The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) of Adur and Worthing Councils convened to discuss several key issues, including homelessness, housing standards, and the committee's future work programme. The meeting was scheduled to include a review of the proposed Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030, an update on Adur Homes' readiness for Awaabs Law¹, and a review of the JOSC work programme for the year. Public questions could be submitted up to 3 days before the meeting.

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030

The committee was scheduled to review and provide feedback on the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for Adur & Worthing Councils, covering the period between 2025 and 2030. The strategy is required by the Homelessness Act 2002, which mandates that all councils review and produce a new homelessness strategy at least every five years. The report pack states that the new strategy is being developed in response to challenges posed by:

• The national housing crisis
• Growing local need
• Demands on council services
• The changing legislative landscape, including the Renters' Rights Bill and the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act.

The councils' vision for addressing homelessness is rooted in the principle that housing is a basic human right, and aims for a situation where homelessness is prevented, brief, and non-recurring. The strategy focuses on four strategic priorities:

1. Prevention: Delivering an improved and adequately resourced homelessness prevention service.
2. Accommodation: Improving the supply and suitability of temporary accommodation².
3. Partnership: Strengthening the multi-agency response to homelessness.
4. Independence: Providing person-centred support to help people move on from homelessness.

The report pack notes that Adur and Worthing Councils spent a combined £8.4 million on temporary accommodation in 2023/24, with a final cost for 2024/25 of approximately £9.8 million. It also notes that the number of households in temporary accommodation has surged dramatically, increasing by 284% across Adur and Worthing over a five-year period to over 600 households by March 2025.

The strategy is underpinned by guiding principles such as collaboration, evidence-based services, prevention, innovation, a person-centred approach, resident empowerment, fairness, respect, climate responsibility, and resource stewardship.

Adur Homes Readiness for Awaabs Law

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the readiness of Adur Homes to meet the requirements of Awaabs Law. The legislation places specific responsibilities on landlords to respond to hazards in rental homes within certain timeframes. The main elements of the legislation are:

• To investigate any potential emergency hazards within 24 hours of becoming aware of them
• To investigate any potential significant hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of them
• To produce a written summary of investigation findings and provide this to the named tenant within 3 working days of the conclusion of the investigation
• To undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant hazard
• To begin, or take steps to begin, any further required works within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard. If steps cannot be taken to begin work in 5 working days this must be done as soon as possible, and work must be physically started within 12 weeks
• To satisfactorily complete works within a reasonable time period
• To secure the provision of suitable alternative accommodation for the household, at the social landlord's expense, if relevant safety work cannot be completed within specified timeframes
• To keep the named tenant updated throughout the process and provide information on how to keep safe

The report pack notes that a workshop was held to review each element of the legislation and identify the actions needed to meet the regulations. Some of the actions needed to ensure full compliance include:

• Making changes to the tenant portal to identify vulnerability and redirect tenants to call in as an emergency
• Storing vulnerability information against the tenant record on the housing management system
• Developing a triage-based assessment of whether it is safe for the tenant to remain in the property
• Putting in place an enhanced suite of key performance indicators (KPIs) and jeopardy reports³

Review of the JOSC Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its work programme for 2025/26, which was agreed at the meeting on 5 June 2025 and approved by the councils in July 2025. The work programme aims to improve the effectiveness of overview and scrutiny and align more closely with the councils' strategic priorities. Items for the work programme are chosen based on how closely they align with the councils' strategic priorities and how the committee can influence the outcomes, using the PAPER criteria:

• P - Public interest
• A - Ability to change
• P - Performance
• E - Extent
• R - Replication

The committee was also scheduled to use the Forward Plan of Key Decisions as a tool to identify and scrutinise items before executive decisions are taken.