Agenda and minutes
PDF 149 KBVenue: Town Hall, Moorgate Street, Rotherham.
Contact: Dawn Mitchell (Ext. 2062) Email: dawn.mitchell@rotherham.gov.uk
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Communications Minutes: The Chair reported that the next meeting of the Scrutiny Panel had been changed from the scheduled date of 22nd January to the 15th in order to comply with the budget timetable. |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: There were no Declarations of Interest made at the meeting. |
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Questions from members of the public and the press Minutes: There were no members of the public and press present at the meeting. |
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Sustainable Communities Section - Overview of Landlord Relations Team (pages 1-10) - Helping Our Communities to Save Energy in their Homes (pages 11-19) Additional documents: Minutes: (a) Tom Bell, Neighbourhood Investment Manager, gave a powerpoint presentation on the Landlord Relations Team as follows:-
Overview of Landlord Relations Team - New team established in May, 2008 - Based within Neighbourhood Investment Services - Landlord Relations Manager, Technical Client Officer and Tenant Empowerment Officer
Key Objectives - To strengthen the partnership between RMBC and 2010 Rotherham Ltd. - To ensure the Decent Homes Programme was delivered on time, within budget and to the required quality standard - To develop options for the future of Council housing - To develop tenant empowerment opportunities - To identify opportunities to increase efficiency from the partnership
Strengthening Partnerships - Co-ordinating liaison meetings between RMBC and 2010 to ensure the right links existed at the right levels with a clear escalation route - Promoting 2010’s achievements within RMBC - Offering assistance in reviewing Service Level Agreements and ALMO governance structures - Identifying opportunities to work together to ensure a co-ordinated and joined up approach and value for money
Decent Homes - Carrying out quality assurance inspections on properties that had received Decent Homes works - Reporting by exception to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods on a quarterly basis - Working in partnership with 2010 to identify actions to ensure continuous improvement - Ensuring alignment between 2010’s Environmental Improvements Work Programme and the Council’s Neighbourhood Regeneration Programme
Future Options for Council Housing - Council Housing Directions Project established - Steering Group chaired by Councillor Walker - Four sub-groups looking at finance, landlord options, opportunities to build new Council houses and opportunities to expand the ALMO’s business opportunities - Resident consultation to take place in early 2009 - Final recommendations to be reported to Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods in March, 2009
Tenant Empowerment Opportunities - Supporting tenant and resident groups that were interested in exercising their Right to Manage - Exploring and promoting other tenant empowerment opportunities - Providing briefings and training for Members, officers and stakeholders on tenant empowerment - Linking to the Council Housing Directions Project to ensure the model selected to deliver RMBC’s aspirations for Council housing offers opportunities for tenants to have a greater say in the management of their homes
Increasing efficiency from the partnership - Ensuring that 2010’s programme of Environmental Improvement Works (under Decent Homes) was aligned with RMBC investment priorities - Identifying potential efficiency savings from contracts - Providing technical support and expertise with respect to the delivery of investment in non-traditional properties, ensuring value for money was achieved - Attending benchmarking forums to identify further opportunities to increase efficiency
The following principles underpin the Team’s delivery of the objectives - Ensuring open and honest communication - Ensuring effective links between RMBC and 2010 staff at all levels - Encouraging and promoting partnership working - Ensuring customer’s needs drive service provision/improvement - Focusing on continuous improvement and options for the future
Discussion ensued with the following points highlighted:-
o The Pathfinder had tried to ensure that the Programme was aligned to the delivery of Decent Home works ... view the full minutes text for item 69. |
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Local Area Agreement Target - Serious and Acquisitive Crime (a) Presentation by Superintendent Keith Lumley, South Yorkshire Police (pages 20-27)
(b) Operation Fawkes – report by Steve Parry, Safer Rotherham Partnership Co-ordinator (pages 28-30) Additional documents: Minutes: (a) Detective Chief Inspector Terry Mann, South Yorkshire Police, gave the following powerpoint presentation on Offender Management:-
Why is current performance positive - Crime Reduction 15.5% - Crime Detections 33% (up 7%) - Serious Acq Crime Reduction 16% - Serious Acq Crime detections 39% (up 21%) - Burglary Reductions 12% Detections 29% (+18%) - Vehicle Crime Reductions 21% Detections 42% (+24%)
Since October New Shape Offender Management Unit (OMU) - OMU Review - Stole good practice - Reinvented a few wheels - Identified ‘thief takers’ – DIP – Intell – Partners - Identified main offenders – matrix scoring - Aligned tasking - Prioritised actions - Aligned BCU fund to support - Technology – trap car
Current Performance – since October 2007 - 500+ Prisoners - 300 Charged - 80 PPOs - 180 Remanded in Custody - 2,000+ Detections
Process Management - Week A Victim/location
- Week B OMU GIP/Probation/YOS/Housing Offender Matrix Action Jag (4 weekly)
Action at OMU – All Agencies - Matrix Action Review - Intell requirement - Intellactioning - Offender management – testing results – pickup - Offender intervention – treatment – housing - Offender action – arrest – recall – surveillance - Victim updates
Key messages - Integrate – front/back office elements – respect specialisms - Integrate with daily/bi-weekly/JAG processes - Involve/empower key agencies - Share intelligence - Identify opportunities – prevent – enforce – manage - Maintain other business – Op Corrode – key investigative capability
Discussion ensued on the presentation with the following issues highlighted:-
o Partnership working was key o Meetings were to be held between the Strategic Director and the District Commander in the New Year to discuss a closer working relationship o South Yorkshire Police’s focus was on customer, satisfaction and reassurance. These would be the focus for the new Media Officer o A new mapping system would be available in the New Year through the Safer Rotherham website o The whole process of NAGs were being reviewed with possible inclusion of the new Community Crime Fighters o As part of their new way of working, the Area Partnership Managers would be Chairing SNT meetings o A seminar was to be held in the New Year by 2010 Rotherham Ltd. looking at anti-social behaviour in relation to the Tenancy Agreement o Our Future Group 3 was looking at the lessons learnt from the intensive neighbourhood management at Chesterhill Avenue and how to roll it out to the wider Borough
Terry was thanked for his presentation.
Resolved:- (1) That the presentation be noted.
(2) That the Cabinet Member report back to the Scrutiny Panel on the discussions with South Yorkshire Police.
(3) That a report be submitted to the Scrutiny Panel on the Chesterhill Avenue intensive neighbourhood management pilot.
(4) That Steve Parry present the new data mapping system to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Panel.
(5) That a report be submitted on the non-reporting of incidents.
(6) That it be conveyed to Area Assembly Chairs that the Scrutiny Panel ... view the full minutes text for item 70. |
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Neighbourhoods 2nd Quarter (April to September) Performance 2007/08 - to note the results and the remedial actions in place to improve performance
Additional documents: Minutes: The Performance Manager submitted a report outlining the Key Performance Indicator results and efficiency projections for the second quarter of 2008/09.
At the end of the quarter, 13 (76%) Key Performance Indicators were currently on track to achieve their year end targets and improve on their position last year. This was a deterioration from 90% last year. The 4 Indicators currently not on target were:-
2010 Rotherham Ltd. - NM72 Urgent repairs completed in time - BV212 Empty property relet times - xBC211a % Programmed/Responsive expenditure on repairs
Neighbourhoods - NI156 Number of households in temporary accommodation (Independent Living)
The Housing Revenue Account was forecasting £400,000 worse than budget due to the forecast loss of £1.1M because of 2010’s performance on letting empty properties.
Discussion ensued on the report with the following issues highlighted:-
o The Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services had met with the Interim Chief Executive, 2010 Rotherham Ltd., on a regular basis to tackle some of the issues particularly with regard to void property turnround o The Voids Manager had attended a recent Cabinet Member meeting and given an indication of some of the actions put into place to improve performance o A precedent had been set in previous years of recouping the projected loss of income from 2010 o The need for an accurate status of empty properties in the Borough at Ward level o The Interim Chief Executive had made a commitment to reduce the number of voids by half by March, 2009. He had had discussions with Decent Home contractors to carry out some of the voids repair work o 1 of the recommendations in the Audit Commission report was the inconsistency in the standard of void properties prior to letting o A recent tenant survey had provided a 90% return. A preliminary report was expected shortly o Ensure that the Debt Recovery Policy operated by 2010 was being implemented sensitively and offering support those suffering from the credit crunch
Resolved:- (1) That the report and the remedial actions in place to improve performance be noted.
(2) That an update on the void property situation be submitted to the Panel.
(3) That the results from the recent tenant survey be submitted to a future meeting of the Panel. |
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Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods - minutes of meetings held on 10th and 24th November, 2008 Additional documents: Minutes: The Panel noted the decisions made under delegated powers by the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods held on 10th and 24th November, 2008. |
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Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel - minutes of meeting held on 13th November, 2008 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 13th November, 2008, were noted. |
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Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee - minutes of meeting held on 7th and 21st November, 2008 Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of the Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee held on 7th and 21st November, 2008 were noted. |
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- minutes of meeting held on 4th November, 2008 Minutes: The minutes of a meeting of the Recycling Group held on 4th November, 2008, attended by Councillors R. Russell (in the Chair), Ali, Falvey, Nightingale and Wyatt were noted. |
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SIONED-MAIR RICHARDS Minutes: The Chair reported that Sioned was now on secondment with the IDeA.
Sioned was thanked for her hard work over the last 12 months and wished luck in her secondment. |