Agenda item

Asim Munir, Tenant Involvement Co-ordinator, presented the report outlining the main points as identified in Appendix 1.

The Council has commissioned Rother Fed to undertake two scrutiny reviews per year to inform service improvement and quality. The RotherFed Tenant Scrutiny Working Group was formed in April 2016 and their first review was to consider the engagement of young tenants in Council housing. This topic was selected as it had been established that younger tenants, aged between 16 and 34, were on the whole more dissatisfied with housing services.

This scrutiny review was agreed by Improving Places Select Commission (IPSC) on 5^th April 2017 and it was agreed that an action plan be brought back in six months detailing progress against the recommendations. Progress against the recommendations outlined in the action plan is set out at Appendix 1. The action plan has been agreed by the Housing Involvement Panel and the Housing and Neighbourhood Senior Management Team.

The majority of the actions in Appendix are identified as being either amber or green on the “rag” rating, which is testament to the people involved in achieving the actions.

Councillor Sheppard suggested a follow up non mandatory event for the young tenants to share their experience from the process – which was detailed to inviting some young people to this meeting the next time it is on the agenda.

Young people have had input into consultations regarding customer care training, shared accommodation, the Housing Strategy and the Housing Revenue Account.

Councillor McNeely asked in relation to items E, F and G on page 29 of the papers. 

Mobile telephone numbers for Housing Officers should not be given to tenants due to the many cases they have to deal with. The special number for Housing should be used by customers after which their enquiry will be passed onto the relevant Housing Officer.

In relation to items E and F regarding tenancy workshops the Financial Inclusion Team are working with the Housing Options Team. Housing Officer will be involved in providing any issues identified by the tenants.

Recruitment in relation to the Housing Income Team should be completed by the end of November.

Councillor Mallinder asked for any information regarding the tenancy workshops to be shared with this commission.

Lillian Shears, Co-opted Member asked regarding the progress made in relation to the Housing App.

Requirements in relation to the website and the Housing App should be clearer by the end of 2018 financial year.

Page 31 (M) Councillor Sheppard suggested that the young people taking part in the Tenancy Workshops may benefit from being shown around all the on-line services that are available which may assist them in the future.

Further work is needed on the web site in relation to the digital offer made to tenants around accessing services.  Feedback has been provided by young people to improve the offer.

Cllr McNeely (M) page 29 and the Tell us Once service and how this could be implemented due to data protection issues. Asim Munir said this is an important question in relation to all customer services and for them to know who to contact.

Councillor Elliot (B) p28 would like to see some element of “Mystery Shopper” being included in this element. Asim will provide details of outcomes from such exercises.

Councillor Cutts raised concerns that tenancy were being offered to potential tenants as young as 16 and would these young people be in a position to pay the rent.

Post meeting note. Information was circulated to IPSC Members and there are no people aged 16 currently with a tenancy agreement with the Council.

Asim Munir noted that the Council no longer offers lifetime tenancies only fixed term tenancies. All aspects of holding a tenancy agreement are examined prior to a tenancy being offered.  Other options available to 16 year olds are single bedroom tenancies and shared tenancies.

Councillor McNeely noted that any person under the age of 18 requires a guarantor to sign on their behalf.

Councillor Albiston’s view was that the Action Plan although for young people was not sufficiently young person friendly and that young people do not specifically use the telephone as a way of communicating.

Asim Munir said further work is required in this area and that other options need to be explored in relation to social media, however social media apps do have limits.

Lillian Shears told of previous findings in that young people identified receiving letters as a preferred way of communicating alongside communicating via apps.

Councillor Albiston answered a question from Lillian Shears regarding the action plan not being young person focussed. Councillor Albiston would prefer to see an action plan with the actions being delivered by the young people rather than just a generic action plan. Additional information was provided by Lillian and Asim in relation to the involvement of young people in the process so far and to note that this is the start of a new journey for some young people but it is positive that the Council and Rotherfed are engaging with young people.

Councillor Mallinder asked if the Housing Magazine could be circulated to Members of IPSC

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Action Plan and the progress made to date be noted.

(2)  That the Action Plan be brought back in a further six months updating on progress against the recommendations.