Agenda item

To interview the Councillor Sarah King, Cabinet Member for Council Homes, giving a holistic overview of key strategies and projects under the portfolio, with a focus on but not limited to:

·  Housing Repairs

·  Major works and improvements to service in light of issues at Devonshire Mansion and Canada estate.

·  Fire Safety Works

·  Tenants and Residents Associations (TRA) in wards

The commission then heard from Councillor Sarah King and David on the following points

• Recent appointment to role of Cabinet for Council Homes; keen to hear this commission’s priorities and expectations; volumes of housing repairs casework for councillors have increased; Statistical improvements in areas of resident satisfaction and first attempt resolution of repairs, further work needed in interrogating data of repairs.
• Meetings planned with Resident Improvement Board on their experiences of repairs and will be fed back into repairs process work carried out by Council; priority is communal repairs and how it affects estates.
• Performance in repairs has improved in in-home repairs, higher resident satisfaction in in-house repairs and variable satisfaction levels with contractors; residents’ elected Co-Chair for the Resident Improvement Board to decide on priorities for the board and its agenda being set by the Co-Chair and the Cabinet Member for Council Homes.
• Resident feedback that improvements have been made in the call centre, however lessons to be learned for monitoring performance of contractors, engaging residents in the strategy for repairs important; data on first time repairs against repeated visits have improved running at 85% from 50% less than a year ago, 15% remaining still a challenge and needs attention

The commission then asked questions on the following topics

• Timeline for recovering from repairs backlog during Covid, non-emergency communal repairs and procurement of new contracts for repairs; update on long term Council delivery plans on repairs, further details on Resident led Repairs Improvement Board- structure and processes in the future, plans post April 2024 for repairs.
• Commitment to transparency and accountability and to minimise the gap in repairs between tenants’ & leaseholders’ perception of issues and council officer perceptions in reports; taking into account £3.3m paid in disrepairs (no win no fee cases) by Southwark Council over the past years and Social Housing Regulations.
• Scrutiny’s role and input in development of policies and strategies in Housing; Changing the residents’ perception of the council with regards to ease of communication; Call Centre and Contact Centre improvements; Repairs Liaison officer on estates for minor repairs.

Councillor King explained to the commission that Covid backlog has not been a part of the reasoning given by officers during briefings on repairs, however it exists as a part of a broader narrative. It is essential that the Council presents to this commission and its residents a clear path of travel with regards to reducing the backlog in repairs.

David agreed with the commission that milestones and target dates need to be set to meet resident expectations on repairs. Meetings between officers and trade unions provides oversight into the in-house services and have had some positive feedback. It is hoped that this will help build a fair and reasonable repairs service. Further plans for discussions with Resident Improvement Boards (RIBs) on the future workings of the boards. Tenants and Resident Associations (TRAs) and Tenancy Management Organisations (TMOs) should be encouraged by support from the council to carry out essential work especially on communal spaces. The Forward plan for council delivery will involve frameworks and procurement of contracts.

Councillor King informed the commission that looking at compensation pay outs considering statutory cases lodged by no win no fee lawyers is important. The statistics used to show Housing Regulations compliance are important factors when presenting data to residents, councillors and scrutiny commissions; and will be considered in discussions of reporting with officers. Priority will be given to interrogation and deeper delve into data reporting and statistics.

Councillor King explained to the commission that it would too early in her role as Cabinet Member for Council Homes to suggest any specific policies and strategies for scrutiny to consider which could benefit residents and improve satisfaction. Scrutiny is an important tool in developing framework and policies for residents’ benefit, however it is important that learnings from resident feedback are considered in putting forth the right policies. It is also important that scrutiny be involved in discussions around looking at policies in development, through discussions with the Chair of this commission.

The commission learned from Councillor King that further discussions with officers on Repair Liaisons on estates is needed. There is also some work needed to empower residents, councillors and officers to regularly report on issues, ensuring that repairs are fixed quickly.

The commission then asked further questions around the following themes

• Pre-scrutiny on personalisation of repairs, mediation with leaseholders and support for TRAs and TMOs to carry out communal repairs; plans for TRAs and TMOs in wards.
• Budgetary issues within housing department with regards to over spend of £6m in two estates with issues; possibility of 6 more estates amounting £20m approx.; plans to ensure new contracts are procured and existing contracts managed going forward - rolled over heating contracts and multi million pound major works programmes
• Approach to challenges in balancing the budget, considering the major expenditure in the Asset Management Programme for Fire Safety works

On pre-scrutiny, Councillor King explained that scrutiny will be informed of the policies in development on the Cabinet Member’s work programme.

Councillor King informed the commission that the plans for TRAs and TMOs is a priority and briefings are scheduled for next week. It is important to provide clarity to residents on resources and support that will be provided by the council. There are very successful works that have been carried out by residents within estates in her own ward. Investment in TRAs and TMOs should ensure longevity and continued support from the council.

The Chair explained to the commission it’s important that TRAs and TMOs are not seen as outsourced job to few highly invested residents who are volunteers, future commission meetings would be discussing this approach in detail.

Councillor King explained to the commission that through the budget scrutiny process discussions during Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 23 January 2024; she has learned that there is a plan in place to stabilise the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and its importance, especially considering major works and contract overspends.

The commission learned from Councillor King that it is important procurement and rolling over of contracts are approached with a view to invest right amount of money in right areas to receive the best service possible whilst ensuring the stability of the HRA. Some important factors to consider are leading time for contracts procured and a plan for rollover contracts to ensure the continuity of service to residents, whilst also ensuring framework and procurement processes are considered.

Councillor King informed the commission that it is a legal priority and also a responsibility towards our residents to ensure they are safe and feel safe in their homes. Currently this bill from the central government does not come with any support, there is a need for a clear dialogue with the existing and future governments on the priorities to deliver these works in a timely way. It is a significant challenge delivering these priorities whilst balancing the HRA budget.

David explained to the commission that the overall works programme now includes building safety works and fire safety, helping mitigate some of the costs. The prioritisation of these works in works programme has led to good progress, despite the challenges of having 187 tower blocks. Although compared to some other London boroughs we are in a better place with cladding and fire safety works required for our tower blocks. Regeneration projects this year would see around a thousand homes being handed over to residents from the old stock of housing. There are signifanct challenges and pressures faced by Local Authorities in delivering these legal duties without any support from central government. There are on-going discussions to look at, ways to invest in growing our own team of reliable fire safety consultants such as ex-fire fighters rather than paying for external consultants.