The Customer Services Scrutiny Committee of Bolsover District Council is scheduled to meet on 29 September 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including customer service standards, housing strategies, homelessness, and waste collection. The committee will review reports and updates, and provide comments and recommendations.

Here are the main topics that the Customer Services Scrutiny Committee are scheduled to discuss:

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Update

The committee is scheduled to receive an update on the Bolsover Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-2027. The report pack includes the strategy itself¹ and its action plan². The four strategic priorities of the strategy are:

• Making homelessness everyone's responsibility through a system-wide approach
• Preventing and responding to homelessness through early intervention and personalised solutions
• Ending rough sleeping and repeat homelessness
• Developing sustainable supported and settled housing solutions

The report pack states that a Homelessness Special Projects Officer was employed in February 2023 to lead the implementation of the strategy. The officer has taken the lead on setting up a steering group, which reports to the Derbyshire Housing and Health Systems Group.

The report pack notes some key achievements, including the Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP), Trauma Informed Derbyshire, a health needs audit commissioned from Homeless Link³, the SIGNAL pilot extension, the SALUS project⁴ and projects funded by the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPARG). The report pack also mentions some current and future actions, including a prison release protocol, a temporary accommodation review, continued representation at EMCCA⁵ meetings and duty to refer improvements.

Private Sector Housing Strategy Monitoring Update

The committee is scheduled to discuss the progress against the delivery of the Private Sector Housing Strategy 2024-2027. The report pack includes the Private Sector Housing Strategy Delivery Plan and the Private Sector Housing Strategy itself.

The 2024-2027 Strategy is Bolsover District Council's first dedicated strategy aimed solely at the private sector. The report pack states that owner-occupied and privately rented properties make up over 83% of homes in Bolsover District.

The report pack notes some key achievements:

• Delivery of a joint Landlord Forum in November 2024
• Securing £1.2m grant funding via Warm Homes: Local Grant⁶ for delivery across the private sector
• Commencing work on the new Housing Enforcement Policy
• Revising the council website to include a wider range of links and advice for both landlords and tenants
• Renewal of the DASH Services⁷ contract
• Analysis of private sector provision by Supported Accommodation Review Team (SART) officers
• Development of an in-house design and contract management service for Disabled Facilities Grant following closure of Derbyshire County Council service
• Background research completed for new minor adaptations policy
• Development and consultation on charges for empty homes via a Council Tax Premium

The report pack also mentions some immediate plans for future delivery:

• Run a Landlord Forum for 2025
• Develop a Landlord/Agent e-bulletin
• Complete year 1 of Warm Homes: Local Grant and secure further interest for years 2 and 3
• Develop an Intervention Strategy to support landlords to meet the requirements of the Renters Rights Bill
• Contact all Registered Providers (RPs) operating in the District to establish current stock, future plans, secure access to affordable stock via additional nomination rights, and establish options for development of new affordable stock
• Further develop working relationships with local Landlords/Agents to create additional links to private rented sector
• Raise awareness of support options for older and vulnerable tenants as part of Landlord Forum 2025
• Develop a database of private rented sector adapted properties to enable tenant referrals by Housing Allocations and Housing Options teams
• New Council Tax charges for empty properties come in to force April 2026

Welfare Adaptation Policy

The committee is scheduled to review and comment on the updated Welfare Adaptation Policy. The Welfare Adaptation Policy provides a framework for the provision of adaptations to the homes of tenants living in council accommodation.

The report pack states that Bolsover District Council has 4940 housing properties and is committed to providing suitable housing to meet the needs of its residents. Adaptations can play an important role in allowing people to live independently in comfort and safety in their own home.

The council approved the Welfare Adaptation Policy in May 2022. The policy sets out who can apply for a Welfare Adaptation and the procedure the council follows when considering requests. To be eligible for an adaptation the tenant or a member of the tenant's household must be an occupant of a BDC property using this as their permanent or principal home.

The policy also provides definitions of adaptations:

• Minor adaptations are simple, cost effective solutions to assist a person to live independently, costing under £1000. Examples include grab rails, small external handrails and over bath showers. In the last financial year the council undertook 42 minor adaptations.
• Major adaptations are valued over £1000 and are generally structural changes to a property. Examples include replacing a bath with a level access shower or wet room, hard-standing/drive ways and stair lifts. In the last financial year the council undertook 141 major adaptations.

The report pack states that the policy is now due for renewal and that several sessions were held with the various officers involved in the Welfare Adaptation process, including a representative from Derbyshire County Council. In addition, the Housing Ombudsman Good Practice Guidance issued in February 2025 regarding disabled adaptions in social housing was reviewed.

The report pack states that several tenants who had been through the Welfare Adaptation process were invited to form a working group to discuss their experiences and make suggestions for improvement to the policy and process. The key theme was around improved communication during the process. As a result of which an additional step has been implemented within the process regarding the applicant being notified in writing about the application. The applicant will also be notified of the reasons for refusal in writing and be provided details of who they are able to appeal the decision.

The report pack states that the policy has been amended to be clearer with regards to what works the council can and will undertake to ensure that expectations are managed. The key changes within the policy are as follows:

• Eligibility - the occupant must be using the property as their permanent or principal home for 12 months or more.
• Where a stair lift is required in a block of flats this will only be considered following a feasibility and fire risk assessment.
• Feasibility assessment's will be undertaken when looking at the provision of hard standing for wheelchairs users or where this could provide a more economical solution to provide a hard standing that providing additional paths/ramping from the roadside.
• Ramping for self-purchased wheelchairs or mobility scooters may not be considered unless assessed as a necessary requirement by an Occupational Therapist or other suitably qualified medical professional.
• Where a level access shower is required in properties at first floor or above, this can be considered following a feasibility and/or accommodation needs assessment.
• Should alternative suitable accommodation become available prior to work commencing this can be made as an alternative offer to the adaption agreed.
• Reference to £500 rent arrears threshold has been removed, rather stating where there are any arrears, that contact is made with the applicant to ensure a payment plan is in place and being adhered to prior to works being carried out.

Customer Service Standards and Compliments, Comments and Complaints

The committee is scheduled to receive a report on the council's performance in relation to its customer service standards, compliments, comments and complaints for the period 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2025.

The report pack includes data on:

• Revenues and Benefits
  • The percentage of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds
  • Email enquiries
• Contact Centres
  • The percentage of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds
  • The percentage of calls abandoned
  • Average wait time
  • Email enquiries
  • Live Chat
  • Face to Face
• Compliments
• Comments
• Complaints
  • Stage 1
  • Stage 2
  • Ombudsman

The report pack also includes details of service improvements identified in Q1 from comments and complaints.

Review of Effectiveness of Council's Waste Collection and Disposal Education

The committee is scheduled to receive an interim report assessing progress against the recommendations to date for the Review of Effectiveness of Council's Waste Collection and Disposal Education.

The Customer Services Scrutiny Committee agreed to undertake a review of effectiveness of the council's waste collection and disposal education as part of the 2023-24 Work Programme. The issue was initially raised due to concerns of contamination rates within recycling waste collections, creating additional costs to the authority through contamination charges. Committee Members believed that the main cause of this issue was due to residents not knowing how to use their bins correctly and effectively.

The committee put together eleven recommendations, which will hopefully ensure that the council's approach to waste disposal advice and education is reaching all target audiences to reduce current contamination rates and improve recycling rates by way of increased resident participation.

The report pack states that to date nine out eleven recommendations have been achieved, one has been extended and will hopefully be completed during 2026 and one recommendation is marked Alert as it is not able to be completed due to LGR⁸ implications.

Customer Services Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2025/26

The committee is scheduled to receive a report providing an overview of the meeting programme of the committee for 2025/26. The report pack includes the meeting schedule for 2025/26 and the proposed agenda items for approval/amendment.

The report pack states that the programme may be subject to change should additional reports/presentations be required, or if items need to be re-arranged for alternative dates.