Agenda item

The Strategic Lead – Housing, Health and Environment presented the draft Service Plan for the Housing Service covering the period 2020-2021, for consideration by the Board.

The Service Plan was a working document produced annually by all EDDC services and set out the key achievements over the past year and the forthcoming issues to be faced by the service.  It linked closely with the Council Plan and the aim of the process was to produce a work plan for the coming year with a realistic view of the challenges and risks ahead.  Producing a Service Plan presented a good opportunity to look back and reflect and also the ability to forward plan.  A range of service improvements were identified through a number of SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound).  The Plan linked closely with the Housing Strategy and was designed to complement a number of other housing plans and policies as part of how the Council managed its own housing stock, managed homelessness, and the services it delivered in the private sector.  The Plan also considered service challenges and pressures over the next three years, as well as climate change implications.  Performance should be monitored constantly against the ‘live’ document.  The Service Plan was coordinated annually with budget planning.

Headlines from the Housing Service Plan were:

·           A focus on delivering our housing purpose(s).

·           A commitment to tackle homelessness.

·           Recognition of poverty as a significant factor in people’s lives.

·           Revision of the HRA Business plan with updated stock condition data.

·           A focus on new development opportunities with the need to review the current acquisition programme.

·           Emphasis on the importance of compliance and keeping tenants safe in their homes.

·           A focus on mental health and how we are addressing the challenges this is presenting us as a landlord.

·           Embedding the Integrated Asset Management Contract.

·           The need to raise our profile in the private sector around the work of the private sector housing team.

·           Mapping the future of Home Safeguard with a realistic view of risks ahead including digital switchover, refresh of the marketing strategy, relocating the service, review of the staffing rota.

·           An emphasis on evidencing value for money with the need to scrutinise some areas to satisfy ourselves that we are achieving what matters most to the customer, in line with our systems thinking purpose.

·           Acting on the climate change agenda and building towards are carbon neutral council.

The service planning day involved powerful input from frontline staff on the day to day challenges of the job, ideas for service improvement and the needs of the customers.  The Service Plan would be presented to the tenant groups over the next few months and cascade to housing staff.  The Board’s input into the Service Plan was welcomed, before it was finalised and reported to Cabinet.

The Vice Chairman explained that he was vice chair trustees of Sidmouth Consolidated Charities, which provided grants to those in hardship.  Such charities had been impacted on the number of people requesting support.  Although EDDC were providing people with a home, these properties were unfurnished and some people were unable to furnish it.  He felt that the Council should not be putting people into empty/unfurished homes.  The Strategic Lead – Housing, Health and Environment replied that the housing options team had reported that the number of people moving into properties with absolutely nothing was increasing.  Even after living in council housing for one or two years, some people still had nothing.  This was referred to as furniture poverty.  Staff were being resourceful and helping tenants out where possible.  It was important to ensure that the Council’s tenants were comfortable and had well-furnished homes.  Reference was made to the objective in the forthcoming Service Plan that looked at a feasibility study of the housing service increasing resources and support in that area in order to explore the provision of furnished tenancies.

RECOMMENDED: that Cabinet approve the Housing Service Plan for 2020/21.