practice by social landlords in how their websites are designed and used, looking at specific issues, such as information giving and on-line services for tenants and other service users.
This website is easy to navigate, but only when you get used to it. For those who do not use the web, as part of their everyday life, Luton's website is a little daunting. The main problem is the link system – when you click on a primary link you are often taken to what appears to be a blank page – as you need to get accustomed to clicking on the secondary link at the top of the page.
Having had a little opening moan, we found the site to be a good example of information giving. The logic of it has been carefully thought through and the information provided meets all needs. The housing section is divided into stages – the first allowing a choice of main subject area, such as council housing, private sector, associations and co-operatives, etc. Even at this stage, the site illustrates its information value, as there is a comprehensive list of primary choices.
Each choice in the first stage links to a second agenda, allowing access to specific areas of information. Again, we were impressed with the comprehensive agenda, which covers most issues we could think of. It even covered some we hadn't thought of; for example, there is a useful advice section on home insurance.
This is a website primarily developed to provide information, and, as such, it has much to offer.
The Council's website home page provides a quick link to on-line repair reporting, which is based on mouse-over diagram clicking, and on-line rent payment, which requires a credit or debit card. Both services are easy to access and use.
Accessing other housing information is via the A-Z of services link. Once in the section, there is a straightforward selection process to get further information on a range of issues. We liked the graphics in the selection index, which used pieces of jigsaw for the subject areas.
There is a hyperlink to current and past editions of Housing Matters, the in-house journal for tenants. These host a wide range of articles of interest to tenants and the ones we looked at provided good reading.
There is a particularly useful section on Health & Safety, which provides advice on common risk factors, such as fire, gas, carbon monoxide, asbestos, condensation, noise nuisance, and DIY activities.
The Repairs & Maintenance section is also worth a visit, as it is a good example of a clear explanation of the respective landlord and tenant repairing and maintenance responsibilities.
