Agenda item

This report will set out the performance of the Key Performance indicators at Quarter 3 for the period 1 April to 31 December 2023.

The Group Head of Housing was invited to introduce the report updating the Committee with the Quarter 3 Performance Outturn for the Key Performance indicators for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023.  He drew attention to CP16 (average days to re-let all properties (key to key) excluding major voids) and reported that although this key performance indicator was not currently achieving there had been a slight improvement since Quarter 2.  He explained that some of the incumbent issues within the Housing Service during the year had run into quarter 3.  He provided details of the steps being taken to improve the situation, which included a new contractor being in place following a tender of the void works contract; and the re-establishment of the key to key meetings to look at the full journey of empty properties from the time the keys are handed in to being handed to new tenants to bring the hand over times down to acceptable levels.  An internal audit of the voids process been requested to review the actions taken already and to see if they had any additional recommendations to improve the situation.  Referring to the voids figures previously reported to the Committee, he advised that he intended to carry out a check of these figures, as he thought they included the ‘without exceptions’ figures, which would have affected the results.  He advised if this was the case, these figures would have a detrimental impact on the KPI target, as would have included  those properties not planned to come back in stock, as they were earmarked for regeneration or re-development.  Going forwards two sets of figures will be reported to the Committee, one with exceptions and one without, so that members can see a clear picture of what was happening with those properties that will come back into the housing stock to be let and the impact of the loss of rent.  He reported that during the week before, the number of void properties stood at 37 but this had increased to 43.   

     The Chair then invited questions and comments from members.  A member made reference to the two new KPIs he had requested that had been agreed at the committee meeting held on 12 September 2023, in respect of incidences of subletting tenancy fraud and the non-payment of service charges for communal areas by owners of flats sold under the Council’s right to buy scheme.  The Interim Business Improvement Manager, advised that the fraud figures had been added but it was accepted that they would not be included in the corporate performance figures, as that would require them to be reported to the Policy and Finance Committee.  They had therefore been added to the quarterly Housing Services performance measures report and had been reported for the first time to the previous Committee meeting.  As regards to  leaseholders, this information had also been included in the report.  

Members expressed their support for the steps being taken to reduce outturn for the number of voids and looked forward to seeing the improvements.

          The Committee noted the report.