Content

DECISION
 
The Mayor in
Sub-Committee is RESOLVED that:
 

1.    
Approves the Policy Framework and proposed consultation plan
at Appendix 1 in the report submitted.
 

2.    
Approves the recommendation to de-scope policies which fall
outside the direct remit of the Housing Management
Division.
 

3.    
Notes that the Damp and Mould Policy will be formally
approved one month after the implementation of Awaab’s Law,
with the service adopting the policy principles as determined by
statute in advance of the November Cabinet

Reasons for the decision

We have conducted
a self-assessment against all four Consumer Standards and have
developed a framework of 21 key policies to support staff,
residents and meet the standards. 1.2 This report sets out our
proposed approach to reviewing and formalising all policies,
ensuring that we enable tenants, leaseholders and wider
stakeholders to influence development of our policies and ensure
these are effectively and formally embedded in services’
practice.
 
When considering
the prioritisation for review, we have prioritised based on risk
(for residents and the Council), the need to build in time to
engage with residents and consult on policy development, and
alignment with our “Your Voice, Our Action: Safe Homes, Great
Services” improvement programme where policy reviews are
identified as key deliverables over the next 12 months.
 
In terms of the
policies which we are proposing to be de-scoped, we have identified
more appropriate leads across the Council. This is part of the
Housing Management service integrating with the Council and
ensuring we do not duplicate the work of other areas, for example
the “Reasonable Adjustments” policy, which will be a
corporate policy to be approved outside the scope of this
programme.
 
The Damp and Mould
Policy is progressing, but as this is such an important policy
area, we want to engage with as many residents as possible to
ensure that their views are factored into this policy development
and implementation. As a result, we are proposing that the
consultation period runs over the summer, which will be a
multi-channel engagement.
 
When considering
the prioritisation for review, we have prioritised based on risk
(for residents and the Council), the need to build in time to
engage with residents and consult on policy development, and
alignment with our “Your Voice, Our Action: Safe Homes, Great
Services” improvement programme where policy reviews are
identified as key deliverables over the next 12 months.
 
We are seeking
agreement from the Housing Management Cabinet Sub-Committee on this
approach

Alternative options considered

There are no
alternative options, it is essential that the Council has
sufficient and up to date policies to meet the Consumer Standards
and more importantly provide a clear and consistent framework to
guide colleagues and deliver fair and equitable outcomes for our
residents.
 
As part of this
process, we will request external assurance from Housing Quality
Network (HQN) to ensure that our framework meets the standards and
offers a suitable framework for colleagues and
residents.