Agenda, decisions and minutes

1.1. RESOLVED: that the minutes of the last meeting be agreed as a true record.

1.1. RESOLVED: that the minutes of the last meeting be agreed as a true record.

2.1. Councillor Suzannah Clarke declared a non-prejudicial interest in agenda item 3 since she was in contact with L&Q regarding some concerns related to a L&Q property in close proximity to her own residence.

2.1. Councillor Suzannah Clarke declared a non-prejudicial interest in agenda item 3 since she was in contact with L&Q regarding some concerns related to a L&Q property in close proximity to her own residence.

To follow

RESOLVED:

·         that the report be noted.

·         that the additional information requested at the meeting from all housing providers on different key issues be provided post meeting.

·         that a standardised pro-forma be developed for housing providers to submit the data and statistics requested by the Committee, ensuring consistency and comprehensive coverage across all submissions.

·         that the Committee would refer its views to the Mayor & Cabinet as follows–

The Committee was concerned that all 5 major Housing Associations in the borough to a greater or lesser extent were using mandatory Ground 8 as a ground for possession against social tenants. The Mayor & Cabinet is asked to investigate whether we could insist at nomination stage that Ground 8 is not used against Lewisham nominees.

The Committee had invited 5 housing providers to provide an update on their repairs service. These 5 housing providers were Clarion Housing Group, Hyde Housing, L&Q, Peabody and Southern Housing.

Susan Clinton, Shani Denham and James Waddon presented the update from Clarion Housing Group, followed by questions from the Committee members. The following key points were noted:

3.1. Officers emphasised the key points from their presentation, which had been included in the published agenda pack for this meeting.

3.2. When Clarion last presented an update to the Committee in March 2023, it was discussed that recruitment of surveyors and staff retention in general was a high priority. It was noted that 12 months on, recruitment and retention of staff was still challenging. There was a shortage of skilled staff especially surveyors and people were being employed short-term to fill gaps. Clarion currently had 6 vacancies for surveyors and was about to launch an apprentice scheme whereby 15 apprentice surveyors would be recruited from amongst the existing in-house operatives, so that they could be upskilled. Officers reported that significant investment had been made in new staff over the last 12 months, dedicated LCDM (Leak, Condensation, Damp and Mould) and disrepair teams had been established and there was a greater focus on internal repair service delivery.

3.3. Damp and mould issues were often a repetitive problem, as traditional remedies such as mould washes failed to resolve the underlying issues, resulting in the need for repeated visits from operatives. It was discussed that Clarion was utilising digital analytics to conduct a comprehensive analysis of their housing stock to identify residents who had reported LCDM issues more than 3 times within the last year. Subsequently, officers would engage with these residents to identify and address the root causes of the LCDM problem.

3.4. It was noted that official legal disrepair cases came in via solicitors and routine repairs cases were logged by residents via different communication channels such as email, phone, or their online account with Clarion. Data on resident satisfaction regarding the ease of contacting Clarion was requested.

3.5. The discussion highlighted that the new requirements under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 would pose funding challenges for all housing associations as well as local authorities. The Committee enquired whether these funding challenges would result in a reduced new build programme or higher rent and service charges. Officers emphasised that it was premature to assess the potential alleviation of funding pressures and indicated that efforts were ongoing to identify the cost pressures. Clarion was in the process of analysis its TSM results (Tenant Satisfaction Measures) which would inform their strategy going into 2024-25.

3.6. When Clarion last presented an update to the Committee in March 2023, it was in the process of piloting a mould eradication kit, Switchee and property MOTs. The Committee enquired how those pilots had fared. It was noted that Switchee had been replaced with Vericon Cube and these were being installed in the properties if residents with LCDM  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

RESOLVED:

·         that the completed work programme for 2023-24 be noted.

4.1. Following the Committee’s examination of large housing providers, it was suggested that the number of small housing providers in the borough be ascertained. Subsequently, the Committee could deliberate on whether it wanted to scrutinise small housing providers as well.

4.2. The Committee Chair thanked the Vice-Chair and the Committee for all their work over the municipal year 2023-24.

RESOLVED:

·         that the completed work programme for 2023-24 be noted.