Agenda item - Housing Management Performance Report Quarter 3 2018/19

Report of Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing (copy attached).

(1)            That the report and comments of the Committee be noted.

76.1   The Committee considered a housing management performance report of the Executive Director, Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing which covered Quarter 3 of the financial year 2018/19. Members were informed that a draft version of the report was submitted to the Area Panels in February 2019. As a result of resident feedback, the tables in section 6.6 and 7.5 had been amended to include the council housing stock in each ward. Following a councillor query, future reports would also include performance information about Field Officers’ work with Housing from Quarter 1 2019/20. The report was presented by the Head of Income, Involvement & Improvement.

76.2    Councillor Atkinson referred to pages 97/98  - rechargeable debt collected. It was stated that the target of 20% was aspirational. He asked if this was a national target. It was confirmed that when officers set targets they looked at the performance of other similar local authorities. It was recognised that it had become increasingly difficult to collect money from people. This would be reviewed next year.

76.3    Councillor Mears referred to page 109 – Lifts  - Average time to restore service when not within 24 hours – Target 7 days.  She was pleased to see the recent changes to the lift contract. How would this impact on whether there would be a better response time? Councillor Mears also referred to a recent visit to Spain by tenants.  She asked if feedback on that visit would be made to the Area Panels or to the Committee.  It was confirmed that officers hoped that the new arrangement with lift engineers would make a difference, and shorten the response time and improve the service. The initial work on the visit to Spain would be fed to the Service Improvement Group and would then be submitted to the Area Panels.

76.4    Councillor Gibson welcomed the report and the targeted support tenants received from officers when transferring to Universal Credit.   

76.5   RESOLVED:-

(1)            That the report and comments of the Committee be noted.