Agenda item

The Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement presented the report to the Board, which summarised the progress made under the Council’s Improvement Plan following the C2 Grading by the Regulator of Social Housing in 2024 (C1 being the highest, C4 the lowest).

The C2 Grade recognised the Council had provided assurance and had met the consumer standards in many areas, but also identified areas for improvement.

4 key areas of focus were identified:

• Complete the full Stock Condition Survey (the ‘Survey’) and use this data to meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standards – the results would show needed improvements to the Council’s housing stock and drive future capital spending;
• Deliver fair and equitable outcomes to tenants – recognise and understand the individual and whole tenant base and use this data to shape services provided to benefit all tenants;
• Complaint handling – ensure the complaint process was accessible to assess the outcome of complaints in more depth, recognise lessons learned, and where changes were made to process and procedure explain this to tenants; and,
• Performance – it was important tenants hold the Council to account by publishing information in an accessible way and in several different places.

A summary of progress to date on the 4 key areas was attached at Appendix 1.

Meetings had been scheduled every few months since the inspection in 2024, with the aim for the Council to achieve a C1 Grade.

Savills had reported a 92.7% completion of the Stock Condition Survey (the ‘Survey’), with 360 properties remaining to inspect.  Savills would produce a report on work accomplished and likely present this to the Executive in June 2025.

The Regulator stated Surveys had to be completed (at a minimum) every 5 years.  While it would depend on funding, the current aim was for the Council to inspect 1,000 properties annually in a rolling programme.

A Tenant recalled the Council (at times) struggled to access properties to carry out necessary Gas / Electricity safety checks.  It was also asked if there was an intent to bring future Surveys into the Council.  The Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement shared the Council would prefer to bring the Survey inhouse, but that it would depend on what was most cost effective.

The Housing Services Manager noted Council staff might not be able to carry out such work.  The Head of Property (Repairs and Maintenance) added the Council could only utilise competent surveyors and would need the correct hardware and software required to carry out the Survey – the Council currently did not have this resource available.

Regarding the 360 properties still needing inspection, the Housing Services Manager informed tenants could have been indisposed at the time and inspections could be now completed – only a core of properties would likely require Court injunctions to carry out inspections.

The Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement added that 20 of the 360 properties had recently become void – inspections would soon be carried out.

For the Tenant census, the Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement explained it was to collect up to date information from tenants (phone numbers, email addresses, disabilities, suitability of property to be a home, etc.) and 700 responses had been received so far.  The Head of Property (Repairs and Maintenance) was also asking Gas engineers to collect such information if possible.

It remained important for tenants to hold the Council to account – performance data would continue being presented to the Board.  A performance poster with key information, as well as the minutes of the Board’s meetings and a video explaining the Council’s responsibilities, would continue to be accessible online.

A 6 month summary of Complaints, provided by the Customer Standards and Complaints Officer, would also be included in the newsletter.

To a question on the newsletter including information on Dragonfly (Housing Repairs and Maintenance), the Board briefly discussed and officers would explore providing relevant information on Dragonfly (Housing Repairs and Maintenance) and Dragonfly Development Ltd..  A Tenant commented some articles relating to both companies may be of interest to tenants.

RESOLVED that members of the Board note the judgement in Appendix 1 and confirm          agreement to the proposed Improvements.