Agenda item

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 also sets out issues concerning compliance and demonstrates how these are being managed.

The report provides performance information to the end of quarter 2, 2022/23. There are no significant issues of non-compliance to report but a recent internal audit of the Bournemouth neighbourhood identified several issues which are set out which impact upon assurance. There is also a concern in gaining access to homes in Bournemouth to carry out lift inspections.

There are increased responsibilities placed on social landlords to manage the health and safety of residents primarily included in the new Building Safety Act 2022 although many of its provisions require further secondary legislation.

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require the council to fit carbon monoxide alarms to all its homes by 1 October 2022. The council wrote to the Regulator of Social Housing as not all homes were compliant. We informed them that our programme to fit the alarms had already commenced and by February 2023 all our homes will be compliant. The Regulator’s expectations are that plans are put in place to ensure compliance and has replied confirming that there has been no breach of regulatory standards.

With the creation of the new inhouse housing management service, BCP Homes, work is required to align policies and procedures regarding property compliance.

Future changes will also be made to the regulatory regime overseen by the Regulator through the Social Housing Regulation Bill. Following the white paper, the charter for social housing residents, new national tenant satisfaction measures will be reported on from April 2023 and will include those relating to maintaining building safety.

In preparation for these changes, we will continue to take steps to improve our existing monitoring and recording of compliance work.

An Advisory Board has been established to support the work of the new BCP Homes service and the Portfolio Holder for People and Homes. The Board, consisting of independent, resident and councillor members will provide an additional element of oversight and assurance around many areas including property compliance.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)          Cabinet notes 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

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 of Social Housing, 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.

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 provided 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 it also sets out issues concerning compliance and demonstrates how these are being managed.

Cabinet was informed that the report provides performance information to the end of quarter 2, 2022/23, and that there are no significant issues of non-compliance to report but that a recent internal audit of the Bournemouth neighbourhood identified several issues which are set out which impact upon assurance, and that there is also a concern in gaining access to homes in Bournemouth to carry out lift inspections.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that there are increased responsibilities placed on social landlords to manage the health and safety of residents primarily included in the new Building Safety Act 2022 although many of its provisions require further secondary legislation.

Cabinet was informed that the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require the council to fit carbon monoxide alarms to all its homes by 1 October 2022, and that the council had written to the Regulator of Social Housing as not all homes were compliant.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that they had been advised that our programme to fit the alarms had already commenced and by February 2023 all our homes will be compliant, the Regulator’s expectations are that plans are put in place to ensure compliance and has replied confirming that there has been no breach of regulatory standards.

Cabinet was advised that with the creation of the new inhouse housing management service, BCP Homes, work is required to align policies and procedures regarding property compliance, and that future changes will also be made to the regulatory regime overseen by the Regulator through the Social Housing Regulation Bill, and that following the white paper, the charter for social housing residents, new national tenant satisfaction measures will be reported on from April 2023 and will include those relating to maintaining building safety.

Cabinet was informed that in preparation for these changes, the council will continue to take steps to improve our existing monitoring and recording of compliance work, and that an Advisory Board has been established to support the work of the new BCP Homes service and the Portfolio Holder for People and Homes, and that the Board, consisting of independent, resident and councillor members will provide an additional element of oversight and assurance around many areas including property compliance.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)          Cabinet notes 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 Nigel Brooks declared an interest in this item and remained present for the discussion and voting thereon.