The Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday 4 March 2026 was set to cover a range of housing management issues, including tenant satisfaction, the area tenancy management model, and temporary accommodation. The committee was also scheduled to receive updates on the council's work programme and a tracker for previous recommendations.

Reduction in operating hours at the Urgent Treatment Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital

The committee was scheduled to receive a briefing from London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust regarding the operating hours of the Urgent Treatment Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital. This item was added to the agenda following a petition received by the committee.

Housing Management: Tenant Satisfaction Measures and Brent Housing Management (BHM) Performance

This report was intended to provide an overview and update on Brent Housing Management's (BHM) performance against Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs). It was scheduled to detail planned and delivered improvements in areas such as voids, compliance, repairs, rent collection, complaints, major planned works, and the current financial position of BHM. The report highlighted that while progress had been made in some areas, the council acknowledged that the standard of service was not yet meeting residents' expectations. The report also outlined the challenges faced by the service, including historic underinvestment and increased regulatory expectations following the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. The Housing and Tenant Satisfaction Improvement Programme (HTSIP) Board, chaired by the Chief Executive, was overseeing initiatives to improve housing services and tenant satisfaction.

Area Tenancy Management Model

This item was scheduled to provide an overview of the current context of the Area Tenancy Management team, which is responsible for providing tenancy services to general needs council tenants. The report detailed the restructuring of the Housing Management Service in the summer of 2024, which saw the convergence of Income Recovery, Letting, and Tenancy Management roles into a single Area Tenancy Manager role. This new model aims to reduce fragmentation, strengthen resident relationships, and improve oversight of homes and estates. The report noted that the restructure had been in place for 18 months and was showing signs of progress in delivering more holistic services. Challenges identified included the need for technology and infrastructure transformation, and the impact of historic data limitations. The report also highlighted the significant role of Area Tenancy Managers in safeguarding tenants and ensuring referrals to relevant support services.

Temporary Accommodation, Supported Exempt Accommodation and Homelessness Prevention

This report was intended to provide an update on temporary accommodation, supported exempt accommodation, and homelessness prevention efforts within the borough. It was scheduled to include details on the financial position and partnership working. The report indicated that local authorities across London, including Brent, are experiencing significant pressure on temporary accommodation services due to increased demand and escalating costs. Brent was noted to be managing acute challenges, with a high reliance on costly nightly-paid placements and out-of-borough provision. The report proposed a strategic shift towards procuring temporary accommodation through long-term leasing arrangements with institutional providers to generate savings and improve accommodation quality. Data on the demand for accommodation, length of stay in temporary accommodation, and demographic information of households in temporary accommodation was to be presented. The report also detailed the council's homelessness services and prevention offer, including the end-to-end homelessness assessment and accommodation process, and highlighted partnership working with the voluntary sector and council services. Updates on Supported Exempt Accommodation (SEA) included a review of provision, financial analysis of subsidy loss, and preparations for a new licensing scheme.

Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2025-26

This report was presented to outline the committee's work programme for the municipal year 2025-26. The programme is designed to align with the strategic priorities of the Borough Plan 2023-27, address areas of local community concern, and focus on significant issues affecting residents. The work programme is a flexible document that is regularly reviewed and updated. The report noted that an additional agenda item regarding the reduction in operating hours at the Urgent Treatment Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital had been added to the programme for the current meeting.

Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee Recommendations Tracker

This item was scheduled to present the Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker, which summarises the progress of recommendations, suggestions for improvement, and information requests made by the committee. The tracker is divided into recommendations made to the Cabinet, external partners, and suggestions for improvement to council departments. It also includes information requests made by the committee. Recommendations are removed from the tracker once they have been rejected or successfully implemented and reviewed. The report detailed recommendations and information requests from previous meetings, including those related to safeguarding, early years provision, housing management, and youth justice.