Issue - meetings

·       Monitoring of Recommendations – The Void Process

·       Review of Grounds Maintenance on Council Estates (verbal update)

·       Future Review Ideas (verbal update – consultation in progress)

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer presented the report to the Board.

The Challenge and Change process had been introduced in early 2023 with existing tenants who had been involved in the Repairs Action Network Team (RANT) meeting at the time.

The first review had started in 2023 but had taken time to complete due to the scheduling of meetings and visits around other tenant commitments.  Towards the end of that review, some new tenants had been recruited which had helped to progress the tenant challenge process (scrutiny) further, allowing for more regular meetings.

The process for the submission and prioritisation of review topics was detailed in the report.

An example of the form tenants would submit for new topics, similar to what Members of the Council’s Scrutiny Committees used, was attached at Appendix 4.

Also provided at the meeting was a scoresheet for the ranking of proposals.

As part of the decision-making process, all tenants that had either been involved with Challenge and Change or had expressed an interest in involvement in decision-making had been contacted.

Tenants who had interest in some topics would be invited to participate in those associated reviews (first come first served basis).

Chosen topics would be reported to the Customer Services Scrutiny Committee to prevent duplication of work.  The Board would monitor all review work.

Not all tenants might be comfortable at public speaking on behalf of their group’s review / findings – it was being explored if training could be provided.

Councillor Rita Turner left the meeting at 12:19 hours.

The Tenant Engagement Officer guided the Board through the suggestions thus far received.

Members of the Board were requested to choose the next priority topic for review, with Tenants choosing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB).

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer offered to collect some finer details on ASB as it was not necessarily a Housing issue.  A Tenant agreed; collecting information on Void properties had proven straight forward, but ASB might be challenging.

The action plan outlining the agreed recommendations and progress against them with regards the Review of the Void Process was attached at Appendix 1.

The revised “Welcome to your Home” leaflet, which reflected the new lettable standard, was attached at Appendix 2.

A sample of the decorating voucher was attached at Appendix 3.

RESOLVED that: 1) members of the Board review the process for choosing topics and delivering reviews as set out in the report, and approve for future review work from April 2025 onwards;

1)    members of the Board review progress against implementing the recommendations from the Review of The Void Process, and associated appendices (1a-1c) and agree if they are satisfied that the Review has been fully delivered;

2)    members of the Board acknowledge the verbal update on progress of the Review of Ground Maintenance on Council Estates; and,

3)    members review existing suggestions for Challenge and Change Reviews and choose the next priority topic.