Issue - meetings

Housing and Property Compliance Update (Housing Revenue Account)

This report provides information on how the council meets its responsibilities in ensuring that all council housing within the Housing Revenue Account is managed in a way that meets compliance with current health and safety legislation, best practice and regulatory standards to ensure the health and safety of residents. It sets out issues concerning compliance across the Bournemouth and Poole neighbourhoods and demonstrates how these are being managed.

During quarter three, 2021/22 concerns were identified within the Bournemouth neighbourhood regarding overdue fire risk assessment actions and electrical safety tests and potential non-compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s (Regulator) Home Standard. A robust action plan is in place and issues continue to be addressed at pace with additional resources. To ensure full transparency the council has made a self-referral to the Regulator to make them aware of the situation.

Over the coming years there will be increased responsibilities placed on social landlords to manage the health and safety of residents. These will be primarily included in the Building Safety Bill which is progressing through Parliament. Future changes will also be made to the regulatory regime overseen by the Regulator through the “Charter for Social Housing Residents; a social housing white paper”.

In preparation for these changes, we are ensuring that we are taking steps to improve our existing monitoring and recording of compliance work.

Additional documents:

Appendix 1 for Housing and Property Compliance Update (Housing Revenue Account), item 116 PDF 27 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED that: -

(a) Cabinet noted the compliance information provided which details how the council is performing against statutory building compliance relating to its council housing; and

(b) A performance report will be made annually to Cabinet in future years.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: People and Homes

Councillor N Brooks and B Dunlop declared interests in this item and remained present.

Reason

The council, as a landlord, has many legal obligations it must satisfy to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its tenants and leaseholders. It must also adhere to the regulatory standards as set out by the Regulator, particularly the Home Standard.

Councillors should also have oversight and assurance of compliance against the legal and regulatory requirements that are placed upon it through this annual report to Cabinet.

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for People and Homes presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the report provides information on how the council meets its responsibilities in ensuring that all council housing within the Housing Revenue Account is managed in a way that meets compliance with current health and safety legislation, best practice and regulatory standards to ensure the health and safety of residents, and that in addition it sets out issues concerning compliance across the Bournemouth and Poole neighbourhoods and demonstrates how these are being managed.

Cabinet was informed that during quarter three, 2021/22 concerns were identified within the Bournemouth neighbourhood regarding overdue fire risk assessment actions and electrical safety tests and potential non-compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s (Regulator) Home Standard, and that a robust action plan is in place and issues continue to be addressed at pace with additional resources. Cabinet was further informed that to ensure full transparency the council has made a self-referral to the Regulator to make them aware of the situation.

Cabinet was further advised that over the coming years there will be increased responsibilities placed on social landlords to manage the health and safety of residents, and that these will be primarily included in the Building Safety Bill which is progressing through Parliament.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that future changes will also be made to the regulatory regime overseen by the Regulator through the “Charter for Social Housing Residents; a social housing white paper”, and that in preparation for these changes, the council is ensuring that we are taking steps to improve our existing monitoring and recording of compliance work.

Councillor Hadley addressed the Cabinet with regards to water quality and questioned whether it will be possible to monitor the flow and quality of water remotely or using automated means?

In relation to this the Portfolio Holder advised that the council will no longer be using contractors from April of this year and will be doing this inhouse and so there is an opportunity for this possibility to be looked into.

Councillor Hilliard questioned whether it would be possible to integrate PHP and BCP to one housing management model.

In relation to this the Portfolio Holder advised that the different models will be looked at with a view of pulling together the best aspects of each into one model going forwards.