Issue - meetings

To consider how the Housing Landlord Service is performing on responsive repairs and planned maintenance (report of the Director of Communities enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Communities which consider how the Housing Landlord Service performed on responsive repairs and planned maintenance.

The Housing Property and Repairs Manager introduced the report highlighting the following areas:

• This report followed on from the report presented to the Panel in March and detailed the year end performance position for responsive repairs and planned maintenance.
• Performance remained on track and on target
• Underperformance in the capital programme remained and while inroads had been made, this still remained an area on focus.
• A Capital Programme Clinic was being set up to assist with underperformance in the capital programme and this would involve monthly scrutiny by the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing.

Members considered the report, and made the following comments:

• Members commented on the need to ensure that the Capital Programme Clinic was not merely a ‘talking shop’ and would drive improvement in tackling the underperformance in the capital programme.
  • The Housing Property and Repairs Manager confirmed that this clinic would mirror the Housing Compliance Clinic that was already in operation and scrutiny would be performed by the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing and the Assistant Director – Housing.
• Members commented that improvement was required in regard to tenant satisfaction measures relating to repairs.
• Members identified resourcing as a key issue and highlighted that temporary operatives had been taken on.
  • The Housing Property and Repairs Manager confirmed that this would be an area of focus for 25/26 and the team were looking to ratify this issue.
• Members queried when the online repairs reporting tool would be available to tenants.
  • The Housing Property and Repairs Manager anticipated that this would be available in Q2 25/26.
  • The Business Support Manager confirmed that Officers were currently working the corporate transformation team to deliver this tool for tenants in Q2, with tenants also providing feedback on the tool during the development phase.
• Members praised Officers and the Portfolio Holder for the amount of work that had taken place since the beginning of the transformation programme and commented on the rise of satisfaction among tenants across most areas.
• Members queried the timing of the Asset Management Strategy and the HRA Business Plan.
  • The Assistant Director – Housing confirmed that these documents would follow the same timeline as the budget setting process and implemented at the same time as the 26/27 budget.
  • Informal members sessions were about to be set up and once these had taken place, the documents would be presented to tenants for feedback.

The Panel requested that the following feedback be provided to Cabinet:

• The Panel supported the need to ensure that the department were adequately resourced to ensure the full maintenance of all properties.

AGREED:

That the Panel notes the report and provides the above feedback to Cabinet.