Agenda and minutes

The Chair explained that the Committee needed to appoint a Vice-Chair for the meeting and invited nominations.

Councillor Butcher proposed that Councillor Long should act as Vice-Chair for the meeting, which was seconded by Councillor Bicknell.

Following a vote, this was declared CARRIED, and it was confirmed that Councillor Long would act as Vice-Chair for the meeting.

            The Chair drew attention to the volume of reports on this evening’s agenda and asked members to consider how much there was to get through in their contributions.

            He informed the Committee that Agenda Item 15 – Rough Sleepers Initiative Update, would be taken after Agenda Item 8.

Apologies were received from Councillor Birch who was substituted by Councillor Penycate, Councillor Wiltshire who was substituted by Councillor May, Councillor Batley and Councillor Pendleton.

Members and Officers are invited to make any declaration of pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial interests that they may have in relation to items on this agenda, and are reminded that they should re-declare their interest before consideration of the items or as soon as the interest becomes apparent.

Members and Officers should make their declaration by stating:

a)             the item they have the interest in

b)             whether it is a pecuniary/personal interest and/or prejudicial interest

c)             the nature of the interest

Councillor Cooper declared a personal interest in respect of agenda item 7 as a member of West Sussex County Council.

The Committee will be asked to approve as a correct record the minutes of the Housing and Wellbeing Services Committee held on 26 March 2024.

The minutes of the Housing and Wellbeing Committee held on 26 March 2024 were approved and signed by the Chair.

There were no urgent items.

To receive questions from the public (for a period of up to 15 minutes).

There were no public questions.

The Committee is asked to approve its start times for meetings during 2024/25.

It was proposed and seconded by the Chair and seconded by Councillor Bicknell that the start time for the remaining meetings of the Housing and Wellbeing Committee for 2024-2025 be 6.00pm.

            The Committee

RESOLVED

That the start time for meetings of the Committee for 2024-2025 would be 6.00pm.

The draft Housing Strategy 2024-2029 sets out the Council’s vision for housing which is for Arun’s residents to have access to the right homes in the right places which enable them to live a fulfilling life and contribute to the future growth and sustainability of the district.

Councillor Cooper redeclared her interest in this item as a member of West Sussex County Council.

The Chair informed members that an amended report had been emailed to members earlier in the day and hard copies had also been provided at the meeting.  The Committee confirmed that they had read the amended report.

A member said that it would be helpful to have included the track changes made to the amended reported for comparison.

The Group Head Housing, Wellbeing and Communities was invited by the Chair to introduce the report. The amended report did not contain any substantive changes and the amended recommendation stated consultation on the draft Housing Strategy will now take place after the general election.  Although he was the report author, recognition should be given to the Business Improvement Manager for her work to project and contract manage the review, and for her support provided to Campbell Tickell.

The Group Head Housing, Wellbeing and Communities then introduced John McHugh from Campbell Tickell to present the report.

John McHugh, Senior Consultant provided members with the background to the Strategy review, whilst it was not a statutory requirement for the Council to have a Strategy, it was considered best practice to positively shape the District’s housing requirements, to make stakeholders aware of the Council’s priorities and engage with local residents.  The Strategy covered all housing tenures and was not exclusive to council homes.  Campbell Tickell had developed a new five-year housing strategy and underlying evidence base.  Significant trends were shaping the housing market, including decreasing affordability of homes, growth of the private rented sector and inefficient energy performance of a number of homes, further evidence was provided in the report appendix.  The Strategy considered Government policies and legislation, including the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023.  Discussions had taken place with a wide range of stakeholders, details  were set out in the report appendix.  The draft Strategy was developed in response to the strategic context, underlying evidence base and messages heard during stakeholder engagement.  It set out a vision for Arun’s residents to have access to the right homes in the right places, enabling them to have fulfilling lives and contribute to the District’s future growth and sustainability. It was underpinned by five strategic priorities, accompanied priority actions and a local case study reflecting best practice, as well as a series of KPIs.  Campbell Tickell recommended that a Strategy update report should be presented to the Committee annually.  Consultation would take place as widely as possible, after the General Election and the results reported to the next Committee meeting on 10 September 2024.

The recommendation, as amended by officers, was proposed by Councillor Bicknell and seconded by Councillor Yeates.

The Chair invited questions and comments from members.  The Group Head of Housing, Communities and Wellbeing responded to a question regarding paragraphs 9.15 and 4.1 of the Strategy concerning housing for older people and how the Council might meet the projected increase in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029 sets out the Council’s vision for addressing homelessness which is that Homelessness in Arun should be prevented wherever possible, and when it cannot be prevented it should be rare, brief and non-recurrent.

The Chair invited the Housing Options Manager to introduce the report to members.  The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was a statutory document that the Council was required to review at least every five years. 

The Housing Options Manager then introduced Liz Zacharias from Campbell Tickell to present the report seeking approval to go out for public consultation after the general election.

Liz Zacharias, Director set out the background to the drafting of the Strategy.  The “H-CLIC” data the Council was required to submit to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities had been looked at to identify trends in the homeless and rough sleeping data.  Before developing a Strategy the Council was required to develop a Homelessness review to form the evidence base for the Strategy. Consultations had taken place with the Council’s officers, West Sussex County Council, mental health services and voluntary sectors, and discussions held with those with experience of homelessness and rough sleeping. The Strategy set out a vision that homelessness in Arun should be prevented wherever possible, and when it cannot be prevented it should be rare, brief and non-recurrent with the aim of long-term sustainable housing solutions.  Each of the three themes, set out at paragraphs 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7 of the Strategy had a number of actions.  Family mediation was being recommended, particularly for young people, as well as closer work with the Probation Services and the leaving Care teams. Other landlords should be encouraged to review how they deal with their tenants surrounding threats of homelessness. The Council was encouraged to use the data it held for its tenant and that of the wider data it held to identify households that might be at risk of eviction. The Council should build on the excellent work to work with the private rented sector surrounding prevention.  In terms of developing permanent solutions, some of these aligned with the Housing Strategy and the need for larger family homes and more social rented homes.  Ensuring that the Allocations Policy prioritised homeless households and to investigate the use of a private sector leasing scheme to explore more cost-effective solutions. Referring to the Supported Housing Oversight Act 2023, further guidance from the Government was awaited. If it comes into force  the Council will need to respond to a number of requirements, including licensing and the quality of the accommodation and rent charges.  Officers were already working in partnership with other partners, including West Sussex County Council.  A further aim was to strengthen the Council’s relationship with the private rented sector and social landlords.  The Action Plan set out the Strategy’s priorities for the next five years.  Following the consultation the Strategy will be brought to the next Committee meeting on 10 September 2024 for approval. 

The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Yeates and seconded by Councillor Bicknell.

The Chair proposed that the recommendation be amended to add “…(commencing after the Geneal Election)” and was seconded by Councillor Yeates.  He advised that he was in agreement to further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

The Committee will receive a presentation on the Rough Sleepers Initiative from Kirsty Bristow, Homelessness Pathways and Partnerships Coordinator.

The Homelessness Pathways and Partnerships Coordinator was invited by the Chair to provide a PowerPoint presentation to members that provided an update on the Rough Sleepers Initiative, the projects that it had funded and the funding provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.   The presentation covered the following topics:

-     Purpose and Overview: A three year project to reduce rough sleeping in Arun and to support the prevention of repeat and long-term homelessness.

-     Funding 2022-2025: Homelessness has increased countrywide.  It was unknown if additional funding will be available after 31 March 2025.

-     Financial Summary of RSI 2023-2024:  Details were provided of the annual grant verses spend 2023-2024 and how the over-spend was met 2023-2024.

-     Outcomes, Stats and Data 23/24: Overview of how some of the funding had been spent.  Some of which had resulted in some significant outcomes and achievements.  The impact that the funding has already had in Arun on many individuals who would not have received support if the funding did not exist.

-     Challenges: Whilst there had been a number of achievements their had also been some challenges and failures, which the Rough Sleepers Initiative Team were addressing.

-     Reporting Concerns for a rough sleeper: The Team worked closely with colleagues and external partners to support those who need assistance. It should be noted that not all issues could be resolved quickly and not individuals facing challenges were ready to accept help.

The Chair invited questions and comments from members.  The Homelessness Pathways and Partnerships Coordinator was thanked for all the work carried out to support the homeless and for the swift intervention provided even if some did not want the help offered.  Details were requested of the number of local authorities providing accommodation outside of their area and placing them in the Arun District, which was of concern.   In response to a question regarding the client contributions, she explained that the Council’s biggest financial income received from making a claim for housing benefits, when placing clients in emergency accommodation.  The Council did not always receive income from clients placed in short term accommodation not eligible for benefits and it was explained that officers worked with them to reduce repeat requests for accommodation to make them aware of their own responsibilities.  Details were provided of the work officers carried out to increase the contributions clients made, although not a requirement of the funding, including for service charges and towards the support provided to provide longer term accommodation.  It would not be known until after the General Election if funding beyond 31 March 2025 would be available from the Department of Levelling up Housing and Communities.  The average client age was middle aged and she agreed to provide further details of any trends.  Members commented on the difficulties providing support for clients with mental health problems.  The Homelessness Pathways and Partnerships Coordinator advised that the Council had access to a range of mental health services, but their rigidity did not work well  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

This report shares with members the outcome of our self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.

The Chair invited the Business Improvement Manager to present the report to members, which set out the Housing Services self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code and the Council’s annual performance and improvement.  It was anticipated that extensions would be compliant by the end of July 2024.  Performance had improved throughout the year and changes were made during Quarter 1 to the process. 

The Chair read the response prepared by, Councillor Birch, the member responsible for complaints to be published alongside the assessment and report:

“Having been asked to accept the role of Member Responsible for Complaints I have met with Arun’s Business Improvement Manager for Housing, Sasha Hawkins to review the self-assessment for the Housing Ombudsman. Arun has made improvements in how they respond to housing complaints. There is now a clear process that is monitored with ongoing improvements implemented when needed. There is a developing culture of recognition of a complaint, evaluation of the complaint and learning from the complaint to improve deliverance of services. Ongoing, we will meet on a bi-monthly basis to review complaints to ensure that the processes are working and that lessons are learnt. Reports on the complaints process performance are also brought to the Housing and Wellbeing Committee for scrutiny”.

  The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Yeates and seconded by Councillor Bicknell.

  The Chair invited questions and comments from members.  Responding to a question about the expectation that the new Maintenance Team will reduce the number of complaints, the Business Improvement Manager advised that the complaints generally formed most of the repairs service received and that this was usual as repairs accounted for the significant majority of transactions with tenants.  Following the return of the in-house Housing Maintenance team the number of complaints received was reducing, as a result of the changes made.

          The following amendments were suggested to the report:

-  Paragraph 4.3.5: Re-phrase as the statement for fully upheld should sound less positive.  Include partially upheld cases as well.   Should reference be made to the Pie Chart on page 317, paragraph 3.7?

-  Page 311:  Include last year’s comparative monthly figures to make the chart more meaningful.

The Business Improvement Manager advised that it was not the intention to frame the 60% upheld as a positive and confirmed that officers were aware there was further work to do.  Will pull out key parts of the report, which still required some more work, and will include partially upheld cases for that period as well.  Responding to a further question asking if information was collected relating to officer time for each case, she explained that she would not feel confident in the accuracy of the information, as some was simple to collect and some was more complex.  The more complaints received the more their investigation took officers away from their usual daily duties and agreed she would give the request more thought outside of the meeting. 

The improvements made to date were noted by members and the corner that had been turned  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

To update Members on the completion of the Local Authority Housing Fund (2) Project as agreed by committee on the 12 September 2023. To inform the Housing and Wellbeing Committee of the successful completion of the purchase of Three, 3- bedroom houses and four, 2-bedroom Houses, together with 3 ancillary car ports, at Old Barn Gardens, The Mews, Paddock View Yapton, West Sussex.

The Housing Options Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report.  Members were provided with an update on the Local Authority Housing Fund (2) project for the purchase of three 3 bedroom houses for homeless households and four 2 bedroom houses for Afghan families under the resettlement scheme at Old Barn Gardens, The Mews, Paddock View, Yapton.  Following the completion of the project all the properties were occupied.   

The Chair invited members to make comment or ask any questions.  The Housing Options Manager confirmed that the additional funding received was due to the availability of funding not spent by other local authorities.  This funding had enabled the Council to provide a further three Temporary Accommodation units and one Afghan Resettlement Scheme.   During July 2024 the Council would complete the purchase the additional units. 

  The Committee welcomed the progress being made and noted the report.

This report sets out the ten-performance metrics to be submitted to the Regulator of Social Housing by 30 June 2024.

The Business Improvement Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report to members.  The Tenant Satisfaction Measures 2023-2024 were an annual requirement.  The results of the 12 perception measures had been reported to the Committee earlier during the year, carried out by survey.  The report before members set out  the 10 remaining measures sourced from the Housing Management systems.  Performance remained high in compliance  and the complaints measures reflected the improvements made. The results of the next round of surveys, currently underway and for which the satisfaction measures were expected to increase, would be reported to the next Committee meeting. The 22 tenant satisfaction measures would be submitted to the Regulator of Social Housing by  30 June 2024 to ensure compliance with transparency, influence and accountability standards.  The remaining 10 measures would be published on the Council’s website the following day.

The Chair invited questions and comments from members.  In response to a request for details of comparisons with other local authorities, the Business Improvement Manager agreed to provide the Committee with the benchmarking performance once it was released by the Regulator.  A member asked a question about mould issues.  The Business Improvement Manager replied that mould came under different legislation with elements included elsewhere.

The Committee:

2.1.1     Noted the ten-performance metrics.

2.1.2     Noted the actions being taken to improve satisfaction.

2.1.3  Commented on the metrics and discuss any further suggestions for improving these.

The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities expects housing providers to separate service charges from housing rents in order to ensure that charges for such services are transparent and fair. This process is known as de-pooling.

The Business Improvement Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report to members. The Department for Levelling up Housing Communities expected housing providers to separate service charges from housing rents to ensure the charges were transparent and fair, known as de-pooling.  The adoption of a Service Charge Policy and the project to separate charges would ensure the Council aligned to best practice across the sector. The timeline for their implementation was from the beginning of the 2025-26 financial year, to tie in with the end of year processing and would allow for full consultation on the proposals.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Cooper and seconded by Councillor Bicknell.

The Chair invited members to make comment or ask questions.  A member asked if the de-pooling charges could be introduced incrementally and suggested that tenants pay 50% of the charge for the first year and the full charge thereafter.  The Business Improvement Manager replied that this had been given some thought but due to the complex nature in introducing the changes and the need for consultation it would not be the best method to introduce to tenants.  The Council would continue to see a reduction in income from the service charges. 74% of tenants would not be impacted as they were in receipt of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit which would cover the increased charges.  Anyone who has exercised their right to buy as a leaseholder would be subject to the same charges.  A member asked if any tenants were unhappy with the standard of communal cleaning could they arrange for a different cleaning company to take over? In terms of the cleaning of blocks of flats, residents will be able to hold the Council’s performance to account, as they will be paying for those services.  The Council hoped to introduce better contract management.  The Right to Manage allowed a tenant association to take over the management of certain services.   

  The Committee

   RESOLVED

2.1.1  To approve the adoption of the Service Charge Policy

2.1.2  To approve the commencement of the project to de-pool charges with an effective date of April 2025

2.1.3  To approve for the purpose of de-pooling that the current rent levels are retained, which will be subject to the annual rent-setting policy.

2.1.4 To give delegated authority to the Group Head of Housing, Wellbeing and Communities to make minor changes to the policy and any amendments necessary to reflect the legislative and regulatory changes.

The purpose of this report is to present the case for adopting a Damp and Mould Policy for Arun District Council's housing stock.

The Repairs & Maintenance Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report, that sought approval for a new Damp and Mould Policy, to members.  He referred to legislation introduced during April 2024 requiring such a Policy.  The Policy set out the preventative measures the Council would use to investigate and treat damp and mould problems.    Properties with damp or mould would be monitored on a regular basis.  The legislation required properties to be monitored  over a six month period once the issues had been resolved. 

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Bicknell and seconded by Councillor Long.

        The Chair invited questions and comments from members.  Concern was raised of the number of older Council properties that were more likely to have mould issues.  Will damp and mould be addressed during the retrofitting of these older properties?   The Repairs & Maintenance Manager explained that damp and mould sensors would be fitted to the smoke detectors already in place.  They had an App that tenants could use to monitor and by officers centrally.  A member suggested including advice on the steps tenants can make to reduce damp and mould in their properties.  The Group Head of Housing advised that it was not the intention of officers to include in the Policy due to a national steer not to look at life style as being the cause of damp and mould.  However, advice was provided to tenants in terms of how they can support the Council when treating damp and mould to ensure it does not return.  A member asked if tenants would receive a copy of the Policy?  The Policy would be used by officers when providing the damp and mould service and published on the Council’s website for tenants to view.  Officers would see if there were any potential changes that could be made to the tone of the Policy.

The Committee

                RESOLVED

2.2   To approve the adaptation of the proposed Damp and Mould Policy for implementation within Arun District Council's housing stock, and

2.3   To give delegated authority to the Group Head of Housing, Wellbeing and Communities to make minor changes to the policy and any amendments necessary to reflect any operational, legislative, and regulatory changes.

The purpose of this report is to present a case for adopting a comprehensive Voids Policy for Arun District Council's housing stock.

          The Neighbourhood Services Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report.  The purpose of the Voids Policy was to set out clearly how the Council will manage empty properties, with the aim of keeping the time as short as possible so as to reduce rent loss.  The Policy gave transparency to residents moving in to premises and set out what they should expect, as well as information regarding (long-term) maintenance during their tenancy.

          The recommendation was proposed by Councillor May and Councillor Yeates.

          The Chair then invited questions from members.  A member asked if the Policy replaced the Council’s Voids Lettable Standard Council Housing Stock and Temporary Accommodation Policy.  The Neighbourhood Services Manager explained that appendix 2 of the Voids Policy set out the Council’s lettable standards for all the Council’s stock.  It was more than a lettable standard for the properties, as it also set out how the process would be managed internally by officers.  The Group Head of Housing, Wellbeing and Communities referred to the list of housing policies for review during 2024, that the Committee considered at its last meeting.  That report had set out the work carried out by officers to develop a framework of current, out of date, new and not needed policies.   He would need to clarify but thought that this Policy was a straight forward review, update and refresh on the basis that the previous Policy which was not working.

The following amendments to the Policy was suggested:

-       Page 427, Floors and Stairs, bullet point a): change the wording from “With your agreement the previous tenants’…” to read “With your agreement the previous tenants’…”.  The Group Head of Housing agreed to amend the text accordingly.

-       Re-name the Policy “Voids Management Policy”.

-       Page 418, paragraph 5.5.1: Provide explanation of who, such as an executor, is required to give written notice.

Responding to a further question, the Neighbourhood Services Manager replied the aim was to carry out a pre-void inspection with the agreement of the tenant, to gain a clear understanding of the property’s condition and to advise the tenant of their responsibilities.  If this visit was not possible before vacation of the property, a visit by dedicated staff would take place as soon as possible. 

          The Committee

                     RESOLVED

2.1  To approve the adoption of the proposed Voids Policy for   implementation within Arun District Council's housing stock, and

2.2  Give delegated authority to the Group Head of Housing, Wellbeing and Communities to make minor changes to the policy and any amendments necessary to reflect any operational, legislative and regulatory changes.

Councillor Long informed the Committee that she would provide an update report on the outcome of the HASC meeting, due to take place the following, day to the next meeting.

The Committee is required to note the Work Programme for 2024/25.

Members discussed items they would like added to the work programme as follows:

-       Stonepillow attendance: Invitation to Stonepillow to attend a meeting to talk about how they managed during the previous winter and the issues they face regarding homelessness – The Group Head of Housing, Wellbeing and Communities advised that the Rough Sleepers update the Committee had received during this meeting had followed from a previous suggestion by members to invite both Stonepillow and Turning Tides to a future meeting.  Following discussion with both organisations it was agreed that the best approach was to provide members with a presentation to showcase their work.  It may be appropriate to consider inviting the organisations during the winter months, but members should note that there were a large number of items already on the work programme.  Members wished that their acknowledgement of the good work being carried out by those organisations to be passed on to them and asked to receive feedback from them on the issues they were facing.

-       Local Community Networks: Request for an update to be reported to the next meeting following its meeting held on 21 May 2024.

-       The Group Head of Housing confirmed that a number of reports would be considered at the next meeting.  A view will be taken to be mindful of both member and officer time whilst moving at pace.  It was important that members were aware of the work taking place and could contribute to that work.  Reports to the next meeting include:

·       Pets Policy

·       Housing Strategy 2024-2027 following consultation

·       Implementation of our Homeless Strategy following consultation

·       Invitation to Sussex Police to discuss contribution to the Safer Arun Partnership

The Committee noted the Work Programme for 2024-25.