Agenda item

To receive the minutes from the Housing & Customer Services Working Group meeting held on 16 March 2021, which are attached.

There are recommendations to consider at:

·       Minute 26 [Repairs Handbook] – to view the Officer’s report, please click on this link Report and Appendix

·       Minute 27 [Income Recovery Policy] - to view the Officer’s report and the Policy – please click on these links - Report and Appendix

·       Minute 28 [Anti-Social Behaviour Policy] – to view the Officer’s report and the Policy – please click on these links - Report and Policy

·       Minute 29 [Decant Policy] – to view the Officer’s report and the Policy – please click on these links - Report and Policy

The Chair presented the Minutes from the meeting of the Housing and Customer Services Working Group held on 16 March 2021 to the Committee to approve a series of recommendations at Minute 26 [Repairs Handbook], Minute 27 [Income Recovery Policy], Minute 28 [Anti-Social Behaviour Policy] and Minute 29 [Decant Policy].

The Chair introduced the Repairs Handbook [Minute 26] and then invited questions. One Member spoke in praise of the handbook but raised concerns about elements of it that had the potential to become issues later on like responsibility for fence lines. Another Member commented positively on the handbook’s clarity but questioned the absence of information for tenants on how to handle housing issue disputes with the Council. This Member also asked if the handbook would be available in other formats and other languages as there were many tenants in the district’s social housing for whom English was a second language.

The Business Improvement Manager responded to queries confirming that the Council would identify property boundaries but not provide fencing as tenants may understand it, that the handbook could be provided in other languages which would be determined at the sign-up point and that hard copies would be given to new tenants with an electronic version also being available on the website. She confirmed disputes would usually be handled via the Complaints procedure and that tenants could seek third party advice under Right to Repair legislation.

One non-Committee Member asked whether tenants would be allowed to put up their own fencing if this was not provided by the Council. The Business Improvement Manager confirmed that tenants would be allowed to erect fencing with permission from the Council to ensure it was in line with regulations.

Following the discussion, the recommendations were proposed and seconded.

The Committee

RESOLVED that

1)    the Tenants Repair Handbook be adopted; and

2)    delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Residential Services to approve changes to the handbook

The Chair introduced the Income Recovery Policy [Minute 27] and then the recommendations were proposed and seconded.

The Committee

RESOLVED that

1)    the Income Policy 2021 be adopted; and

2)    delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Residential Services to make changes to the Policy.

The Chair introduced the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy [Minute 28] and then invited questions. One Member flagged a typographical error on page 5 in 3.1 item m). The Director of Services confirmed that if the recommendations were approved, Officers would have delegated authority to correct this. The recommendations were then proposed and seconded.

The Committee

RESOLVED that

1)    the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy 2021 be adopted; and

2)    delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Residential Services to make changes to the Policy

The Chair introduced the Decant Policy [Minute 29] and then invited questions. One Member raised the issue of vulnerable tenants who were not being allowed to decant by the Council and whether there was an opportunity to appeal this decision. The Neighbourhood Services Manager explained that the policy covered situations where extensive work was needed and when it was deemed to be unsafe for the resident to remain in situ during this, and that tenants could make requests to the Council to be considered on these grounds. She clarified that should a request be declined after inspection, that tenants could have decisions reviewed via the Complaints procedure. She further confirmed that all decanted tenants, including vulnerable ones, had a named Officer to provide a consistent service and were supported with many aspects of the process (removals, disconnecting/reconnecting utilities etc) so that they were not disadvantaged.

The Vice-Chair congratulated staff on the huge amount of work that had been necessary to prepare these reports and the handbook. The Chair added her congratulations to the team for putting together this complex and very detailed work.

The recommendations were then proposed and seconded.

The Committee

RESOLVED that

1)    the Decant Policy 2021 be adopted; and

2)    delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Residential Services to make changes to the Policy.