Decision details

*RESOLVED –

1.   That the establishment of a new Housing Advisory Board comprising Members, tenants and senior officers, be approved in order to fulfil the requirements of the Social Housing Regulator and the Housing Ombudsman, and to ensure detailed and effective oversight and scrutiny of all social landlord activities.

2.   That it be noted that the Board will have no decision-making responsibilities, and that any reports requiring a formal decision would continue to be presented to Cabinet.

3.   That authority be delegated to the Service Director – Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Monitoring Officer, to establish Terms of Reference for the Housing Advisory Board, and to subsequently amend such Terms of Reference if requirements change over time.

4.   That it be agreed a progress report is received, outlining the activity of and outcomes achieved by the Housing Advisory Board, one year after its establishment.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS

1.   The Regulator of Social Housing takes a co-regulatory approach to monitoring against its consumer standards and has encouraged local authorities to prepare for the shift to a more proactive regulatory approach, following new powers being introduced from April 2024.

2.   Housing associations and arms-length management organisations (ALMOs) typically have a Board of Directors (including tenants), with reporting mechanisms and strategic oversight of their organisation’s performance.  A clear reporting / strategic governance model is now needed for the Council’s Housing Service, to ensure that the service receives effective scrutiny and oversight by tenants and Members.

3.   In addition to the Housing Regulator, the Housing Ombudsman’s new Complaint Handling Code becomes mandatory from April 2024 and demands involvement and oversight at director and elected member level, with a councillor taking the lead on complaints.  The Code includes expectations that the Council will have arrangements in place for regular detailed discussions about complaints performance, and for a formal response from the responsible Member / governing body to be published, following comprehensive scrutiny and challenge.