Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

HC.027

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hynd and Davies.

HC.028

Declaration of Interests

To receive declarations of interest.

 

Minutes:

There were none.

HC.029

Minutes pdf icon PDF 307 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2021 as a correct record.

Minutes:

It was agreed to add the absences for Councillors Davies and Davis to the last meeting.

 

RESOLVED    That the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2021 were approved with the amendments laid out above.

HC.030

Public Question Time

The Chair of the Committee will answer questions from members of the public submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

 

deadline for receipt of questions

noon on Thursday 28 October 2021

 

Questions must be submitted to the Chief Executive, Democratic Services,

Ebley Mill, Ebley Wharf, Stroud and can be sent by email to democratic.services@stroud.gov.uk

 

 

Minutes:

There were none.

HC.031

Revised Tenancy & Estates Management Policy pdf icon PDF 218 KB

To effectively manage tenancies and the environment in our communities.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Housing Manager introduced the report and explained the role of Stroud District Council (SDC) as a landlord within the policy. The Housing Manager drew Members attention to the feedback they had received from tenants, including the lack of enforcement action taken. She informed the Committee that enforcement action was taken when it was needed however, it was a very long process and didn’t yield immediate results.

 

She talked the Committee through the key changes to the policy which included:

·         Community involvement.

·         Co-opted Tenant Representatives to further ensure tenant views are represented.

·         Promoting a Green Champion.

·         Home contents insurance.

·         Rechargeable repairs.

·         Independent living hubs.

 

In response to Councillor Green, the Housing Manager explained that there were a number of property inspections that took place including:

·         Stock condition survey, which is part of a 3-5 year plan.

·         Pre-determination inspection, which is arranged before a tenant moves out of the property.

·         Regular tenancy audit, these were not currently taking place due to the high demands on work load however, these were completed when there had been an issue or concern raised with the property or the tenant.

 

In response to a further question from Councillor Green, the Housing Manager informed the committee that it was the tenants responsibility to take out a home contents insurance policy and they advertised this frequently to tenants.

 

The Strategic Director of Communities informed the Committee there were further property inspections that were routinely completed on SDC properties which were statutory inspections such as gas inspections.

 

The Housing Manager clarified the terms and roles of the tenant groups such as:

·         Tenant Voice Representatives who sit on the Housing Committee and can voice the concerns of the tenants.

·         Neighbourhood Ambassadors who work with SDC to put papers together and feed back to the community.

·         Tenant repairs inspectors who look at the works completed after a repair and feedback to SDC.

·         Focus Groups are for tenants and local residents who wish to be involved short term. Tenants in these groups can often be referred to as involved tenants or tenant representatives.

·         Green Champions who will try to look after the community and gardens and encourage other tenants to recycle.

 

Councillor Schoemaker raised a typographical issue with paragraph 7.8 in appendix A, the first sentence should have read ‘on a street, neighbourhood or estate’. The Housing Manger agreed to include the word ‘on’. 

 

The Chair suggested a visual ‘family tree’ to explain the roles of tenants could be helpful, it was agreed that this could be put together.

 

The Housing Manager provided the following answers in response to questions:

·       Tenant Repair Inspectors would be working solo once the programme was started up again. Introductions to the tenant would be completed prior to the checks and any tenants involved would be DBS checked before taking up their relevant roles.

·         If there were issues on SDC estates regarding private owners, SDC would liaise with environmental health to assess the situation and take legal action if necessary. SDC’s Anti-Social Behaviour and Enforcement  ...  view the full minutes text for item HC.031

HC.032

Revised HomeseekerPlus Allocations Policy pdf icon PDF 474 KB

To seek the Committee’s approval for the adoption of the revised HomeseekerPlus Allocations Policy following a consultation exercise.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair informed the Committee that an all-Member briefing was being arranged to allow members to ask any questions regarding Homeseeker and housing allocations.

 

The Head of Strategic Housing Services (Interim) introduced the report and provided the Committee with the background and the purpose of the policy. She explained that the update to this policy would not alter how households apply for affordable housing. The updates were in response to legislation and to refine some wording.

 

In response to a question raised by Councillor Schoemaker, the Housing Advice Manger explained that the global banding applied to almost every band on the system and applies to all of the authority areas and that this allowed greater consistency. He explained there were a few bandings which only applied to local areas.

 

Councillor Patrick asked for confirmation if the ‘3 strikes and you’re out’ policy, when bidding for properties, applied to care leavers. The Housing Advice Manger confirmed that it did apply as it does to all applications however, Officers had a high level of discretion and were trained to assess refusal reasons and allow for special circumstances. The local connections for care leavers had been widened and allows them to choose the authority area they would prefer. He also agreed to run a report following the meeting to show how many times applications had been struck out to help provide reassurance that it was rarely used by Officers.

 

Councillor Baker proposed and Councillor Fryer seconded.

 

After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried.

 

RESOLVED a) To agree the changes made to the HomeseekerPlus Allocations Policy and approve the revised policy for adoption.

b) To give delegated authority to the Head of Strategic Housing in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Housing Committee to make minor textual and formatting changes before publication.

HC.033

Mobility Scooters Policy in Council Properties pdf icon PDF 139 KB

To inform Housing Committee of a new Mobility Scooters Policy for all users in Stroud District Council Housing.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Service Delivery Manager (Independent Living) introduced the report and explained that this was a brand new policy and was for all users in Stroud District Council housing not just Independent Living. She explained this was for the safe storage and charging of mobility scooters. Part of the policy involved finding suitable places to store mobility scooters if there was not a safe space at the accommodation.

 

After a question raised from Councillor Green, the Service Delivery Manager confirmed there had been many safe storage areas already put in to place at different schemes across the District. It was also confirmed where safe storage and charging was not possible they would look to see if they were meeting the housing need of the tenant.

 

Councillor Fryer questioned when leaseholders may be recharged for the costs of alterations. The Service Delivery manager confirmed that recharges would only be for things deemed unreasonable for SDC to complete for example, widening doors and imputing ramps.

 

In response to a question regarding tax disks on page 99, the Service Delivery Manager agreed to amend the wording of the report from displaying a tax disk to having the mobility scooter registered for tax (if required).

 

Councillor Miles questioned if a general needs tenant required alterations such as hardstanding, would the cost of that come out of SDC budget. The Service Delivery Manager confirmed that the costs would come out of the Gloucester County Council (GCC) aids and adaptations budget.

 

The Service Delivery Manager confirmed in response to Councillor Schoemaker that the closest they can get the mobility scooters to the Grange View accommodation was 25 steps away. She also informed the committee that around 10% of Independent Living tenants utilise a mobility scooter in independent living.

 

Councillor Baker questioned whether SDC provided metal sheds to keep mobility scooters in. The Service Deliver Manager confirmed sheds were used at the 4 Hubs however, general needs tenants wouldn’t be automatically entitled to these, it would depend on being able to find a suitable location and would be assessed on a needs basis.

 

Councillor Schoemaker proposed and Councillor Baker seconded.

 

After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried.

 

RESOLVED To adopt the Mobility Scooter Policy in Council Properties.

 

HC.034

Corrective Action to Strengthen the Council's Out of Hours Call Out Provision pdf icon PDF 462 KB

To inform Housing Committee of the corrective action being undertaken to strengthen operational procedures in the management of the Out of Hours Service provision. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Contract Services introduced the report and explained that it was based on the action plan created following an Audit that had been approved at the last Audit and Standards Committee. He informed the Committee that a lot of the actions had already been completed and they were continuing to work on the outstanding ones. He stated that they had concluded that there was no systematic failing in terms of the service provision and that it was a one off and was due to a series of events. Extra precautions had been put in place this year to ensure it is not repeated.

 

In response from questions raised by members the Head of Contract Services answered the following:

·        The service provider has added a new dedicated line, reviewed internal processes and trained additional staff to answer phone calls. SDC has also put in measures following a non-response from contractors to escalate the matter to on call officers.

·        SDC would provide the list of the on call Officers to Members.

·         A number of processes which could be improved added up to the overall failure.

 

After concerns raised by Councillor Housden over the renewal of the contract, the Head of Contract Services explained the following:

·        The contractor would have met the expectations for call handling and answering however, the volume of calls drastically exceeded that number.

·        He also informed the Committee that the KPI’s were over ambitious in relation to time scales for call answering.

·        The contract was intended for extension if acceptable and this was being reviewed by One Legal.

·        The KPI’s were being looked at as part of the ongoing process.

·        The contractor performance was reviewed on a monthly basis and service users were consulted as part of this.

 

Councillor Housden voiced his continued concerns with the renewal process of the contractor.

 

The Strategic Director of Communities confirmed SDC accepted the failure and recognised the areas for improvement, they were awaiting confirmation from One Legal regarding some items within the report.

 

Councillor Green questioned whether a target date of the 1 December was too late considering bad weather had already started. The Head of Contract Services explained that the improvements began immediately and this deadline was for the actions and the documentation to prove these had taken place and been completed. Councillor green further questioned how often the contractor’s performance would be reviewed to which the Head of Contract Services confirmed there would be monthly meetings as well as a quarterly review. He agreed to provide the Committee with the results from the quarterly reviews and to bring back a review of the report to the April Housing Committee in 2022.

 

Councillor Miles proposed and Councillor Fryer seconded.

 

Councillor Patrick expressed a lack of confidence with the report. She questioned whether the new processes and system had been tested enough.

 

Councillor Housden questioned whether this report should be taken to full Council. Members debated this topic at length and agreed this could be considered after they have received  ...  view the full minutes text for item HC.034

HC.035

Volunteering Policy (Independent living) pdf icon PDF 138 KB

To inform Committee of a new Volunteering Policy for Independent Living to provide a structure for our Volunteers to work within.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Service Delivery Manager (Independent Living) introduced the report and explained that it was a brand new policy. She spoke about the 4 independent community hubs and their value to the community and to tenants. She explained the policy was to support the rights, roles and responsibilities for volunteers. The Service Delivery Manager informed the Committee that a part-time Volunteer Coordinator had recently been recruited to work with and train all of the volunteers. She further explained that all volunteers would have to undertake a DBS check in order to be successful for the role.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Green, the Service Delivery Manager explained they were currently looking at ages from 55 upwards but this would continue to evolve. Councillor Green expressed an interest linking this with the Youth Council to which the Service Delivery Manager explained the Community Hub Coordinator had been working on an intergenerational activities project which they hoped to be rolling out shortly.

 

In response from Members questions the Service Delivery Manager gave the following responses:

  • Health & Safety and Safeguarding training would be provided for all volunteers.
  • Volunteers would be identified through the Volunteer Coordinator.
  • Volunteers would primarily be tenants to begin with and then branch out to the wider community.
  • The Volunteer Coordinator would be cross trained in order to pass along the relevant training to volunteers.

 

Councillor Schoemaker questioned paragraph 2.3 in the report which mentions ‘suitable outlying properties’ which should read ‘Suitable outlying tenants’. The Service Delivery Manager agreed that Councillor Schoemaker was correct.

 

Councillor Miles proposed and Councillor Schoemaker seconded.

 

After being put to a vote, the Motion was Carried.

 

RESOLVED To adopt the Volunteering Policy for Independent Living

 

HC.036

Pet Policy pdf icon PDF 334 KB

To review the Pet Policy, to cover pets owned by Stroud District Council Tenants.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Housing Manager introduced the report and gave a brief overview of the history of owning a pet within SDC properties and sheltered accommodations. She stated that SDC had been praised for recognising the benefits that stem from pet ownership for example; mental health and social isolation. She informed the committee of the main concerns raised which included:

·       Significant noise from cockerels.

·       Multi-pet households.

·       Dogs loose in communal areas.

·       Fouling in communal areas.

 

She then informed the Committee of the key changes of the policy which included:

·       Removed permission to house cockerels.

·       Breeding and sale of animals from SDC properties had been prohibited.

·       Permissions to have a pet can be withdrawn if the pet criteria had been breached.

·       Permission to house caged pet on communal land was not acceptable.

·       Number of permissions in multi-pet household were subject to the home the owner could provide for the pet.

·       No fouling would be enforced and dogs needed to be kept on leads in communal areas.

·       Reminded tenants that permission is to be sought before the pet and a responsible person should be named to care for the pet in their absence.

·       Continue to refuse permission for cat flaps as they compromise the integrity of the door. Surveyed whether tenants would replace the door when leaving but only 16% (of 38 responses) said they would consider that.

·       Evictions and abandonments would give SDC responsibility to arrange appropriate action for the pet.

 

In response to questions the Housing Manager explained:

·       Neutering an animal was not a condition, it was just a responsible and reasonable request to ask tenants.

·       There was currently no pet register in place to ensure the animal was what was requested.

 

Councillor Fryer proposed and Councillor Patrick seconded.

 

After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

 

RESOLVED

a)    To adopt the revised Pet Policy; and

b)    To give delegated authority to the Head of Housing Services, in consultation with the Chair & Vice Chair of Housing Committee to make minor amendments as necessary.

 

HC.037

Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Warm & Well Partnership Renewal pdf icon PDF 407 KB

To update members on the Gloucestershire & South Gloucestershire Warm & Well Scheme and to recommend renewal of the partnership for up to a further 5 years.

Minutes:

The Housing Renewal Manager introduced the report and explained the partnership had been in place since 2001. She stated that the main reason for this was to try to address the problems around fuel poverty and by working as a partnership, it created a stronger position for the Councils to secure bids. She explained that the Committee was being asked to approve the contract extension for an extra 2 years for the warm and well scheme. She further explained the reason behind this was due to the better care funding only being guaranteed for a further 2 years. She informed the Committee the bid for the sustainable warmth competition had been submitted and the decision for this had since been delayed however the report would state otherwise as the decision was expected in October. She further explained if the bid was successful, any gas heating works would not be an acceptable use of the funding.

 

Councillor Green questioned whether SDC could support the funding for the warm and well scheme should the better care funding not be continued. The Housing Renewal Manager confirmed she would hope that to be the case should the funding be removed however, funding for the better care project came directly from central government and although not impossible it was unlikely this funding would be cut. 

 

Councillor Housden requested a breakdown of the costs and asked if this could be delivered in house. The Housing Renewal Manager explained the following Councils within the partnership each provided different amounts in order to pay for the telephone advice line, technical staff etc.

  • Each of the 6 District Councils within Gloucestershire provide £20,000
  • South Gloucestershire provide £30,000 because they are a unitary authority.
  • Gloucestershire County Council provide £60,000.

 

Councillor Miles questioned if park homes would continue to be prioritised. The Housing Renewal Manager confirmed this was not the case with this particular bid, they would still be able to address some park homes however, they would be looking at the wider property market.

 

In response to Councillor Patrick, the Housing Renewal Manager explained due to treasury rules, public funding had to be awarded through a bidding process.

 

Councillor Housden asked whether there were any plans to tie this in with the current retrofit work. The Housing Renewal Manager explained this particular bid is for private sector properties or private sector landlords.

 

Councillor Baker proposed and Councillor Schoemaker seconded.

 

After being put to a vote, the Motion was Carried.

 

RESOLVED

a)    To continue to provide advice and support to those in fuel poverty in the district by renewing the Councils membership of the Warm & Well Partnership for up to a further 5 years; and

b)    To provide Core funding to support the partnership of   £20,000 per annum from the Better Care Fund Disabled Facilities Grant wider social care budget; and

c)    To approve the extension of the Warm & Well delivery contract for a further 2 years; and

d)    To approve as the lead authority, the submission and acceptance of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item HC.037

HC.038

Progress update on Key action plans (Cleaner Estates & Service Standards)

To provide a verbal update.

Minutes:

The Housing Manager gave a verbal update into the work that had been completed that month on the project which included:

  • An options appraisal at Nouncells Cross to improve cleaning and waste management.
  • Promoting the role of Green Champions - 6 tenants expressed interested.
  • Looking into purchasing a locked skip to remove fly-tipping more efficiently.
  • Hosted a focus group for the independent living schemes which 10 tenants attended. They requested the opportunity to meet as a group on a quarterly basis which is currently being arranged.
  • Hosted a Tenant Evening on the 12 October which received good feedback and resulted in a number of tenants who volunteered to be involved.
  • Service standards have been benchmarked by TPAS, have received recommendations and feedback and will bring back a report on this after the recommendations have been reviewed.

 

The chair asked members if they were happy to continue the meeting given that the time was approaching 10pm and in accordance with the Councils’ Constitution section 3 paragraph 6, members need to take a vote in order to continue the meeting.

 

Councillor Baker proposed and Councillor Green seconded.

 

After being put to a vote; 7 votes for, 2 votes against, the Motion was carried.

HC.039

MEMBER REPORTS

HC.039a

Tenant Representatives

Minutes:

Tenant Representative Becky Adams expressed her feedback from the tenant evening on the 12 October and stated it was a very useful and informative evening. 

 

Tenant Representative Mark Ritcher expressed his interest with the projects the task and finish groups were working on and how they were solving the issues.

 

HC.039b

Housing Review Panel Update

Minutes:

The Chair explained that this had been paused while other work had been prioritised.

HC.039c

Retrofit/Carbon Reduction Task and Finish Group

Minutes:

Councillor Jockel informed the Committee what was discussed at the last meeting of the group:

  • What they needed in place to make it work.
  • What would success look like & how would that be measured.
  • Seasonal work done mostly in summer.
  • How effective was it.
  • Getting a good before measure to show progress after the work was completed.
  • Overall carbon savings.

 

HC.039d

Tenant Engagement and Empowerment Task and Finish Group

Minutes:

Councillor Fryer informed the Committee that there had been 3 meetings to date. During these meeting the initial points raised were:

  • Review of communications channel from tenants to SDC including telephone and e-mail.
  • Meeting to be scheduled to meet the new Community Action and Engagement Officer.
  • Complaints, define the type of complaints received to see what merits a complaint and if it could have been handled differently.

 

He informed the Committee he also attended the tenants evening on the 12 October and stated it was a very productive evening with lots of expression of interests for tenant roles within SDC. He stated how important it was to include the tenants in the work being completed at SDC.

HC.039e

Housing Repairs and Voids Task and Finish Group

Minutes:

Councillor Baker informed the Committee they have had 2 meetings to date and would start by focusing on voids first and following the voids through the process. She explained the Operations Manager will be taking people out to view the different types of voids and they would be looking to get some figures together soon to see how to progress. 

HC.040

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 126 KB

To consider the work programme.

Minutes:

There were no questions or comments on the Work Programme.

HC.041

Members' Questions

See Agenda Item 4 for deadlines for submission.

Minutes:

There were none.

 

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