Issue - items at meetings - Annual report to council tenants and leaseholders 2010

Report of Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise (copy attached).

(1)       That the annual report to council tenants and leaseholders 2010 attached at Appendix 1, be approved for distribution to the Tenant Services Authority and council tenant and resident associations and to all council tenants and leaseholders who request a copy;

(2)       That the summary annual report to council tenants and leaseholders 2010 at Appendix 2 be approved for distribution to all council tenants and leaseholders.

42.1    The Committee considered a report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise which explained that the regulatory framework for social housing which came into effect on 1 April 2010, required “Registered providers” (including council landlords) to publish an annual report for their tenants containing a self assessment of their performance against the standards set by the Tenants Services Authority (TSA). 

42.2    A full and a summary report had been produced with the involvement and scrutiny of tenants and leaseholders, in line with the plan and timetable agreed with the Housing Management Consultative Committee on 14 June 2010.  This followed discussions with the Tenant Compact Monitoring Group in April and presentations to tenants and leaseholders at the City Assembly and the Area Housing Management Panels in May and June.

42.3    The Housing Stock Review Manager introduced the report and explained that the full and summary annual reports were very well received at the Housing Management Consultative Committee on 1 September, with members recommending approval of the reports at the meeting.  Final drafts had been tabled at the meeting today, which included the photograph taken of HMCC scrutinising the draft reports, together with some small improvements as a result of tenant feedback.   

42.4    It had been suggested by a tenant representative that a list of tenant and resident associations should be included in the report.  There were approximately 70 associations and there were changes from time to time, so this was not implemented; but a paragraph had been added to the inside back cover of the summary report stating:

·        If you’d like to find out about your local tenant and resident association, or would like to get involved in other ways, please contact your local housing office.

42.5    The Housing Stock Review Manager hoped that more tenants and leaseholders would want to get involved as a result of reading the annual report and seeing what tenant representatives had achieved.  

42.6    Other minor changes which had been made to the version agreed by HMCC were:

·              An additional paragraph at the end of the summary report inside the back cover explaining again that tenants and leaseholders who would like to know more about the council’s performance and plans, could get the full version of the report from their housing office, the council website, or ask for a copy by email or by phone.

·              As a result of a comment by another tenant representative outside of the meeting, the background shading had been lightened for the “What did tenants and leaseholders Say?” sections of the summary report to ensure that they were as legible as possible for people with poor vision.   

·              To bring the full report into line with the summary report the following had been added:

o The percentage figures to the bar charts on pages 7, 27 and 28

o On page 4, How tenants and leaseholders were involved in producing the report:

-          that the consultation draft also went on the Tenant Forum

-          that the Homing In Tenant Editorial Board gave officers useful comments on the summary report and

-          thanks to the Tenant Editorial Board and all tenants and leaseholders who helped officers produce these reports.  

42.7    Councillor Simpson agreed that the report had been very well received by the Housing Management Consultative Committee.   It was clear, readable and accessible.  She congratulated all those involved in producing the report, including the comments made by tenants and residents.  Councillor Simpson was sure that a number of tenants would read the report with great interest. 

42.8    The Cabinet Member agreed that the Annual Report had been very well received at HMCC and she thanked Carol Jenkins, Housing Stock Review Manager for her work on the report.

42.9    RESOLVED – Having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member made the following decisions:

(1)       That the annual report to council tenants and leaseholders 2010 attached at Appendix 1, be approved for distribution to the Tenant Services Authority and council tenant and resident associations and to all council tenants and leaseholders who request a copy;

(2)       That the summary annual report to council tenants and leaseholders 2010 at Appendix 2 be approved for distribution to all council tenants and leaseholders.