The Housing, Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel met to discuss housing adaptations, resident engagement and the panel's work programme. The meeting was also scheduled to include a verbal update from Councillor Sarah Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning, and a discussion of the Housing Service's performance.

Housing Adaptations

The panel was scheduled to receive a report outlining how the Occupational Therapy (OT) Aids and Adaptations service operates and how it works with Housing. The report was intended to provide an overview of the service for both adults and children, with a focus on council housing and the impact on tenants.

The report pack included definitions of the types of adaptations available:

• Equipment such as shower chairs and grab rails
• Minor adaptations costing under £1,000 such as stair rails and temporary ramps
• Major adaptations costing over £1,000 such as wet rooms and stairlifts

The report also noted the legislation and regulation that the council must enact, including the Care Act 2014, the Equality Act 2010, and the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.

The structure of the OT Aids and Adaptations Team in Adult Social Care (ASC) was outlined, noting that it consists of an OT Duty Team, an OT and Sensory Team, and an Adaptations Team.

Performance data included in the report pack showed that adaptations to council properties account for approximately 50% of the OT Aids and Adaptations workload. It also showed the volume of tasks carried out by the OT Aids and Adaptations Team in ASC, and the processes and indicative timescales for council tenants.

The report also detailed the type and number of adaptations completed by Asset Management.

The report pack noted that feedback from residents has been reinstated by the Adaptations Team, and of the 21 surveys collected, there is a 90% satisfaction rate for how residents feel overall about the service provided.

The report pack also listed a number of improvements that are planned, including the development of an OT dashboard, improving co-ordination between departments, and developing accessible information for residents.

Housing Resident Engagement Impact Assessment

The panel was scheduled to receive a report summarising the Resident Engagement Annual Review for the financial year 2023-24. The report provided background on resident engagement, why it is necessary, and high-level outcomes.

The report pack noted that the Resident Engagement Strategy was adopted in July 2022 with six deliverables:

• Amplify the voice of residents
• Develop a Training Academy for residents
• Evolve resident-led scrutiny to hold the leadership and managers to account
• Make best use of community spaces
• Review the role of engagement team
• Use customer data to understand their needs and expectations and tailor our services accordingly

The report pack also noted that in April 2023, the Cabinet approved a Housing Improvement Plan, following the council bringing the management of the Housing Service back in-house.

The report pack stated that in October 2023, the Community and Resident Engagement service in Housing services introduced the newly established governance engagement structure which included a new recruitment process, achieving a total of 60 recruits.

The demographic data of the governance involved residents was summarised as:

• 75% females and 25% males
• 73% Black, Asian and minority ethnic and 27% white
• 83% of recruits were tenants and 17% leaseholders
• 12% had a declared disability
• 28% were resident association members, with 72% being non-members
• 38% were 55 to 62 year olds, 25% were 45 to 54 year olds, 20% were 34 to 44 year olds, and 17% were 65 or over.

The governance structure in place consists of a series of Continuous Improvement Groups (CIGs) and Task and Finish Groups, which feed into the Resident Voice Board. In addition, there is the Resident Advisory Panel (RAP) who provide scrutiny on specific functions and services.

The report pack listed a number of outcomes that have impacted services and residents positively, noting that residents have contributed 386 working days of their own time to help shape services.

The report pack stated that this has led to significant increases in satisfaction with engagement and communication, with an 18% improvement in 'Satisfaction that the landlord keeps tenants informed about things that matter' to 66% for 2023/24 from the Tenant Satisfaction Measures¹.

The report pack also included a number of case studies, including one on enhancing accessibility for a vulnerable resident, and another on supporting a local voluntary group, Women with a Voice.

Housing Service Performance Scrutiny 2024/25 Outturn

The panel was scheduled to discuss a report providing an overview of Housing Service performance, comparing year-end results for 2024/25 and 2023/24. The report included key performance indicators (KPIs) and covered areas such as repairs and voids, compliance, asset management, tenancy management, estates and neighbourhoods, income collection, leaseholder services, and support and wellbeing. The report also included Housemark benchmarking figures to show how the council compares against other housing providers.

Terms of Reference

The panel was scheduled to consider a report setting out the terms of reference and membership for Overview and Scrutiny and its panels for 2025/26.

The report pack included the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as:

• Councillor Matt White (Chair)
• Councillor Pippa Connor (Vice-Chair)
• Councillor Makbule Gunes
• Councillor Anna Lawton
• Councillor Adam Small

The proposed membership for the Housing, Planning & Development Scrutiny Panel was listed as:

• Councillor Adam Small (Chair)
• Councillor Dawn Barnes
• Councillor John Bevan
• Councillor Isidoros Diakides
• Councillor Holly Harrison-Mullane
• Councillor Lester Buxton
• Councillor Khaled Moyeed

The report pack also included the policy areas to be covered by the scrutiny panels, and the relevant portfolio holders.

Work Programme Update

The panel was scheduled to discuss its work programme for 2025-26. The report pack included a draft work plan, with potential items for future meetings.

The draft work plan included a scrutiny review project on TA Placements Policy & TA Discharge of Duty Policy.

The draft work plan also included potential items for future meetings, such as:

• Q1 Budget & Performance Monitoring report (Finance)
• Housing Improvement Programme and outstanding actions from the Social Housing regulator referral.
• 12-month update on the actions from the Review into PRS
• Q2 Budget & Performance Monitoring report (Finance)
• Update on the Council's Housebuilding Programme
• Voids
• Neighbourhood Moves Scheme