Agenda item

Housing Associations Scrutiny Panel Final Report

Housing Portfolio

 

To consider report OSC/320a of the Chair of the Housing Associations Scrutiny Panel, which was referred to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission on 23 July 2024.

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

 

That the Cabinet requests that:

 

a)             the Cabinet Member for Housing and/or Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government, along with relevant Government Departments calling for councils to have greater powers to scrutinise registered housing providers, along with powers to direct registered housing providers to make amends where failure occurs, and that this letter also requests that Registered Providers:

 

·                Provide a breakdown of their Tenant Satisfaction Measures at a local authority level (this is likely to apply where stock is above a certain level) and that this be provided to the relevant local authorities upon request.

·                Participate in local partnership and councillor activity convened by local authorities to address matters that relate directly to their stock and tenants.

·                Include local councillors within their engagement activity with tenants.

 

b)             Officers provide as much information as possible (in accordance with GDPR) to Registered Providers once a social tenancy is agreed so the registered provider can assist the tenant fully both prior and during the placement.

 

 

Reasons for the Recommendations

 

To understand the current processes, practices and systems that exist, together with the provision of support available to tenants, in order to address some of the concerns and improvements for consumer standards together with seeking to build on the relationships already in place between the Council and Registered Housing Providers.

 

Minutes:

The Chair of the Housing Associations Scrutiny Panel, Councillor Lunnon, presented report OSC/320a.

 

A ‘spotlight’ Housing Associations Scrutiny Panel was established in June 2023 to seek clarification as to the regulation of social landlords and housing associations. It was felt it would be beneficial to scrutinise the current situation with regards to a limited number of housing associations within the town, together with service standards, satisfaction and complaints received, ideally with witness sessions from various housing associations. It was important to explore options to improve the work between the Council and various registered social landlords (RSLs), resulting in a positive outcome for residents. The report had previously been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Commission at its meeting on 23 July 2024 and its comments were included in an appendix to the report.

 

Councillor Jones highlighted that Cabinet noted the poor response of Registered Providers to the Scrutiny Review. Overall, it seems that Registered Providers did not recognise the democratic mandate of local Councillors, even when expressed through the powers of external scrutiny and other legislation.

 

The Cabinet agreed with the thrust of the Scrutiny Panel's recommendations. However, it was concerned whether, given the experience of the Review, officers would be able to secure the information and input required to undertake and secure the activities as set out in recommendations a) to d) as documented within report OSC/320a. It was felt, as the recommendations were currently written, the onus would be on officers who would then likely experience the same frustrations in securing the information that the Panel sought.

 

As a result, Councillor Jones highlighted to the Cabinet there had been a proposed amendment and slight revision to the recommendations, in that the Cabinet undertook to include the thrust of recommendations a) to d) within the letter requested in recommendation f) as documented in the supplementary agendas OSC/320b. This combined recommendation would now be referred to as recommendation i).  In relation to recommendation e) from the Scrutiny Panel, that remained unchanged, was noted and was subject to further investigation to determine what further information could be provided. That was now referred to as recommendation ii).  The rationale behind those changes was to request greater powers to scrutinise.

 

Councillors S Mullins, C Mullins, Rana and Irvine spoke as part of the discussion on the report.  The Cabinet asked officers to publish a list of the RSLs in the Councillor’s Information Bulletin for Councillors’ reference.

 

Councillor Jones moved the report including the proposed changes which was seconded by Councillor Irvine.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Cabinet requests that:

 

a)                the Cabinet Member for Housing and/or Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government, along with relevant Government Departments calling for councils to have greater powers to scrutinise registered housing providers, along with powers to direct registered housing providers to make amends where failure occurs, and that this letter also requests that Registered Providers:

 

·              Provide a breakdown of their Tenant Satisfaction Measures at a local authority level (this is likely to apply where stock is above a certain level) and that this be provided to the relevant local authorities upon request.

·              Participate in local partnership and councillor activity convened by local authorities to address matters that relate directly to their stock and tenants.

·              Include local councillors within their engagement activity with tenants.

 

b)                Officers provide as much information as possible (in accordance with GDPR) to Registered Providers once a social tenancy is agreed so the Registered Provider can assist the tenant fully both prior and during the placement.

 

 

Reasons for the Recommendations

 

To understand the current processes, practices and systems that exist, together with the provision of support available to tenants, in order to address some of the concerns and improvements for consumer standards together with seeking to build on the relationships already in place between the Council and Registered Housing Providers.

 

Supporting documents: