Agenda and draft minutes

-        Minutes of meeting held on 20^th January, 2014

The following report was submitted:-

AREA ASSEMBLY CHAIRS

20^th January, 2014

Present:-  Councillor McNeely (in the Chair); Councillors Atkin, Beaumont, Currie, Dodson, Read, Falvey, N. Hamilton, Havenhand, Johnston, Swift, Sims and Whelbourn.

Apologies were received from Councillor J. Hamilton.

19.        MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 11^th November, 2013, were noted.

20.        Legal Advice for Families

            Sharon Lockwood, Solicitor from Howells Solicitors, was welcomed to the meeting.  Sharon provided details to Area Assembly Chairs relating to the ‘Free Advice for Families’ programme that Howells were currently running.

The scheme provided free legal advice for parents in South Yorkshire until 2015.  The scheme was running despite the legal aid cut backs that had come into effect from April 2013. 

Howells had accessed the funding from a successful bid they had submitted to the Department for Work and Pensions to undertake a two year pilot.  The parameters of the bid covered the provision of financial advice, family law, housing, debts, benefits and employment advice to families with children. 

Those eligible included: -

·       Separated and separating parents;

·       Threshold earning level of up to £45,000 (single income, not combined income);

·       Covered a free appointment and three hours of work;

·       Mediation;

·       Counselling – for couples or individuals;

·       Engagement.

Discussion ensued on the scheme as presented: -

·       This is a useful resource and should be promoted widely.

·       In some Area Assemblies the information leaflets were being widely distributed;

·       Why was the scheme not available for couples without children and parents who were remaining together but still requiring help?

o   The focus of the tender had to be specific about which groups would be eligible.

·       Sustainability of the scheme following the end of the pilot;

·       Costs of family law processes: -

o   People were increasingly representing themselves in Court and taking ‘background’ advice from legal professionals on the paperwork and processes;

o   Some areas of family law still had access to free legal funding, including domestic violence and cases where children’s social care were involved. 

·       Potential for future support at the end of the funding and taking the funding over a longer period.

Resolved: -  That the information shared be noted. 

21.        Area Assembly Update

            Andrea Peers, Area Partnership Manager, provided an update in relation to the Wentworth Valley Area: -

·       Community First Celebration before Christmas, 2013.  All current projects had been showcased together.  The event had been well attended, upbeat and there had been cross pollination of ideas;

·       Community members had helped to arrange the event, they had accessed mentoring and funding had been accessed from the Community Leadership Fund. 

·       An awareness raising session on countering CSE was planned for community groups on signs to look out for and what to do.  Following the event a report would be brought back to Area Assembly Chairs about how well the event worked.

Andrea Peers, Area Partnership Manager, provided an update in relation to the Rother Valley South Area:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services, regarding the future of the Key Choices Property Management (KCPM) Service which had been established since 2006.

The KCPM Gold Service currently managed 80 properties, owned by 66 different landlords, and the KCPM Bronze and Silver Service which had an additional 10 landlords in its portfolio.  Its core business was to manage private rented properties and to increase the access to such properties for those who approached KCPM.  However, in the current economic climate it was not appropriate that the Council provided a subsidised housing management service for private landlords and, despite repeated attempts to make it self-financing through increasing the portfolio, the total number of managed properties had not increased.

As demand for private rented homes increased, the Service needed to be redesigned so that the Team were able to offer a housing option and resettlement service to help more vulnerable people in housing need.  It was proposed that the Property Management Service be removed from KCPM, reduce the size of the Team and develop a more central role within the Council’s private rented sector agenda with more emphasis on engagement to improve standards, increasing access and tenancy sustainment.

Further information was provided on the reasons for the review of the service, the alternative approach and the need to continue with a short term tenancy intensive intervention service to support vulnerable people.

Discussion ensued on the opportunities to access private rented accommodation and increase confidence in landlords, the quality of private rented accommodation, the need for some kind of tenancy support for vulnerable customers and the need to share information with landlords with regard to the services and costs of alternative letting agents.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Key Choices Property Management Service be disestablished but retain and enhance the critical support functions as set out in the report submitted.

(2)  That support be provided to existing Key Choices Property Management Service landlords to identify and transfer to a suitable letting agency of their choice and, if appropriate, to offer ongoing support to current tenants.

(3)  That the transfer of the housing management service for private landlords be reviewed in twelve months’ time.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Finance Manager, Neighbourhood and Adult Services, relating to the Housing Revenue Account which would require a reduction in the planned transfer from working balances (HRA reserves) of £0.532M, which was £2.067M less than the approved budget.

Appendix A of the report provided the Budget Operating Statement for 2013/14 which showed the various income and expenditure budget lines which made up the net cost of delivering the Service.  The latest forecast net cost of Service was £-7.880M, together with Revenue contribution to Capital costs and interest received, would result in an overall deficit of £0.532M to be transferred from Working Balances.

Expenditure

Based upon expenditure and commitments to date, total expenditure was forecast to outturn at £72.049M compared to a budget provision of £73.091M, a decrease in spend of £1.042M.  The main variations were:-

Contributions to Housing Repairs

-          Repairs and Maintenance – Currently forecast to underspend £452,000 against a budget at £17.966M.  The Empty Homes budget was difficult to forecast given it being a responsive service.  At the end of December there had been 216 more completions than budgeted, the main reason being the impact of the Welfare Reform as more tenants requested a transfer to smaller properties.  Within the Housing Repairs budgets there was an overall forecast overspend on Empty Homes due to increase in minor voids offset by a forecast underspend on overheads within revenue schemes plus shares savings now agreed with both contractors

Supervision and Management

-          Forecast to outturn at £19.675M, overall underspend of £390k.  The main reason for the variation was higher than expected staff turnover including delays in implementing the review of structures across a number of teams.  This was reduced by an additional contribution to the Furnished Homes reserve due to additional income as more clients used the Scheme

Income

-          Total forecast income collectable was £79.929M, an increase of £1.025M above the approved budget of £78.904M

-          Dwelling rental income was projected to over-recover by £205k.  However,  non-dwelling rents was forecast to under-recover against budget by £24k due to a review of other properties resulting in less income due to the HRA

-          Income from charges for services and facilities were forecasting an outturn of £4.315M, an over-recovery of £713k mainly as a result of additional income on Furnished Homes due to increase in the number of clients, additional fee income from Right to Buy sales plus one off income from prior year charges for District Heating.   However, there was a forecast under-recovery of income from clients using Sheltered Neighbourhood Centres services as tenants opted out of the laundry charge

-          Other fees and charges were forecasting an over-recovery of income of £131k related to additional unbudgeted income in respect of the sale of tenants contents insurance, recovery of Court costs, income from second hand furniture and income from utility companies for the use of solar panels

Discussion ensued on the costs associated with the laundry service, the need to encourage tenants to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Finance Manager, Neighbourhoods and Adult Services, in relation to the budget monitoring and financial forecast for the Neighbourhoods General Fund within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to 31st March, 2014, based on actual income and expenditure for the period ending January, 2014.

The latest forecast showed an overall underspend of £252,000 against an approved net revenue budget of £2.463M as follows:-

Strategic Housing and Investment Service (+£11k)

-          Lower than expected staff turnover against budget

Housing Options (-£90k)

-          Projected underspend including a projected underspend on the Dispersed Units Trading Account and within the Private Sector Adaptations Service as a result of increased fee income

-          Projected overspend on the Key Choices Property Management Service as a result of lower than anticipated income

Housing and Communities (-£69k)

-          Projected underspends within Area Assemblies and Supplies and Services as a result of the Council-wide moratorium on non-essential spend

-          Partially reduced by a small overspend on Anti-Social Behaviour due to lower than expected staff turnover

-          Small underspend within Community Safety Unit as a result of a recent vacancy

-          Underspend also within Community Leadership Fund

Central (-£7k)

-          Small underspend due to savings on Supplies and Services

Business Regulation (balanced)

-          Business Regulation was projecting a balanced budget

-          Pressures on staffing costs within Health and Safety, Food and Drugs and Animal Health budgets were being offset by savings within Trading Standards due to continued vacant posts

-          Projected overspend within Licensing due to increased IT costs for Licensing Management software and projected income for new licences not being as high as originally anticipated

-          Bereavement Services projecting an underspend as a result of lower than forecast costs relating to repairs and maintenance

Safer Neighbourhoods (-97k)

-          Savings within Community Protection through vacancy management, further savings achieved as a result of the moratorium on non-essential spend  and additional grant funding

-          Partly reduced by a small remaining pressure on income due to reduced Environmental Protection Act applications

-          Statutory health and safety work on landfill sites resulting in a forecast overspend

Consultancy spend to date was £46,808 in respect of data analysis relating to Green Deal Energy Efficient projects which is grant funded. There had been no spend on Agency within Neighbourhoods’ General Fund budgets.

Resolved:- That the report be received and the latest financial projection against budget for 2013/14 noted.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Business and Commercial Programme Manager, which represented the indicative outturn position for the 2013/14 Capital Programme.

As at the end of Period 10 (January, 2014), total spend on the HIP was £15,631,246M compared to a budget provision of £17,878,163M, an underspend of £2,246,917 (-12.5% variance).

The report submitted provided details of savings and slippage on the individual schemes of work with the overall programme and highlighted the fact that the resources not drawn down in 2013/14 would be carried forward into next year.

Further information was provided on:-

·                Total Capital Works to Properties.

·                Fair Access to All.

·                Regeneration/Neighbourhood Renewal – Private and Public Sector.

·                Other Public Sector.

Savings and slippages identified were primarily across schemes funded through the Major Repairs Allowance and would be carried forward into future years. 

Discussion ensued on the complexity of the new integrated Housing Management System, deregulation of Council-owned garage sites and on disabled adaptations.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the spend and forecast position to the end of Period 10 (January, 2014) be noted.

(2)  That the total slippage of £1,263,067 be approved.

(3)  That the use of £362,853 of Capital receipts to fund reduction of Private Sector Adaptations backlog be approved.