Issue - meetings
Regulation Social Housing for the Councils own stock
Meeting: 14/03/2023 - Corporate Scrutiny Committee (Item 82)
82 The Social Housing Regulation Bill - Draft Improvement Plan 
PDF 210 KB
(For the Committee to consider, discuss and feedback comments on the draft Improvement Plan)
Minutes:
The Assistant Director confirmed that the legislation shifts the way Councils are regulated into an inspection framework and a very recent update confirmed that from April 2023, there would be a requirement for Councils to upload tenant satisfaction measures to the portal and that the Government will use these to benchmark Councils performance in a number of areas.
From 2024 this data along with other information would be used to prepare a 4-year inspection cycle which would be risked based.
It was highlighted there would be a requirement that all council housing managers and housing executives be professionally qualified to drive up standards and a consultation was due to start on that.
The Committee sought clarification on the following areas with the draft improvement plan:
1. Why the target date and owner columns of the report were empty? The Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods confirming they were awaiting final guidance from the regulator on timescales as to when work needs completing and then this detail would be added.
2. The Committee acknowledged that it could see that a colour coding or RAG system was being used, however there appeared to be more than the usual three colours used that this was confusing. It was also noted that for those that were colour blind this system would have no benefit. Whilst the Committee acknowledged the amount of work that had been undertaken, the document needed to be more accessible and recommended a key, more separated points and work around the abbreviations which made the document difficult to understand. It was requested the document be bought back to the Committee after document control. The Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods accepted the comments and confirmed that these would be taken away for consideration and that she would use the Council’s highlight report to provide a more accessible, smarter document.
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RESOLVED: |
to thank the officers for their diligence in this matter.
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(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor S Goodall)
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Meeting: 10/11/2022 - Cabinet (Item 71)
71 Regulation Social Housing for the Councils own stock PDF 524 KB
(Report of the Portfolio Polder for Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing)
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1 Presentation to Homelessness Prevention and Social housing Sub Committee, item 71
PDF 1 MB
- Appendix 2 External Self-assessment Consumer Regulation, item 71
PDF 213 KB
- Appendix 3 Improvement Plan Framework Consumer Regulation, item 71
PDF 210 KB
- Appendix 4 Rent cap response 121022, item 71
PDF 221 KB
Minutes:
Report of the Portfolio Holder for Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing To set out the Regulator Social Housing (RSH) revised approach for consumer regulation across its council housing services
To update Cabinet on the proposals within the Government’s Social Housing (Regulation) Bill and the Council’s preparedness for it across its council housing services
To update Cabinet on discussions arising from the Homelessness Prevention and Social housing Sub-committee specifically in relation to:
• The Government’s proposed rent cap & HRA business planning requirements
• Tenant representation on the committee
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RESOLVED: |
That Cabinet
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1. |
Acknowledged the detail shared with Homeless Prevention and Social Housing Sub-Committee on 12th October 2022, shown in full at Annex 1.
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2. |
Endorsed the findings from the external Self-Assessment shown at Annex 2
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3. |
Delegated authority to the Council’s Monitoring Officer to ensure nominated representatives from the Tenants Consultative Group (Chair &/or Vice Chair) form part of the Council’s Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing Sub-Committee in compliance with the Council’s constitutional & legal framework; noting the Committee fully supported this at their meeting on the 12th of October 2022
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Approved the self-assessment improvement framework shown at Annex 3; referring it to Corporate Scrutiny for further development on 17th November 2022; delegating the SMART detail to the Portfolio Holder for Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing
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Approved retrospectively the response to DLuCH on the proposed rent cap shown at Annex 4 and discussed at the Council’s Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing Sub-Committee on 12th October 2022
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Delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder Homeless Prevention and Social Housing to agree the consultation arrangements with Tenants and Leaseholders on the HRA business plan arrangements following the Government’s announcement on the rent cap and its associated impact on financial planning.
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Delegated approval to the Head of Paid Service and Chief Executive to approve the resourcing arrangements; noting policy changes of £100k are being built into the Council’s budget setting processes (subject to approval) to deliver the improvement plan and a. ensure the Council complies with the Regulators decision statement on the submission of new tenant satisfaction measures
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(Moved by Councillor A Farrell and seconded by Councillor T Clements) |
