Agenda and minutes

(Director of Communities) To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

There were no substitutions made for the meeting.

In the absence of a Vice Chairman, Councillor Patel was appointed Vice Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

To agree the notes of the meeting of the Select Committee held on 13^th March 2018.

RESOLVED:

That the notes of the last meeting of the Select Committee held on 13 March 2018 be agreed.

(Director of Governance). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a pecuniary or a non-pecuniary interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 9 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a non-pecuniary interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 9 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

Councillor J H Whitehouse declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6, Review of Homelessness Strategy, by virtue of being a trustee of Epping Forest Reuse and Epping Forest Food bank. She considered that her interest was not prejudicial and she would stay for the consideration of the item.

(Chairman / Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Committee. This is attached along with an ongoing work

programme. Members are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Committee noted their terms of reference and work programme.

To consider the attached report.

The Assistant Director Housing Operations, Roger Wilson took the Committee through the report reviewing the Council’s Homelessness Strategy. He was accompanied by Russell Wallace the Housing Options Manager.

He apologised that he had inadvertently referred to the Committee as the Housing Select Committee and not the Communities Select Committee in the report. It was noted that under the Homelessness Act 2002, Local Authorities had a duty to review and publish their Homelessness Strategy on at least a 5 yearly basis.  As this area of work regularly changes, it was agreed that the Council’s Homelessness Strategy would be reviewed every three years.

The Strategy linked with the Council’s Housing Strategy, Housing Allocations Scheme and Tenancy Policy.  The Strategy set out achievements since 2015 and incorporated the needs and demands on the service and actions that need to be undertaken over the coming three years.      

Importantly, following the new duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 which came into force on 3 April 2018, some major changes had been made under this review.  The changes were briefly summarised as follows:

• The period that a person could be considered to be threatened with homelessness or it is likely that they will become homeless was extended from 28 days to 56 days;
• An applicant was threatened with homelessness at the point the Section 21 Notice (which was the standard notice period provided by private landlords to tenants and was recognised as the single biggest cause of homelessness), had been served as opposed to at the end of the notice period, also preventing councils to advise applicants to remain in occupation beyond expiry;
• Placing an emphasis on services preventing homelessness from occurring strengthening the duties on local authorities to provide advice, securing accommodation and other help available;
• Ensuring services met the needs of groups at particular risk to reflect their complex needs and vulnerabilities;
• A duty to carry out an assessment of an applicant’s case notifying the applicant of the assessment in writing and the provision of a Personalised Housing Plan in order to provide effective support; 
• The applicant’s right to a Review of their Personalised Housing Plan; 

• The ending of the homelessness duty if the applicant “was unreasonably refusing to co-operate”;
• The requirement to secure accommodation (under the new “Relief Duty”) for at least 6 months for all applicants who the authority was satisfied were eligible for assistance; and
• The right to a Review of ending either the Prevention, Relief Duties or as a result of failing to co-operate.

The Housing Select Committee was asked to consider the Draft Homelessness Strategy and report any comments to the Housing Portfolio Holder.  A consultation exercise on the draft Homelessness Strategy would be undertaken over an 8 week period with all Stakeholders with an interest in homelessness including Town and Parish Councils. The Housing Portfolio Holder will be asked to consider the outcome of the exercise and any resultant changes and to adopt the revised Homelessness Strategy.  The Strategy would take effect from 1 September 2018.   

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities, Alan Hall introduced the Housing Service Standards, Performance report for 2017/18. He noted that any changes were set out in bold italics in the second column of the table attached to the report.

The Committee noted that since 2007, the Council has had a range of Housing Service Standards, covering all of the Housing Service’s main areas of activity, formulated in consultation with the Tenants and Leaseholders Panel.

The Standards, and the Housing Service’s performance against them, were considered each year by the Communities Select Committee to determine whether or not any changes to the Service Standards should be recommended to the Housing Portfolio Holder. 

It was noted that all references to the Private Housing Standards (Technology) Team be removed as they were now covered under a separate standard.

He noted that the Appendix to the report provided details of the current Housing Service Standards and – where measurable and appropriate – the Housing Service’s performance in meeting the standards in 2017/18.  As a comparison, the Appendix also provided details on performance in 2016/17 and 2015/16.

The Tenants and Leaseholders Panel Federation would be consulted on the Service Standards and the Performance Schedule at its meeting on 4^th September 2018, and their comments and recommendations would be passed to the Housing Portfolio Holder at the same time as the Select Committee. 

The Committee went on to consider standards as laid out in the appendix to the report.

G2 – generally satisfy at least 80% of our tenants with overall housing service provided – Councillor Heap asked how many responses were there from how many residents on the survey undertaken. He was told that this was done every 2 years. They had a very approximate 30% response rate with an approximate 20% of residents being surveyed.

HM2 – provide you with the following options to pay your rent … - Councillor Heap noted that nothing was measured but the target was achieved. Mr Hall said that the report was erroneous to say that it was not measured, which he would change.

HM10 – remove clearly abandoned and potentially dangerous vehicles from housing estates within 5 working days of receiving a complaint – Councillor Heap asked how many had been cleared up. Mr Hall said that he did not know the exact number.

S9 – repair 90% of faults to telecare equipment within 2 working days and 100% within 4 working days – Councillor Patel asked why the target had not been achieved. He was told that the target of 90% was a much higher standard than the industry standard of 15 days and we had achieved 75% of the target. Councillor Patel asked what sort of support we gave to people when their equipment was not working. He was told that the majority took just over two days to fix but we also provided them with alternative equipment until the system was fixed.

RESOLVED:

(1)   That performance against the previously-agreed Housing Service Standards in 2017/18  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider the attached report.

The Assistant Director Community Services and Safety, Julie Chandler introduced the six monthly progress report on the implementation of the ageing population action plan.

The Committee noted that in 2015/16 the Council carried out a comprehensive study into the impact of an ageing population in the Epping Forest District, which generated over 40 recommendations for the Council and a range of statutory and voluntary sector partners, to progress. These were translated into a detailed action plan, which has been in progress since October 2016 and it was agreed that the Communities Select Committee would be provided with six monthly updates on the progress and successful implementation of key areas of work.

The study suggested that the district was already home to 52,000 people aged 50 and over, of which nearly 2000 residents were living with dementia, and it was predicted that by 2025, these numbers would increase to 58,000 people aged over 50, and 3,500 people with dementia.

The study therefore enabled the Council to increase its understanding of the future resident population and provided the opportunity for the Council to consult their existing older residents, on their expectations and service needed as they aged, providing an insight into preferences and choices that they would ultimately make, in respect of their future lives in the Epping Forest District.

All statutory and voluntary sector partners involved in the study were delighted with the work undertaken, as the findings had been used to improve and develop their own services to the public.

The Committee noted that:

·         Work was progressing well in the development of Dementia Friendly Communities across the district including Dementia Friendly businesses, with a business recognition scheme currently being launched;

·         Projects to reduce social isolation were being rolled out as a pilot in Buckhurst Hill;

·         Five strength and balance classes had been set up in Buckhurst Hill, Debden, Epping, Ongar and Waltham Abbey, as a collaborative approach to health improvement, through Public Health funding;

·         An Active Living programme for inactive adults was being expanded to five locations across the district;

·         Four ‘Stay Well’ events for older people would be taking place throughout November 2018;

·         Officers were looking to develop more work with Public Houses across the district to offer free meals to older people. It was noted that this service was currently being provided in Fyfield and Buckhurst Hill;

·         As part of the Council’s Customer Services transformation, Officers were looking at providing paperless and hardcopy ways to communicate with older people;

·         The Council was at an early stage in developing a new corporate website and would be implementing online platforms for older people to access services; and

·         The Council was also working with NHS colleagues to develop digital support initiatives, to enable people to live in their homes for longer.

Councillor Whitehouse asked what were the Community Champions as mentioned in the action plan. She was told that these champions would be volunteers, who would initially work with the Council to identify gaps in services in local wards areas and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities introduced the six month progress report on the Housing Strategy. The Strategy also included a Key Action Plan, which set out the proposed actions that would be taken by the Council to contribute towards the achievement of the housing objectives over the first year of the Housing Strategy.  New Key Action Plans will then be produced annually from October each year for the remaining period of the Housing Strategy.

When the Cabinet adopted the Housing Strategy, it asked the Communities Select Committee to review progress with the Key Action Plans on a 6-monthly basis.

The Committee went through the action plan page by page.

Councillor Heap noted item 4 on Affordable Housing (development of additional affordable housing) and commented that the Council had to speed the development of additional affordable housing up. Mr Hall agreed and noted that the new Local Plan Submission Version, with sites with 11 or more units, requires 40% would have to be affordable.

Councillor Chris Roberts noted that item 11 on Council Housebuilding (51 new affordable homes, Burton Road, Loughton) the completion date had slipped and now said September 2018 - was this date when they were to be let or when the building works were to be completed. Mr Hall said the latest information he had was that it was due to be completed by the end of October 2018. Once completed we would hand over the site, so by November it should be occupied.

Councillor Patel noted item 9 on Affordable Housing relating to the Government’s proposed introduction of a High Value Voids Levy and that this was pending action, what did this mean. Mr Hall said that the Government was proposing to require councils by law to pay a levy to it and the only practical way to meet this cost would be to sell high value empty properties. But recently the Government had gone quiet on this and has not asked for this in the past few years. Officers did not know whether or not this was going in the longer term.

Councillor Heap asked if item 13 on Council Housebuilding was to be completed by October 2019 as indicated. He was told that as of now, it was scheduled to be completed by October 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the 6-Month Progress Report on the Housing Strategy Key Action Plan 2017/18, be noted by the Communities Select Committee.

To consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities introduced the quarter 4 outturn report on the Corporate Plan Key Action Plan for 2017/18. The Corporate Plan was the Council’s key strategic planning document, setting out its priorities over the five-year period from 2015/16 to 2019/20. The priorities or Corporate Aims were supported by Key Objectives, which provided a clear statement of the Council’s overall intentions for these five years.

The Key Objectives are delivered by an annual action plan, with each year building upon the progress against the achievement of the Key Objectives for previous years.

There were 50 actions in the Key Action Plan 2017/18. At the end of the year:

(a)        28 (56%) of the individual deliverables or actions supporting the key objectives had been achieved;

(b)        15 (30%) of the deliverables were expected to achieve target in the next 6 months;

(c)        6 (12%) of the deliverables or actions were not completed by year-end albeit significant progress had been made. Details of the progress made were set out in the comments against the individual deliverables or actions; and

(d)        1 (2%) action was pending and could not currently be fully completed.

20 actions fell within the areas of responsibility of the Communities Select Committee. At the end of the year:

·         10 (50%) of these actions had been achieved at year end;

·         1 (5%) of the deliverables or actions were not completed by year-end albeit significant progress had been made. Details of the progress made were set out in the comments against the individual deliverables or actions;

·         8 (40%) of these actions were expected to achieve target in the next 6 months

·         1 (5%) action was pending and could not currently be fully completed.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee noted the outturn position of the Corporate Plan Key Action Plan for 2017/18 in relation to its areas of responsibility.

To consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities introduced the quarter 4 outturn report on the performance of the Key Performance Indicators for 2017/18 within its area of responsibility.

The Local Government Act 1999 required that the Council made arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions and services were exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

As part of the duty to secure continuous improvement, a range of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) relevant to the Council’s services and key objectives, were adopted each year by the Finance and Performance Management Cabinet Committee. Performance against the KPIs was monitored on a quarterly basis by Management Board and Overview and Scrutiny to drive improvement in performance and ensure corrective action is taken where necessary.

All indicators - The overall position for all 32 KPIs at the end of the year was as follows:

(a)    21 (66%)  indicators achieved target;

(b)    11 (34%)indicators did not achieve target; although

(c)    5 (16%) of these KPIs performed within its tolerated amber margin.

Communities Select Committee indicators - Nine (9) of the Key Performance Indicators fell within the Communities Select Committee’s areas of responsibility. The overall position with regard to the achievement of target performance at the end of the year for these indicators, was as follows:

(a)     7  (78%) indicators achieved target;

(b)     2  (22% indicators did not achieve target; and

(c)     0  (0%) indicators performed within their tolerated amber margin. 

RESOLVED:

That the Select Committee noted the performance against the Key Performance Indicators within its areas of responsibility for 2017/18.

To consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities introduced the report reviewing the updated Project Dossier for the Transformation programme for the Communities Directorate, on behalf of the Head of Transformation. He noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had requested the progress of projects and programmes within the Transformation Programme – known as the Project Dossier – be reported to regular meetings of the Committee for review.

The Committee considered and reviewed the list of active High and Medium complexity projects, known formally as the Project Dossier.

Councillor Whitehouse commented that she felt these were impenetrable reports, for instance what did ‘behavioural insight’ mean? She was told that this was sometimes known as ‘nudge theory’ a way to encourage a resident to behave in a particular way.

Councillor Whitehouse said that she would like a few words added on each project in the dossier to explain the project. Mr Hall said that he would feedback this view to the Head of Transformation.

RESOLVED:

To consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities introduced the report on the Project Charters from the Transformation Programme, on behalf of the Head of Transformation. He explained that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had requested that Project Charter(s) from the Transformation Programme were submitted to the relevant select committees for their information.

The committee noted that a project starts its life as a Charter, which laid out the basic definition of the project and its scope. Alongside the charter the project manager and sponsor complete a Risk Potential Assessment (RPA) in order to assess the complexity of the project. The approval of Medium and High complexity projects by the Programme Management Office and Transformation Programme Board gives the project the mandate to move into the discovery phase. This process was facilitated by the link officer assigned to the project from the Transformation Programme Management Office.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee noted the Project Charter on the Oakwood Hill Footpaths.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

The Chairman noted that she would report back on the Homelessness Strategy, the Aging Population progress report and the Housing Strategy progress report.

To note the future meeting dates for this Select Committee:

04^th September 2018;

13^th November 2018;

15^th January 2019; and

12^th March 2019.

The Committee noted the dates of their future meetings.