Agenda item

The Housing Review Board were presented with key performance indicators (KPIs) for quarter three of 2024/25.  The Assistant Director Housing (Regulatory Services) gave a presentation which summarised the performance and actions being taken to improve performance where targets were not being achieved.  He remarked that it was an evolving report and welcomed feedback from members.

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·        Income collection – performance in this area had been excellent.

·        Income lost through void properties was reducing.

·        The number of re-let days had reduced by 48 days compared to quarter 2 performance, and had reduced by over 115 days from the average relet time at the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

·        Compliance performance was high. 

·        Ian Williams were completing their repairs within target.  However, there was a large discrepancy between the Council’s data and that of the contractors.  Works were ongoing to address this issue within One Housing, but this was a manual process that needed to be carried out by officers in partnership with the contractors.  During the meeting the Assistant Director Housing (Regulatory Services) answered a number of questions relating to signing off major works and voids, the number of jobs recalled and clarification on how jobs were classified.

·        Complaints handling still required some improvement.  Although response times for stage one complaints had reduced (from 31 days at the beginning of the year to 13 days in quarter three), officers recognised the improvements that needed to be made in relation to improving the stage 2 complaint response times.  This increase was largely due to the reduction in senior level officers to review the cases, sign-off on judgements and provide full responses.

·        Tenant satisfaction measures – there had been an increase in seven of the twelve measures since quarter two, including some statistically significant changes.  The tenant satisfaction surveys were carried out independently by an external company.

The performance report demonstrated the incredible hard work across the housing teams and the scale and pace of improvement.

During his presentation the Assistant Director Housing (Regulatory Services) gave the Board some examples of good news stories from the rental team, from the allocations team and void manager, and from the planned works and adaptations team.  He also showed the Housing Review Board images of sewerage treatment plant upgrades, an overgrown void property garden, void clearance and a kitchen makeover.

It was noted that although community work was not included in the KPIs there were eight community hubs across the district that were a lifeline to some.  They were accessible to all members of the public, not just EDDC housing tenants and provided hot meals and cold weather supplies such as blankets, hats and thick socks.

Those present thanked the Assistant Director Housing (Regulated Services) for his excellent report and congratulated the teams involved for the tremendous continuous improvement.  Tenants generally felt that things were improving, but there was still a lack of communication.  There was a danger in the housing service moving at pace, but forgetting to inform tenants of what was being done.

RESOLVED:  that the Housing Review Board note performance at the end of quarter three, 2024/25.