Agenda Document Pack - Housing Committee - 06/11/2024
North Lanarkshire Council · 6 November 2024
Back to Housing Committee — 6 November 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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28 October 2024 Members of the Housing Committee Chief Executive’s Office Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Notice is given that a Meeting of the Housing Committee is to be held in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB on Wednesday, 06 November 2024 at 10:00 AM which you are requested to attend. The agenda of business is attached. Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Members : Clerk Name: Clare Louise McDonald Clerk Telephone: 01698302190 Clerk Email: mcdonaldcl@northlan.gov.uk M McPake, A Bustard, H Brannan-McVey, G Brennan, B Burgess, T Carragher, M Coyle, S Coyle, P Di Mascio, H Dunbar, T Fisher, F Fotheringham, H Gray, K Harmon, J Jones, J Keltie, A Khan, K Larson, J Leckie, G Lennon, J Logue, F MacGregor, M McCulloch, F McKay, R McKendrick, C McManus, A McVey, L Mitchell, L Nolan, P Patton, C Quigley, J Reddin, G Robinson, N Shevlin, A Smith, A Stubbs, L Stubbs, R Sullivan, J Toner, S Watson. Page 1 of 322
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Agenda 1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 Operational 2 Housing Domestic Abuse Policy Progress and Development of the Housing Digital Abuse Directory Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) highlighting the progress achieved since the approval and implementation of the Housing Domestic Abuse Policy in August 2022. 7 - 28 3 Transforming Places - Tower Strategy Update Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) providing an update on the progress of the Tower Strategy. 29 - 36 4 Transforming Places - New Supply Programme - Update on Progress Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) providing an update on the progress of the new supply programme and progress against annual targets previously set and seeking approval of the revised targets. 37 - 46 5 Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Annual Progress Update, Homelessness Overview & Prevention Plan Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) providing an update on the final year of implementation of the RRTP actions and seeking approval on the new Homelessness Action Plan, covering the period from 2025 to 2028. 47 - 92 6 New Supply Community Benefits Update Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) providing an update on the community benefits actively related to the new build housing programme. 93 - 102 7 Tenant Participation Strategy (2025-2030) Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) seeking approval of the new Tenant Participation Strategy, 'For Tenants, By Tenants', which will cover the five year period from 2025 to 2030. 103 - 156 Page 3 of 322
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8 First Stop Shop Review and Redesign - Cumbernauld First Stop Shop Update Submit report by Chief Officer (Housing) setting out the costs associated with re-introducing cash payments at the Cumbernauld First Stop Shop. 157 - 162 Financial 9 Revenue Monitoring 9a Revenue Monitoring Report - Housing Revenue Account Submit report by the Depute Chief Executive providing a summary of the Housing Revenue Account financial performance for the period from 1 April 2024 to 16 August 2024. 163 - 170 9b Enterprise and Communities - Revenue Monitoring Report Submit report by the Depute Chief Executive providing a summary of the financial performance of the Enterprise and Communities service for the period from 1 April to 16 August 2024. 171 - 182 10 Capital Monitoring 10a HRA Capital Monitoring Report - 1 April to 16 August 2024 Submit report by the Depute Chief Executive providing a review of the progress towards agreed spending plans with the 2024/25 HRA capital programmes. 183 - 192 10b Enterprise and Communities - Capital Monitoring Report Submit report by the Depute Chief Executive highlighting the financial performance of 2024/25 Enterprise and Communities capital programme for the period up to 16 August 2024. 193 - 200 11 Housing Revenue Account - Revenue Estimates 2025-26 Submit report by the Chief Officer (Finance) providing information to enable the Council to set its Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and rent levels for 2025/26 and the Revenue Budget position for financial years 2026/27 and 2027/28. 201 - 212 Page 4 of 322
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Performance 12 Strategic Performance Framework - Latest Performance Results for Housing Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) highlighting the 2023/24 year end performance and the 2024/25 year to date performance of the Housing Service. 213 - 224 13 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Place (Housing Developments) Submit report by Chief Officer (Place) highlighting the 2023/24 year end performance and the 2024/25 year to date performance of the Place Service. 225 - 232 14 Mears Ltd Performance Monitoring Report to 31 August 2024 Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) outlining Mears Ltd performance against Key Performance Indicators for the Housing and Corporate Maintenance and Investment Contract. 233 - 240 15 Scottish Housing Regulator - 2023-24 Landlord Report Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) attaching the Landlord Report published by the Scottish Housing Regulator. 241 - 246 16 New Housing Supply Programme - Procurement Update Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) seeking approval to progress procurement arrangements as set out in the report. 247 - 258 Contracts 17 Contract Award for MTC for Re-Roofing, Re- Rendering & Energy Efficiency Works Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) seeking approval to award the contract for the "MTC for Re- Roofing, Re-Rendering and Energy Efficiency Works to Procast Building Contractors Ltd for Lot 1; GMG Contractors Ltd for Lot 2 and Ailsa Building Contractors Ltd for Lot 3. 259 - 274 Page 5 of 322
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18 Contract Award for MTC for Full Gas Heating Installations 2025-2029 Submit report by Chief Officer (Housing) seeking approval to award the contract for MTC for Full Gas Heating Installations 2025-2029 to Saltire Facilities Management for Lot 1 and Gas Call Services Ltd for Lot 2 275 - 286 19 Contract Award for Replacement Windows & Doors 2025 - 2029 Submit report by Chief Officer (Housing) seeking approval to award the contract for MTC for Replacement Windows and Doors 2025-2027 to Sidey Solutions Ltd for Lot 1 and Walkers Profiles Ltd for Lot 2. 287 - 298 20 Contract Award for Replacement Housing & Asset Management System Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) seeking approval to award the contract for a Replacement Housing & Asset Management System to Civica UK Limited. 299 - 308 21 Housing Support Contract Extension and Re- Design Submit report by the Chief Officer (Housing) seeking approval of recommendations to re-shape some aspects of support delivery and to modify the existing contracts to extend the current service for six months to enable a re-tendering process to be undertaken early in 2025. 309 - 318 22 Contracts Awarded Below Committee Approval Threshold Submit report by the Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) summarising the contract awards since the last meeting of the committee. 319 - 322 Page 6 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref SL/MK Date 06/11/24 Housing Domestic Abuse Policy Progress and Development of the Housing Digital Domestic Abuse Directory From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail llewellyns@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939280680 Executive Summary This report highlights some of the progress achieved since the approval and implementation of the Housing Domestic Abuse Policy in August 2022, with particular emphasis on partnership working with the wider housing sector in North Lanarkshire to achieve far reaching positive impact in the creation of domestic abuse informed systems and practice across the wider collective housing sector in North Lanarkshire. Specific attention is drawn to the creation of the innovative digital domestic abuse housing directory, a one stop place for all domestic abuse information and resources for the wider sector in North Lanarkshire, updated in real time, ensuring current and accurate information for housing staff to promote a consistent, trauma informed and proactive response for all victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Reference is also made to the trauma informed practice work being progressed within housing and aligned to the council’s Resilient People Programme of Work, alongside recent national legislative and policy developments of relevance in terms of housing and domestic abuse. The report illustrates the excellent and pioneering progress made so far while caveating that despite the positive work achieved domestic abuse remains a significant challenge and key priority for the housing service, continuing to account for the leading cause of homelessness amongst women, both nationally and locally. Recommendations It is recommended that the Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge the significant work undertaken across housing services to embed domestic abuse informed practice and systems across housing teams and all aspects of housing business since the implementation of the council’s Housing Domestic Abuse Policy. (2) Acknowledge the role the council’s housing service has taken in relation to improving awareness and knowledge of domestic abuse amongst the wider housing sector in North Lanarkshire, acting as a strategic enabler of change to improve outcomes for survivors and victims of domestic abuse. (3) Consider the new digital housing domestic abuse resource, designed in partnership with Registered Social Landlords and specialist domestic abuse Item 2 Page 7 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 North Lanarkshire has strong partnership working arrangements in relation to tackling domestic abuse, in which housing services are a key partner. This includes strategic and operational planning undertaken through the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) partnership structure, participation in Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC), the process of managing the highest risk cases of domestic abuse and Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC), the process of identifying and tackling serial perpetrators of domestic abuse. 1.2 The partnership response to domestic abuse in North Lanarkshire is framed within the context of that set out in the nationally Equally Safe Strategy, in the recognition of the deep-rooted structural gender inequalities which underpin domestic abuse and other forms of gender based violence, whilst also recognising the wider harms created by domestic abuse in families and communities and that while anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, women and girls are disproportionately and significantly so, more affected. 1.3 In August 2022 Housing Committee approved the Housing Domestic Abuse Policy. This policy built on the commitment that housing services set out to tackle domestic abuse, through signing the ‘Make a Stand’ pledge developed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) in partnership with Women’s Aid and the Domestic Abuse Alliance, designed to encourage the housing sector to make a clear commitment to support people experiencing domestic abuse. 2. Report Housing Domestic Abuse Policy Summary 2.1 The Housing Domestic Abuse Policy sets out housing’s approach to providing a coordinated response to eradicating and preventing domestic abuse. Equality and human rights, and a focus on early intervention and prevention are embedded throughout the policy. 2.2 The policy sets out the service’s approach to preventing homelessness wherever possible recognising the distress and trauma associated with homelessness, while also support organisations in North Lanarkshire and its application in improving awareness of services, supports and signposting across housing organisations, and beyond this, potential wider application. (4) Recognise that despite the positive progress made, domestic abuse remains a significant challenge for the council and wider partners and will continue to be a key priority area of focus for the housing service to further implement effective systems and supports to tackle domestic abuse and other forms of gender based Violence. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Ambition statement (14) Ensure the highest standards of public protection Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Page 8 of 322
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recognising the importance of understanding different needs and circumstances, acknowledging that for some survivors/victims of domestic abuse, continuing to stay in their current accommodation may not be an option for them due to the trauma they have experienced or potential risk posed. 2.3 Key components of the policy focus on: • Housing options – setting out a range of housing options and supports available • Prevention and early housing advice – outlining the service’s approach to prevention and sustainability in the context of domestic abuse • Partnership working – setting out the commitment to continue to work in partnership with women with lived experience, specialist support providers, other social landlords and the VAWG partnership to improve housing’s response to tackling domestic abuse • Risk assessment and safety planning – the use of Safe Lives DASH risk assessment tool, a key focus on safety planning with particular importance at times of heightened vulnerability and risk • Action against perpetrators – intended to be progressed further through implementation of the new Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 which will bring into force new powers for social landlords • Training – a commitment to train all housing staff on domestic abuse on an ongoing basis recognising evolving training needs to be able to respond to domestic abuse effectively and to embed training into practice • Core business – supporting the position that no matter the service area, tackling domestic abuse is everyone’s responsibility, to achieve wider change at a service, workforce and wider societal level Key Areas of Progress Establishment of North Lanarkshire Domestic Abuse Social Landlord Network 2.4 Progress has been made in several key areas since the policy was approved, with notable progress in enabling an improved collective wider housing response to eradicating and preventing domestic abuse in North Lanarkshire, through the creation of a North Lanarkshire wide Social Landlord Domestic Abuse Network – facilitated by the council’s housing service, involving the wider Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in North Lanarkshire. 2.5 Established in early 2023 this network involves 10 social landlords in North Lanarkshire as well as specialist support organisations. The network has proved effective as a conduit for sharing information, knowledge and resources, and has been instrumental in ensuring that housing organisations across North Lanarkshire are aware of the domestic abuse pathways to refer and signpost survivors and victims of domestic abuse to. Development of the Housing Domestic Abuse Digital Directory 2.6 More recently as part of the work streams of the network, an innovative digital housing domestic abuse directory has been created and launched. This pioneering guide is thought to be the first of its kind for housing organisations in Scotland, bringing together all the resources and information relating to domestic abuse for housing organisations in North Lanarkshire in one expedient depository. Featuring real live time updates, ensuring information is never out of date, this online resource provides a one-stop place Page 9 of 322
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for everything that any officer working within housing, regardless of the housing organisation in North Lanarkshire, needs to know about domestic abuse. 2.7 Developed in partnership with both the specialist support organisations in North Lanarkshire and RSLs, alongside the Council’s Domestic Abuse Coordinator, the council’s housing service have led on the development and launch of the new guide with the aim of creating much far reaching, broader impact in North Lanarkshire, improving the quality and consistency of support for survivors and victims of domestic abuse provided by housing organisations across North Lanarkshire. The key aim being to improve the wider collective housing sector response, recognising the pivotal role the wider housing sector has in effectively eradicating and preventing domestic abuse. 2.8 There is potential for wider application of this digital guide to provide a domestic abuse resource for all services and organisations as well as a resource for the general public and indeed wider application across other local authority areas. Trauma Informed Practice 2.9 Aligned with the council’s Resilient People Programme of Work, the housing service has been working towards creating a trauma informed and responsive workforce, so that officers in the housing service can recognise where people are affected by trauma and adversity, and respond in ways that prevent further harm, support recovery, address inequalities and improve life chances. The service has undertaken a training needs analysis, trained in-house housing trauma trainers and have progressed piloting ‘Transforming Connections’ bespoke trauma training for housing teams. Supported by the national Trauma Transformation Programme, this activity will pave the way for other council services and wider RSL partners to up-skill staff to the appropriate level of trauma-informed practice and critically to embed and sustain this model of working. Safe and Together Model and Additional Training 2.10 A successful bid to the nationally Equally Safe fund has enabled roll out of Safe and Together training across housing services and wider RSL partners in North Lanarkshire. Safe and Together is a forward thinking model which focusses on keeping children safe and together with the non-offending parent, partnering with the non- offending parent as the default position and intervening with perpetrators to reduce risk and harm to children. The model provides a suite of tools and interventions to transform child protection in cases of domestic abuse and to support improved outcomes for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. 2.11 This training compliments a range of other training opportunities on domestic abuse and other forms of gender based violence available to both council and RSL housing teams, with the council housing service facilitating the promotion and coordination of new training opportunities as they arise in partnership with the VAWG partnership amongst the wider housing sector in North Lanarkshire. Legislative Developments 2.12 The Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 will enable police and courts to ban suspected abusers from re-entering the home and from approaching or contacting the person at risk for a period of time to enable them to consider their longer-term options around safety and housing. The Act will also allow social landlords to end or transfer the tenancy of a perpetrator of domestic abuse to the victim/survivor. Together, these measures should reduce the risk that victims and survivors of domestic abuse end up having to become homeless in order to escape the perpetrator. Page 10 of 322
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2.13 These measures are undoubtedly positive, and should make a significant difference, enabling choice for survivors and victims and upholding rights. However, legislation alone cannot improve housing outcomes for survivors and victims, associated guidance, including provisions on how to rehouse perpetrators will be crucial in supporting social landlords improve housing services. The Act received Royal Assent in May 2021 and was expected to come into force late in 2023. The main provisions of the 2021 Act are not yet in force, although the council’s housing service is working closely with the Scottish Government, Scottish Housing Network and CIH to ensure when legislation does come into force the council is in a prepared position. 2.14 The new Housing Bill also contains measures aimed at improving the situation of victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Section 44 of the Bill will introduce a new pre- action requirement where a landlord is seeking to evict a tenant for rent arrears, where the social landlord considers that a tenant has experienced or is experiencing domestic abuse and this explains or partly explains the rent arrears. 2.15 Section 45 will require social landlords to develop and implement a domestic abuse policy setting out how they will support their tenants who are at risk of homelessness as a result of domestic abuse. 2.16 The Bill’s provisions regarding how a joint private residential tenancy can be ended are also intended to help support victims of domestic abuse. 2.17 The council is in strong position in that we have a Housing Domestic Abuse Policy, in which implementation is well underway and progress is clearly evident. Contained within the policy are specific provisions in relation to the measures which have been subsequently contained in the new Housing Bill. Future Actions and Focus 2.18 In recognition of the council’s housing service being a leader in the field of domestic abuse, it has been shortlisted for the 2024 CIH awards for excellence in partnership working. However, despite the positive progress achieved, domestic abuse remains a significant challenge for the housing service and for the council. Domestic abuse is the leading cause of homelessness amongst women, accounting for 23% of all homeless applications in Scotland over the 2023/24 period from females. This compares to 5% of homeless applications from males. A high proportion of applications for domestic abuse reasons are from single females with children, accounting for 44.8% of female domestic abuse applications, compared to 9.0% for males1. 2.19 It is widely recognised that women’s experiences of housing are very different from those of men. This includes access to affordable housing and private sector housing options, interactions with housing services and pathways into and out of homelessness. Certain groups of women are more likely to experience housing instability, homelessness, poor housing or inadequate services. Wider forms of violence, abuse and exploitation pose significant threats. This includes commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), with clear corelation with housing issues. A focus on increasing awareness of CSE amongst the wider housing sector is planned, alongside further collaboration with partners to better understand experiences of housing services from those with lived experience to identify areas for action. 2.20 We know from local analysis that women in older age groups are less likely to seek support for domestic abuse and are under-represented proportionally in support 1 Scottish Government Homelessness Data, 2023/24, published 24 September 2024 Page 11 of 322
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services. As a wider housing sector there exist potential opportunities to engage directly with older women given the provision of retirement and sheltered housing. Work is planned in partnership with the specialist domestic abuse advocacy providers to develop a targeted support approach across specialist older people’s housing providers. 2.21 An increase in online violence, with exponential growth in sexual cyber-crimes is of concern, with one in six women in Scotland experiencing online violence.2 With technology advancing at an extraordinary pace, it is crucial that our housing teams are equipped with the skills and knowledge to recognise and respond appropriately. 2.22 Further development and implementation of the service’s Trauma Informed Practice plan although recognised as a longer-term piece of work to embed trauma informed and responsive systems and practice across all areas of housing and the wider housing sector, is a key priority. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Continued implementation of the Housing Domestic Abuse Policy. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix – North Lanarkshire Council and Social Landlord Digital Domestic Abuse Directory Weblink to the digital housing domestic abuse directory: https://northlanarkshire.pagetiger.com/gyspmq/1 Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) 2 Open University, Societal Attitudes and Experiences of Online Violence Against Women and Girls (OVAWG) Research Project, 2023. Page 12 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 13 of 322
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 14 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref: SL/CB Date 06/11/24 Transforming Places - Tower Strategy Update From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) Email barrca@northlan.gov.uk Telephone MS Teams 1. Background 1.1 Committee will be aware that in 2017 as part of the HRA budget motion, the council announced its intention to commence consultation with stakeholders regarding the potential re-provisioning of its tower estate over the next 25 years, with phase 1 of the re-provisioning programme granted committee approval in May 2018. Subsequently approval was given at May 2023 Housing Committee to commence the Phase 2 re- provisioning consultation. Significant progress has been made to date on Phase 1 of the programme with several high/low-rise blocks now demolished. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to update Housing Committee on current progress with the outcomes in the Tower Strategy, which sits within the Transforming Places Programme of Work, and key achievements in the last reporting period. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge the progress of the tower demolition programme (Ambition) (2) Acknowledge the progress of the sprinkler installation & fire safety programme (3) Acknowledge the progress of major refurbishment projects (4) Acknowledge the actions of the Deputy Chief Executive to award a Negotiated Tender for specialist demolition engineer services to Perses Ltd. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Ambition statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Transforming Places Item 3 Page 29 of 322
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1.2 Committee will also recall that in February 2018, the council approved proposals to develop and deliver a programme to introduce enhanced fire safety measures within high-rise towers that included retrofitting of sprinkler systems, improved fire compartmentation, emergency lighting and installation of fire doors to properties. 1.3 Following committee approval in 2016 to undertake condition surveys including external cladding assessment, internal fabric condition and structural integrity, the findings were assessed with a strategic approach to remedial action in line with government legislation developed. 2. Report Demolition/Ambition 2.1 The programme is progressing on schedule with only 23 tenants identified in phase 1 still to be rehoused. All have been offered housing but have advised they wish to remain within the blocks until we make a decision regarding re-housing the Ukrainian families. Committee will be aware these are the blocks of flats that were re-purposed to support the Ukraine resettlement programme. Detailed breakdown of the phase one programme as of October 2024 is provided in table 1: Table 1 Tower Vacant Properties Status Northburn Low-Rise, Airdrie 27 (100%) Complete Holehills, Airdrie 138 (100%) Complete Burnside Court, Coatbridge 44 (100%) Complete Gowkthrapple Low-Rise 303 (99%) On Site Shawhead Low-Rise 176 (100%) On Site Coursington, Allen, Draffen High-Rise 351 (100%) On Site Jackson High-Rise 192 (100%) On Site Allershaw High-rise 70 (100%) Design Phase Dunbeth High-rise 192 (100%) Re-programmed High Coats Ukraine Resettlement Re-programmed Birkshaw High-rise Ukraine Resettlement Re-programmed Gowkthrapple Low Rise Demolition 2.2 The contract to demolish the 19 low-rise blocks at Gowkthrapple, Wishaw was awarded in February 2023 and the contractor took possession in March 2023. Works are now progressing well, despite delays associated with service disconnections and bird nesting season. It is estimated that the demolition works will be completed by end April 2025, with the exception of 2 blocks at Stanhope Place which have been excluded from the current contract due to a remaining owner occupier. While efforts are continuing to purchase the property on a voluntary basis this has not proved possible to date. The Planning Committee on 17 October therefore re-confirmed its approval to seek to purchase the property through use of a Compulsory Purchase Order and preparations are bening made to servce the appropriate notice as soon as possible. Shawhead Low Rise Demolition Page 30 of 322
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2.3 The contract to demolish 11 low-rise blocks at Shawhead, Coatbridge has recommenced following the termination of the previous contract due to contractor performance. On 25th January 2024 the council terminated the contract with the incumbent main contractor and has subsequently engaged a new main contractor to complete the project. The newly appointed contractor took possession of the site on 25th January 2024 and are working towards completing the project by November 2024. Coursington, Allen, Draffen Towers Demolition 2.4 Demolition of the three high-rise tower blocks at Coursington, Motherwell is underway with demolition of 12-14 Draffen street being completed first along with the surrounding structures. Careful deconstruction of the first tower superstructure was in progress until March 2024 when a routine review of archive drawings was being undertaken for another purpose, a drawing referenced that a post tensioning system may have been used as part of the original construction methodology. Previous structural assessments and surveys had not identified this system was in place. The use of vertical post- tensioning in residential tower blocks is not common practice and is more often seen in civil engineering projects. The council’s consultant engineers, and the contractor has found limited examples of this system in residential construction, and it was an unexpected discovery. To enable the drawings to be fully assessed, the contractor was instructed to cease works on site while further investigations were undertaken. A requirement for structural assessments and surveys to be undertaken by the contractor was included as part of the demolition specification but it is questionable if this could have been identified during such an exercise due to the location and concealed nature of the system. Following assessment by the contractor’s structural engineer it was confirmed that the post tensioning system was present and formed part of the original construction. 2.5 The discovery of the post tensioning system being used resulted in a cessation of the works on site whilst an alternative method of demolition and quote to complete the works was provided. Following a review of the newly proposed method of demolition and costs provided by the incumbent contractor a decision was reached that it was not legally viable to proceed with the contract to complete the works on the basis that the acceptance of the new solution and additional price increases would amount to substantial modification which legally the council cannot accept such a variation to the contract provided as if it did it would be in breach of The Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2015 Regulation 72. The council are currently reviewing options to terminate the current contract and enable a new contractor to take possession and complete the project. 2.6 Once the newly appointed contractor takes possession of the site a series of further structural surveys at Coursington Tower will be carried out to confirm the most appropriate demolition method. Whilst the surveys are being conducted the cladding will be stripped from Allen and Draffen Towers. It is anticipated that the findings of the surveys will be reported to the council in January 2025 for the new demolition methodology to be finalised, agreed and progressed. Jackson Court Demolition 2.7 The contract to demolish Jackson Court, Coatbridge is underway and was progressing well until May 2024 when the main contractor highlighted the discovery of high levels of unrecorded structural asbestos enclosed within the joint between party walls and external walls of the block across all floors within the tower. The specific construction method utilised in the block made it extremely difficult to detect through standard surveying techniques. The issue was only identified during further structural Page 31 of 322
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investigations prompted by the discovery of the post-tensioning issue at the Coursington Towers demolition site, despite earlier surveys conducted by both the council and the contractor. The result of identifying this means that the overall demolition methodology needs to be altered. 2.8 The contractor has reviewed the effect of the discovery of the asbestos on the contract and has presented an updated quote and timeframe to complete the works on site. 2.9 Following a review of the updated quote it has been confirmed that it is not legally viable to proceed with the contract to complete the works on the basis that the acceptance of the new solution and additional price increases would amount to substantial modification legally the council cannot accept such a variation to the contract provided as if it did it would be in breach of The Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2015 Regulation 72. The council are currently reviewing options to terminate the current contract and enable a new contractor to take possession and complete the project. 2.10 Once the newly appointed contractor takes possession of the site a series of enabling works will be carried out prior to the physical demolition recommencing. Whilst the enabling works are being completed the tower will be assessed and a recommendation on the most appropriate method of demolition provided to the council. It is anticipated that the findings of the surveys will be reported to the council in January 2025 for the new demolition methodology to be finalised, agreed and progressed. Negotiated Tender Procedure (NTP) for Demolition Engineer Services 2.11 Following the discovery of the post tensioning system at Coursington Tower and the additional structural asbestos at Jackson Court, it became clear the council required immediate assistance from specialist demolition engineers. A NPT process was utilised for reasons of extreme urgency as these towers are partially deconstructed therefore increasing the risk profile of these towers. A contract was awarded to Perses Ltd who will provide a range of specialist demolition engineering services including urgent advice regarding the partially demolished structures, advice on demolition methodologies, Principal Designer role and monitoring of the demolition process. The consultant will also be involved in the remainder of the phase one demolition programme with an upper limit of the contract being £1,000,000. The council intend to undertake a future procurement exercise to assist with the phase two programme. Allershaw Tower Demolition 2.12 A tender package for the demolition of Allershaw Tower, Wishaw continues to be developed. The last remaining tenants have vacated the block, and work is now underway to carry out refurbishment and demolition (R&D) surveys for inclusion in the tender which will be procured in 2025/26. Phase 2 Reprovisioning Programme 2.13 With the consultation for the second phase of the demolition programme being complete and the identified blocks being put forward for reprovisioning, a programme has been developed to deliver these works. The programme contains a mixture of low- rise and tower blocks spanning several years. A report on the findings of the consultation exercise was approved at the Housing Committee in August 2023. The Page 32 of 322
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vacating of the properties in this phase of the works has already begun and updates on the progress will be reported to a future committee. Sprinkler / Fire Safety Programme 2.14 Phase 2 of the sprinkler installation programme comprising of towers at Glassford, Woodside, Glen, Coltswood & Redbridge is complete. 2.15 Phase 3 of the sprinkler installation programme to install sprinkler systems in Elvan and Calder Towers is currently being developed and will commence in 2025/26 Major Refurbishment Projects 2.16 Specialist consultants have been appointed to provide design services in relation to the recladding and internal refurbishment of Whifflet and Calder towers, Coatbridge. Detailed surveys are underway to feed into the overall design proposals. The preparations for a resident’s consultation meeting are underway. Upon completion of the survey and consultation events the design team will proceed to develop the tender package and commence procurement of the contract. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The plans contained within this report will help to improve housing conditions and housing choice for our residents which contributes to addressing inequality. 4. Supporting Documentation There are no supporting documents with this report. Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 33 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Any financial impact of the measures implemented will be contained within the HRA Capital Investment budget and will be drawn down via borrowing/CFCR as required and reported to committee. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Statutory compliance with Building Standards and recent fire safety legislation. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Page 34 of 322
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Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Upgrading of external building fabric to current energy standards. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Reprovisioning of towers and low-rise blocks must be included in regular corporate communications. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risks are considered, frequently reviewed and recorded on project-specific risk registers. Risks with an inherently high score are escalated to project board/service level. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Page 35 of 322
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Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 36 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref PH/JS Date 06/11/24 Transforming Places New Supply Programme – Update on Progress From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail stevensonjam@northlan.gov.uk Telephone James Stevenson Housing Development Manager 07583098631 Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to update Committee on progress of the new supply programme, which aims to deliver 5,000 homes by 2035. This report also provides an update on progress against annual targets previously set, outlines current challenges in delivering the programme, and seeks approval for revised targets. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Consider the contents of the report regarding progress of the new supply programme. (2) Acknowledge the challenges impacting on the delivery of the new supply programme. (3) Approve the proposed targets for delivery of the programme set out in 2.12. (4) Acknowledge that a review is underway to assess the potential for any expansion of the new supply programme to help meet housing requirements, including options for Mid Market Rent linked to the further development of town centre living projects. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Ambition statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Transforming Places Item 4 Page 37 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 In May 2018, Committee approved proposals to increase the new supply programme to deliver 5,000 new homes by 2035. This was strategically linked to the re-provisioning of all tower blocks (4,600 flats) over 20 years. It was estimated that around 2,300 new homes (50%) would be built on the sites of the tower blocks following their demolition. The target also included an assumption that the council would purchase around 550 homes through an expanded empty homes purchase scheme, which had enabled the council to buy back a number of former council houses. 1.2 In September 2019, Committee approved proposals to pilot a “Development Pathfinder” scheme to enable the council to acquire completed housing units from developers “off the shelf”. The council already acquired “off the shelf” from developers in the north area where the Affordable Housing Policy applies, however Committee agreed to extend this approach to the Motherwell, Bellshill, Coatbridge and Airdrie areas. It was noted that this could potentially act as a catalyst to enable private development sites to be brought forward and therefore stimulate investment in these areas and increase new housing provision. In November 2020, Committee approved proposals to extend the ‘Development Pathfinder’ scheme to cover all of North Lanarkshire. 1.3 In November 2023, Committee received an update on the progress with delivery of the programme and approved targets for delivery of the programme up to 2035. It was previously agreed that an annual update would be provided to committee regarding the delivery of the programme. This report provides an update on progress to date against previous targets, outlines the challenges encountered, mitigation measures in place to address challenges and sets out the proposed targets for the coming years. 2. Report 2.1 In 2023/24, the council’s new supply programme achieved the 2nd highest completion figures for affordable housing across the national programme, resulting in its strongest performance since inception in 2010. 335 new build homes were delivered against a target of 334, spread across eleven sites within the authority. As of 11th October 2024, the programme has delivered 1,526 new build homes, creating transformational change within communities and having a positive impact on the lives of our tenants. Several recently completed sites have been nominated for national awards (best healthy homes & best regeneration project) and the New Supply team recently won Best Development Team (Urban) at the national Inside Housing awards. 2.2 The new build programme also recorded its highest level of expenditure during 2023/24 with £55.529m invested. The Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget remains a key resource with £12.52m of grant drawn down during 2023/24. 2.3 In 2023/24, the Open Market Purchase Scheme (OMPS) also performed well, acquiring 126 homes against an initial target of 100. The council received 463 applications in the period, highlighting the popularity of the scheme. In addition to responding to online applications, the team review the open market via property websites for properties in areas with the highest levels of housing need, however this approach had had limited success as many properties are sold above market value. 2.4 As of 11th October 2024, 793 homes have now been purchased through the Empty Homes and Open Market Purchase Scheme. The Open Market Purchase Scheme (OMPS) has been proven as an effective housing delivery mechanism by providing much needed accommodation to meet local need, whilst representing value for money Page 38 of 322
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in the current market with an average purchase and repair cost of £112k in 2023/24. Through our vetting process, officers continue to prioritise properties which are last in a block resulting in full council ownership, high demand areas and landlord properties whereby tenants are at risk of homelessness or contain vulnerable tenants. 2.5 As of 11th October 2024, 267 homes have been delivered through the Affordable Housing Policy and ‘Developer Pathfinder’ off the shelf initiative. In 2023/24, 82 properties were acquired from a range of developers, enhancing tenure diversity for new housing developments across the authority. Acquisition via this method remains cost effective in the current market conditions whilst achieving several strategic objectives of North Lanarkshire’s Local Housing Strategy. Officers continue to work closely with developers on potential projects across the authority. 2.6 Despite the new supply programme’s recent success, there are several challenges that are faced at a national level that may impact future performance in terms of increasing housing supply. Availability of Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) grant funding is a key risk with the 2024/25 budget reducing by £8.03m for North Lanarkshire. The overall budged shared by all 32 local authorities has decreased by £196.1m (26%) when compared to the previous year’s allocation. Officers continue to work with the Scottish Government’s More Homes team to maximise available funding for North Lanarkshire and make best use of available resources. 2.7 The council have also responded on the Scottish Government’s proposed changes to the energy and environmental standards consultation, which seeks feedback on the introduction of a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard for new build housing. The key aim is to reduce energy demands through measures such as improved fabric insulation and zero direct emission heating systems. However, it is clear that achieving higher standards of energy efficiency will ultimately increase costs of new build developments. 2.8 The new supply programme is key to delivering transformation change as set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire by providing affordable, modern homes whilst realising our vision of regenerating town centres, retaining buildings of historical importance, and promoting town centre living. Cost projections to redevelop historical buildings remain significantly higher than standard new build due to greater complexity and risks associated with conversion of existing buildings. 2.9 The latest construction forecast data from BCIS indicates that building costs will increase by 15% over the next five years, while tender prices will rise by 19% over the same period. Increased costs associated with the delivery of the new supply programme will continue to be monitored and factored into the HRA 30-year projections which incorporates grant funding assumptions. 2.10 Scottish Water’s Surface Water Connection Policy continues to restrict delivery of key housing developments and several projects have been paused. The policy prevents new connections to combined infrastructure with Scottish Water actively seeking to reduce surface water from entering the existing network. 2.11 In line with national policies, the new supply programme seeks to develop brownfield sites within council ownership. These sites are typically problematic to develop due to a variety of factors such as contamination, mine workings and made ground. The cost to remediate unfavourable ground conditions can make smaller developments financially unviable due to an inability to achieve economies of scale that larger developments can provide. Page 39 of 322
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Programme Targets 2.12 Due to the nature of the new supply programme and the fluctuating market in which it operates, long-term projections can often vary. Estimated targets for this and future years are set out in the table below, including the balance to be delivered by 2035. Table 1 New Supply Projections as at November 2024 2.13 As noted in section 2.1 of the report, new build targets for 2023/24 for both new build and OMPS were both achieved. This reflects the successful completion of several key projects. As of 11th October 2024, the programme has achieved 46% of its overall target of 5,000 by 2035. 2.14 Projections for 2024/25 through to 2035 have been adjusted to reflect current projections for sites on site or under design development. Whilst the projection for 2025/26 appears low in terms of completions, next year will see six new developments totalling 140 units commencing on site with completions to follow. 2.15 The delivery of the new supply programme will be closely monitored with regular updates provided to Committee, including annual updates on progress against targets and any further adjustments that may be required. 2.16 A review is currently underway to identify potential opportunities to accelerate and expand the programme including exploring alternative tenure options to support town centre regeneration and wider economic and population growth. Potential new sites are also being reviewed for suitability and inclusion on the new supply programme. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The measure of success will be the effective delivery of the council’s new supply programme which aims to deliver 5,000 homes by 2035. Year New Build New Build OMPS (incl. targeted extension) Total Approved Targets November 2023 Council Off the Shelf 2023/24 (final outturn) 253 82 126 461 434 2024/25 183 98 100 381 368 2025/26 33 20 120 173 433 2026/27 239 20 100 359 372 2027/28 197 75 100 372 215 2028/29 200 20 100 320 218 2029 - 2035 697 232 359 1288 1466 Total 1802 547 1005 3354 3506 Completions 893 123 630 1646 (to March 2023) Grand total 2695 670 1635 5000 Page 40 of 322
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3.2 The new supply programme will also contribute to the regeneration of town centres within North Lanarkshire which remains a key priority within the Transforming Places Programme of Work. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 – New Build Sites as of 11th October 2024 Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 41 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The new supply programme helps support delivery of the seven strategic outcomes of the local housing strategy whilst meeting the statutory requirements and contributing to national priorities and targets. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The new supply programme is funded through a combination of prudential borrowing, capital funding, Scottish Government grant funding and subsidy income. The affordability of both the new supply and OMPS are reviewed each year and incorporated into the 30-year Business Plan. Grant funding for new build is £83,584 per unit, based on a 3-person equivalent as well as additional grant funding available for additional quality measures and renewables. The OMPS can secure between £30k-£50k in grant funding per property based on acquisition cost. The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) budget for 2024/25 budget has been reduced by 26% with North Lanarkshire’s budget allocation reducing by £8.03m. The available budget for future years is not yet known. The potential impact on the council’s programme is being closely monitored and any potential impact on the delivery of the council’s programme will be reported to Committee. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 42 of 322
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The new supply programme has been considered through the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as required by the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005and there are no major issues of relevance identified. All new homes are built to the current technical standards or higher. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The new supply programme is promoted via the strategic PR plan with Corporate Communications with Local Members and other key stakeholders. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? The councils Risk Management Strategy 2023- 2026 is adopted at both a service and project level basis for delivery of the new supply programme. This incorporates Page 43 of 322
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risk management governance, structure and methodology which are reviewed at regular intervals. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 44 of 322
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Appendix 1 New Build Sites as of 11th October 2024 Area Location Units Comments Completion Year Holytown Main St 10 Completed (Amenity) 2010/11 Holytown Spruce Way 10 Completed 2010/11 Motherwell Ravenscraig (David Wilson Homes) 18 Completed (off the shelf) 2010/11 (2010/11) 38 Airdrie Clarkston PS 19 Completed 2011/12 Millerston Coshneuk Rd 11 Completed (Amenity) 2011/12 Cumbernauld North Rd 29 Completed 2011/12 Wishaw Cambusnethan PS 20 Completed (Amenity) 2011/12 (2011/12) 79 Viewpark Laburnum Rd (Phase 1) 12 Completed 2012/13 (2012/13) 12 Viewpark Laburnum Rd (Phase 2) 28 Completed 2013/14 Moodiesburn Gartferry Road 50 Completed 2013/14 Cumbernauld Westfield Drive 30 Completed 2013/14 (2013/14) 108 Airdrie Former Albert PS 14 Completed 2014/15 Chryston Lanrig Rd 27 Completed (Amenity) 2014/15 Coatbridge Corsewall St 14 Completed 2014/15 (2014/15) 55 Bellshill Former Belvidere PS 20 Completed 2015/16 Kilsyth Fisher Ave 30 Completed 2015/16 Chryston Old Lindsaybeg Rd (Persimmon) 14 Completed (off the shelf) 2015/16 (2015/16) 64 Motherwell Glencairn Tower site 25 Completed 2016/17 (2016/17) 25 Viewpark Former Tannochside PS 16 Completed 2017/18 Wishaw Walkerburn Dr, Coltness 20 Completed 2017/18 Cumbernauld Cardowan Drive 30 Completed 2017/18 Cumbernauld Kildrum Nursery 16 Completed 2017/18 Chryston Station Rd (Persimmon) 30 Completed (off the shelf) 2017/18 Chapelhall Former St Aloysius PS (Phase 1) 24 Completed 2017/18 (2017/18) 136 Chapelhall Former St Aloysius PS (Phase 2) 6 Completed 2018/19 Cumbernauld Brown Road 20 Completed 2018/19 New Stevenston Former New Stevenston PS 15 Completed 2018/19 Chryston Greenlea Road 21 Completed 2018/19 Coatbridge Old School Court 20 Completed 2018/19 Airdrie Former Alexandra PS 14 Completed 2018/19 Harthill Former Harthill PS 20 Completed 2018/19 (2018/19) 116 Motherwell Cleekhimmin, Ravenscraig (Barratt) 10 Completed (off the shelf) 2019/20 Coatbridge Blair Road 40 Completed 2019/20 Motherwell Calder PS 30 Completed 2019/20 Gartcosh Johnston Road / Inchnock Ave (Phase 1) (Bellway) 16 Completed (off the shelf) 2019/20 Cumbernauld Cedar Road Nursery 14 Completed 2019/20 Chryston Main Street (Bellway) 18 Completed (off the shelf) 2019/20 Wishaw Meadowhead Rd, Ravenscraig (Keepmoat) 11 Completed (off the shelf) 2019/20 (2019/20) 139 Bellshill Caledonian Avenue (Phase 1 ) 19 Completed 2020/21 Wishaw Dimsdale Road (Phase 1) 6 Completed 2020/21 (2020/21) 25 Bellshill Caledonian Avenue (Phase 2) 8 Completed 2021/22 Wishaw Dimsdale Road (Further Phases) 55 Completed 2021/22 Coatbridge St James PS / Lismore Drive 58 Completed 2021/22 Wishaw Roberts Street (Belhaven House) 16 Completed 2021/22 (2021/22) 137 Wishaw Mossburn St, Waterloo 20 Completed 2022/23 Plains Plains PS 16 Completed 2022/23 Bellshill Community Road 29 Completed 2022/23 Airdrie Dykehead Road, Holehills (Phase 1) 11 Completed 2022/23 Motherwell Torrance Park (Phase 1) (Barratt) 6 Completed (off the shelf) 2022/23 (2022/23) 82 Chryston Chilterns Care Home, Lindsaybeg Road 21 Completed 2023/24 Airdrie Dykehead Road, Holehills (Further Phases) 139 Completed 2023/24 Stepps Gateside Farm (Barratt) 30 Completed (off the shelf) 2023/24 Motherwell Torrance Park (Phase 2) (Barratt) 4 Completed (off the shelf) 2023/24 Motherwell Ravenscliff Rd, Ravenscraig 24 Completed 2023/24 Moodiesburn Auchengeich, Gartferry Road (Bellway) 12 Completed (off the shelf) 2023/24 Wishaw Castlehill Road, Gowkthrapple (Phase 1-4) 19 Completed 2023/24 Airdrie Northburn Place 31 Completed 2023/24 Shotts Springhill Road (Keepmoat) 12 Completed (off the shelf) 2023/24 Coatbridge Lorne Place (Allanwater) 24 Completed (off the shelf) 2023/24 Coatbridge Berwick St 19 Completed 2023/24 (2023/24) 335 Airdrie Glenacre Drive 16 Completed 2024/25 Wishaw Castlehill Road (Further Phases) 57 Completed 2024/25 Airdrie Former Orrs Building (Wilson) 20 Completed (off the shelf) 2024/25 Chryston Gartferry Road (Allanwater) (Phase 1-2) 12 Completed (off the shelf) 2024/25 Coatbridge Calder Gardens, Carnbroe (Barratt) 18 Completed (off the shelf) 2024/25 Airdrie Petersburn Road (Former Petersburn PS) 40 Completed 2024/25 Gartcosh Johnston Road (Phase 2) (Bellway) 12 Completed (off the shelf) 2024/25 (2024/25) 175 Sub total 1526 Completed Total 1526 Annual Completions C o m p l e t e d Page 45 of 322
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Wishaw Castlehill Road, Gowkthrapple (Remaining Phases) 21 On Site Motherwell Brandon Street 48 On Site Cumbernauld Dowanfield Road (Zoom) 24 On Site (off the shelf) Chryston Gartferry Road (Allanwater) (Remaining Phases) 10 On Site (off the shelf) Airdrie Northburn (Shop Conversion) 1 On Site Bellshill Thorn Road 26 On Site Sub total 130 On site Coatbridge School Street (Former Columba HS) 127 Contract Awarded Viewpark Laburnum Road 26 Tender Stage Coatbridge Bank Street 16 Tender Stage Wishaw Graham Street 13 Tender Stage Coatbridge Kildonan Street 43 Planning app approved Cumbernauld Glasgow Road (Former Cumbernauld Village PS) 8 Planning app approved Glenboig Main Street (Former Police Station) 7 Planning app approved Wishaw King Street 5 Tender Stage Wishaw Stewarton Street & Kings House 18 Tender Stage Motherwell Former Motherwell Town Hall 20 Tender Stage Millerston Coshneuk Road 17 Planning app submitted Wishaw Caledonian Road 15 Tender Stage Caldercruix Hill Street (Former St Mary's PS) 25 Design development underway Motherwell Hope Street (Masonic Hall) 10 Design development underway Coatbridge Main Street 49 Planning app approved Motherwell Dalzell Drive 24 Design development underway Newmains Newton Drive (Former St Brigid's PS) 35 Design development underway Coatbridge Tay Street (Former Pentland PS) 16 Design development underway Coatbridge Kildonan Street (Former Portland HS) 16 Design development underway Viewpark Elm Crescent (Former Muirpark Care Home) 25 Design development underway Airdrie Gartlea Road (Coats House) 28 Design development underway Wishaw Main Street (Anvil Block) 32 Approved at Committee - August 2024 Glenboig Glenboig Road (Marnoch) 30 Approved at Committee - August 2024 Bellshill Hattonrigg Road 20 Approved at Committee - August 2024 Sub total 625 Design development underway Coatbridge Shawhead 100 Re-provisioning site Planning app submitted Coatbridge Dunbeth 114 Re-provisioning site Coatbridge Jackson 56 Re-provisioning site Motherwell Coursington 84 Re-provisioning site Sub total 354 Re-provisioning sites Cumbernauld Community Growth Area - Phases 1-3 (Bellway) 75 Off the shelf Planning app approved Coatbridge Former DWP Offices, South Circular Road (ML5 Limited) 39 Off the shelf Purchase approved at Committee Motherwell Prospecthill Road (O'Brien Properties Limited) 23 Off the shelf Purchase approved at Committee Sub total 137 Future off the shelf purchases from developers Total 2772 O f f T h e S h e l f O n - s i t e D e s i g n D e v e l o p m e n t R e - p r o v i s i o n i n g Page 46 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref SL/MK/JS Date 06/11/24 Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Annual Progress Update, Homelessness Overview and Prevention Plan From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail llewellyns@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939280680 Executive Summary North Lanarkshire’s Rapid Re-Housing Transition Plan (RRTP) was approved by Committee on 14 November 2018 and subsequently submitted to the Scottish Government on 19 December 2018. The five-year plan details the necessary changes required in temporary accommodation supply, housing supply, and support across all partners to provide settled housing options for homeless households as swiftly as possible, reducing the need for and time spent in temporary accommodation. The RRTP funding, initially expected to end in 2022/23 covering 3 years of the 5 year plan, was extended to cover 2023/24 for which £391,000 was awarded and more recently for 2024/25, wherein £381,000 was received to progress the actions contained within the RRTP. This report provides an update on the final year of implementation of the RRTP actions and seeks approval on a new Homelessness Action Plan, covering the 2025-2028 period. The new plan incorporates actions which are ongoing from the current RRTP as well as new actions identified through collaboration with wider stakeholders. This report also sets out the current homelessness context, with a second consecutive year rise in homelessness in North Lanarkshire (16%). At a national level the latest statistics show 40,685 homelessness applications were made in 2023/24, an increase of 4%, the highest since 2011-12. A detailed appendix is provided attached to this report providing detail on the North Lanarkshire and national context. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge the progress made in achieving the key objectives of the RRTP as it approaches completion of its final year. (2) Be aware of the current challenging housing context, one in which 12 local authorities have made declarations of housing emergencies alongside a national declaration; and Item 5 Page 47 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 The Scottish Government’s Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan aims to end homelessness, with rapid rehousing at its core. The RRTP provides a framework for local authorities and partners to transition to rapid rehousing, prioritising prevention, expanding access to long-term housing, and reducing stays in temporary accommodation. 1.2 The RRTP aligns with the Local Housing Strategy, Health and Social Care Strategic Plan, Strategic Housing Investment Plan, Locality Outcome Improvement Plans, and the overarching Plan for North Lanarkshire, aiming to reduce inequalities and improve health and wellbeing. 1.3 The RRTP outlines how North Lanarkshire Council, and its partners will achieve their future vision, detailing necessary changes in temporary accommodation, housing supply, and multi-agency support to provide sustainable housing options for homeless households quickly. 1.4 It is a five year plan covering the 2019/20 – 2024/25 period and is in its final year of implementation. £381,000 was received from the Scottish Government’s Ending Homelessness Together Fund to support the RRTP objectives and priorities over 2024/25. 1.5 The Homes First project, part of the RRTP, aims to provide immediate housing and intensive support from various partners to help vulnerable homeless individuals achieve sustainable living and improve their health and wellbeing. This project accounts for the majority of RRTP funding received from the Scottish Government. that rising homelessness has been a fundamental contributing if not primary factor in the declarations. (3) Approve a pilot change to reduce two housing offers for homeless households to one offer for a temporary period of six months to help address the housing challenges in North Lanarkshire, subject to review with a future report to Committee on the outcome. (4) Recognise that homelessness has risen for the second consecutive year in North Lanarkshire, increasing by 16% over the 2022/23 – 2023/24 period. (5) Recognise that despite increasing homelessness, the council compares favourably against the national average across a number of key homeless indicators, with significantly lower time spent in temporary accommodation for homeless households and time taken to access settled accommodation. (6) Consider and approve the new Homelessness Action Plan covering the period (2025- 2028) developed in collaboration with wider stakeholders, which will set the direction for change towards ending homelessness in North Lanarkshire. (7) Be aware of the new homelessness prevention duties set out in the Housing (Scotland) Bill which will bring in new responsibilities for public bodies to help prevent homelessness. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement (24) Review and design services around people, communities, and shared resources Programme of Work Resilient People Page 48 of 322
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1.6 The Housing (Scotland) Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament in March this year, aims to prevent homelessness, strengthen tenant rights, and improve housing conditions. The Bill aims to create systemic change with person-centred, trauma- informed services to better meet individual needs, improve prevention, and offer greater choice and control for those at risk of homelessness. 1.7 A key aspect of the Bill is strengthening housing rights by requiring public bodies to ‘ask and act’ on housing situations. Introduced amid rising homelessness in Scotland, the Bill is critical as the current system faces increasing pressure, highlighting the importance of early intervention. The ‘ask and act’ duty marks a significant shift in homelessness policy and efforts to end homelessness in Scotland. 1.8 While this is expected to be the final year of RRTP funding, alternative funding may be available to continue this approach. The Scottish Government remains committed to ending homelessness; however, it has not yet announced specific plans for transitioning from RRTP funding to alternative funding sources after 2024/25, nor specific detail on the expectations for the Housing Bill homelessness prevention duties once it receives royal assent. 1.9 To ensure that North Lanarkshire continues its positive approach to preventing and tackling homelessness, building on the success achieved over the past five years under the RRTP, a new Homelessness Action Plan has been developed covering the next three year period, 2025-2028. 2. Report RRTP Key Progress Achieved 2.1 During 2023/24, RRTP activities focused on partnership efforts to tackle the underlying causes of homelessness. Additionally, there was a strong focus on early intervention to sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness wherever feasible. 2.2 Since its inception in March 2021, the Homes First Team has collaborated with housing, health and social care, NHS, and voluntary sector agencies to support homeless individuals with complex needs. The team has helped to improve outcomes and tenancy sustainment through a trauma-informed approach, which is now embedded in homelessness practice, focusing on improving joint assessments and operational processes to ensure a person-centred approach in preventing and reducing homelessness. 2.3 Over the period 2023/24, Homes First expanded its services to provide flexible strength-based support to 54 customers. The service has a 100% success rate in helping those with complex needs sustain their homes. Of these, 38 customers have maintained their housing for over a year, 15 clients have successfully completed their journey towards independence, and 7 clients are transitioning to the stepdown stage of their support. Additionally, new referrals for the service have been received from locality teams for the 2024/25 period, indicating ongoing demand for the service. 2.4 Other key areas of success and activity over the past year include: • The implementation of a Crisis Response Service, jointly funded by RRTP funding and North Lanarkshire’s Alcohol and Drug Partnership, this service provides assertive outreach for people who are at risk of homelessness or are homeless and Page 49 of 322
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in need of an immediate response. The service delivered by Turning Point Scotland offers psychosocial support, ensuring individuals are connected to treatment services in times of crisis, re-engaging people with primary services to prevent repeat homelessness, prevent dis-engagement and improve wider life outcomes. • The Household Support Fund, created to assist young single households experiencing financial hardship by providing support for rent arrears, energy costs, and food vouchers, has led to 140 tenants being assisted. • The Keys to the Future Programme, funded by the Barnardo’s Foundation, offers practical and emotional support to families facing homelessness, with 25 families supported and 42 children. • The Alternatives to Violence (AVP) Workshops continue to address conflict, anger, and violence for Homes First and restorative justice clients. • The Furniture Fund was expanded to include households experiencing homelessness across all housing localities. This fund provided furniture items beyond the provisions of the Scottish Welfare Fund, allowing homeless households to personalise their homes and foster a stronger sense of belonging. • The Technology Fund was also rolled out to localities to provide digital devices, improving digital inclusion and access to online services. • The Say Women Service was commissioned to provide support for a 12 month period to young women aged 16-25 who are survivors of child sexual abuse or other forms of sexual violence and are at risk of homelessness. The service offered emotional and practical support. Part of the commission was to upskill housing staff on homelessness and disclosure of sexual abuse or other sexual violence, to enable staff to provide appropriate support and signposting. • The ongoing partnership with Health and Social Care continues to deliver accommodation for young people leaving care. This includes the provision of reception flats and a training flat, aimed at building confidence and independent living skills amongst Care Experienced Young People. • The Youth Housing Champions continue to provide a key interface between Care Experienced Young People and housing teams, enabling earlier transition planning and embedding new systems and ways of working to ensure that no Care Experienced Young Person has to present as homeless to secure accommodation. • Development of a revised Temporary Accommodation Strategy, setting out the temporary accommodation requirements and actions over 2024-2029. 2.5 RRTP activity has continued to make steady progress. Of the 68 actions, 52 (76%) are now complete, 8 (12%) have yet to commence, and 8 (12%) are ongoing. Details of completed and continuing actions are detailed in Appendix 1. Homelessness Action Plan (2025-2028) 2.6 As the RRTP is in its final year a new Homelessness Action Plan has been developed. The new action plan has been developed in collaboration with key wider stakeholders, including Health and Social Care, Justice, NHS Lanarkshire, the Community and Voluntary Sector, North Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership and wider council services. People with lived experience of homelessness have also influenced the development of the action plan, as their views have been sought in a tandem review of housing support services. 2.7 The action plan contains actions from the current RRTP which are ongoing in addition to several new actions and sets the direction of travel for the council and wider partners to effectively prevent and end homelessness in North Lanarkshire. Four key priorities Page 50 of 322
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are set out structured around 4 strategic areas of housing supply, temporary accommodation, support and prevention: • Key Priority 1 - Housing Supply: Significantly reduce homelessness through increasing the supply of affordable homes • Key Priority 2 - Temporary Accommodation: Reduce time spent in temporary accommodation through access to settled housing quickly • Key Priority 3 – Support: Improve support for households who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless • Key Priority 4 – Prevention: Preventing homelessness through early intervention, education and other support services 2.8 The new plan incorporates aspects of prevention which will assist preparatory efforts by the council and wider partners in advance of the new homelessness prevention duties coming into force. It requires collective and collaborative efforts across council services and partners to target support to people at risk of homelessness much earlier and will involve considering people’s circumstances in the widest sense, including health and wellbeing, employment and social care needs. It will require sustained effort from all partners to effectively deliver the actions set out. The action plan is attached as Appendix 2. 2.9 The action plan will be subject to review annually and is intended to be included in the Resilient People Programme of Work under the Homelessness Prevention and Tackling Poverty workstream from 2025 onwards. Homelessness in North Lanarkshire and Scotland 2.10 Local authorities across Scotland are struggling with an unprecedented housing crisis. This crisis is marked by rising homelessness and a shortage of affordable housing, further exacerbated by economic pressures. To date, twelve local authorities have declared a housing emergency due to increased demand on resources and difficulty in meeting their statutory duties. This follows the Scottish Government’s declaration of a national housing emergency in May 2024. 2.11 North Lanarkshire has seen a significant increase in homeless applications, with a 16% increase in homeless applications over the 2023/24 period. This followed an increase of 13% in the previous year and compares to a 4% increase nationally. This increase in homelessness although difficult to attribute to any one specific cause is considered to be attributed to the lingering cost of living crisis and pressures on the current housing system. Nationally, local authorities with the largest numerical increases are attributed to an increase in applications from asylum seekers and refugees. 2.12 The number of Common Housing Register (CHR) applications has increased also for the second consecutive year in North Lanarkshire, increasing by 7% over 2023/24. This coupled with wider housing market changes, which include a 26% reduction in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget, and a pressured private rented sector, create increased pressure on social rented homes, impacting on the ability to eradicate homelessness. 2.13 It is noteworthy that the number of homeless applications in North Lanarkshire (2,228 in 2023/24) is approaching the pre-Covid level of 2,366 cases reported in 2018/19 and is the second highest numerical level recorded in over a decade in North Lanarkshire (since 2010/11). The number of homeless applications nationally (40,685) are the highest since 2011/12. Page 51 of 322
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2.14 The number of children associated with applications assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness in North Lanarkshire has increased by 12% over the past year, increasing from 1,005 to 1,128. This compares to a decrease of 7% nationally. This is due to the greater proportional increased level of homelessness generally in North Lanarkshire over the period in comparison to Scotland (16% compared to 4%). 2.15 The number of children in temporary accommodation, however, has reduced by 15% in North Lanarkshire over 2023/24. This compares to a 5% increase nationally, with record high levels of children in temporary accommodation nationally since the time series began. 2.16 The average time spent in temporary accommodation for cases that closed was 131 days in 2023/24. This is significantly better than the previous North Lanarkshire year average of 164 days and of the current Scottish average of 226 days. This is indicative of effective implementation of RRTP, with a continued reduction in time spent in temporary accommodation evident in North Lanarkshire, despite increased levels of homelessness. 2.17 It took an average of 154 days to close a case for homeless households in 2023/24 compared with 169 days in 2022/23. Again, North Lanarkshire compares favourably against the Scottish average of 278 days to close a case for homeless households. 2.18 To help address the current homelessness challenges in North Lanarkshire, it is proposed to pilot a temporary measure to reduce the current two housing offers to one offer for homeless households, for a six month period, subject to monitoring and review and a future update to Housing Committee on the outcome of the pilot. 2.19 Further homelessness information and data is detailed in Appendix 3. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Delivery of actions set out in the new Homelessness Action Plan, 2025-2028 (as attached in Appendix 2 to this report). 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 - Rapid Re-Housing Transition Plan Action Plan 2023-2024 – completed and continuing actions Appendix 2 - Homelessness Action Plan (2025-2028) Appendix 3 - Homelessness Key Trends Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 52 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? An EqIA was completed as part of the development of the RRTP. A new EqIA has been completed for the revised Homelessness Action Plan. Positive impact is identified for all protected characteristics, as anyone can experience homelessness. Particular characteristics however, are highlighted as affected to a greater positive extent as they are disproportionally at risk of experiencing homelessness. This includes younger age groups, ethnic minority groups, disabled people and single males. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 53 of 322
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If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risk is identified in relation to failure to deliver/progress the RRTP actions and priorities as outlined. This risk is assessed and recorded on the Service Risk Register under the Local Housing Strategy (2021-2026) and managed accordingly. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. The delivery of the RRTP is positive for all groups including Armed Forces Personnel when they seek housing assistance. Page 54 of 322
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5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). A Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment has been undertaken as the Homelessness Action Plan contains specific interventions which will have a specific and direct impact on children and families. These impacts are positive in the provision of increased affordable housing and range of support to address and prevent homelessness. If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☒ No ☐ Page 55 of 322
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Appendix 1 – Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Annual Update 2023-24 KEY: Actions in AMBER, RED or GREY will be incorporated in new action plan Complete - Green Ongoing - Amber Significantly delayed - Red Not commenced yet - Grey Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 1.1 Roll out Housing Options Training Toolkit across Multi-Agency Partnership Continue to roll out Housing Options Toolkit widely to embed improved, consistent approaches to housing options advice and information 2024 Complete Continue to participate in the ongoing development and learning impact assessment of the Housing Options Toolkit via the Housing Options Steering Group and Learning Impact Assessment Group 2024 Complete KEY ACTION 1.2 Optimisation of rehousing process through Common Housing Register, common Allocation Policies and common matching process teams Continue to review NLC % lets to homeless households and to general list for applicants with ‘confirmed loss of accommodation’ to ensure delivery of RRTP objectives – Info now included in RRTP RAG 2023 Complete Work with RSL partners to review and to increase % lets to homeless households 2023 Ongoing KEY ACTION 1.3 Implement revised Care Experience Young People’s Protocol and Pathway in partnership with H&SC 2023 Complete Page 56 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status Develop and implement robust protocols between partners for homeless households accessing services to improve engagement and take up of services Continue to deliver bespoke housing and support solutions for Care Experienced Young People facing housing crisis and to help equip young people with the skills and confidence for managing a tenancy through delivery of: • The Reception Flats • Training Flat 2023 Complete Consider alternative process to taking a homeless application for Care Experienced Young People using Reception Flats L&A marker on person record – effective criteria developed for identification for CEYP which involves multi agency discussion 2022 Complete Develop joint procedural guidance in partnership with H&SC on supporting people with ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ to ensure consistent and improved approaches 2022 Complete Continue to work with the ADP, H&SC and other partners to assess need, identify gaps and develop services to meet needs 2024 Complete Continue to participate in the Strategic Planning Group, Health and Social Care Partnership Boards, ADP Board and other community care planning structures to identify opportunities to improve access to services, engagement, identify gaps and better meet needs 2024 Complete KEY ACTION 1.4 Continue to develop preventative approach to homelessness Review prevention and early intervention activities in line with the enactment of the new future Homelessness Prevention Duties 2024 Not yet commenced Carry out an evaluation of prevention and early intervention activities taking place currently in advance of the new duties to improve tenancy sustainment and reduce homelessness 2023/24 Ongoing Page 57 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status Work in partnership with RSLs to identify resources to develop homelessness prevention and reduce incidence of housing crisis 2024 Not yet commenced Implement Health and Homelessness Action Plan 2024 Ongoing Continue to develop employability services for those most disadvantaged households affected by homelessness 2024 Complete Create and implement a new dedicated post on prevention to work in tandem with the Housing First Team and wider housing locality teams, H&SC and wider partners 2023 Complete Extend access to the existing ‘Furniture Fund’ beyond Housing First clients to enable wider positive outcomes for people who are homeless/at risk of homelessness 2023 Complete Continue to be involved in the I Hub ADP and Homelessness Programme to identify barriers and opportunities to improve pathways and access to services 2023 Complete KEY ACTION 1.5 Improve our understanding of the needs and requirements of LGBTQ+ service users Carry out consultation with LGBTQ+ households to gain a better understanding of needs and requirements 2024 Not commenced yet. Multi-agency workforce development and training 2024 Complete Consider opportunities to enhance data collection and monitoring to enable improved services 2024 Ongoing KEY ACTION 1.6 Improve policy, training and services in relation to domestic abuse to improve outcomes and reduce homelessness Develop and implement a Housing Domestic Abuse Policy in partnership with specialist organisations in North Lanarkshire and people with lived experience 2023 Complete Extend and deliver Safe and Together training to housing staff 2023 Complete Participate in the Violence Against Women Strategic Partnership and Operational Partnership to improve policy, procedures, training and services for people affected by domestic abuse 2023 Complete Participate in the national ‘REVIVE’ project to improve housing outcomes and prevent homelessness 2023 Complete Implement and deliver SAY Women tenancy sustainment service for young women who have experienced sexual abuse 2023 Complete Page 58 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 1.7 Continue to improve digital services to improve digital inclusion amongst people who are homeless/at risk of homelessness Consider how Digital NL can assist us to improve services for people affected by or at risk of homelessness 2024 Not commenced yet. Consider, develop and implement IT requirements to identify and track Housing First households 2024 Complete Introduce dashboard of information via Power BI 2024 Complete Establish and implement a ‘Technology Fund’ to improve access to a suite of technology for Homes First clients and people who experience homelessness 2023 Complete KEY ACTION 1.8 Implement further measures to ensure a proactive approach to prison releases in line with SHORE standards Establish PAS recording for all short-term prisoners to enable SHORE standards to be monitored 2024 Complete Establish housing links to courts at point of remand – Criminal Justice reps on RRTP Steering Group 2024 Not commenced KEY ACTION 1.9 Implement audit processes on Housing Options Interviews to ensure consistent, high-quality information and advice Establish regular audit process on quality which includes a focus on protocol/priority points for domestic abuse, Care Experienced Young People, and other priority groups/complex needs RRTP RAG now provides data in relation to % lets to households with protocol points 2023 Complete Page 59 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 1.10 Improve approach to tenancy sustainment Develop and implement tenancy sustainment policy 2022 Complete KEY ACTION 1.11 Ensure wider links and activity to early prevention and intervention in health and broader settings Review Health and Homelessness Referral process and housing locality links to GP link workers 2022 Complete Review Education Services links and referral pathways implemented to ensure effectiveness 2022 Complete Introduce routine enquiry on current housing status to identify those at risk of homelessness and establish pathways between housing and health. To initially focus on key areas: • Midwifery • Health visiting • ED and psychiatric liaison • Mental health and addiction services 2024 Not commenced yet. KEY ACTION 1.12 Improve quality, consistency and access to information, advice and signposting in relation to prevention across services and partner organisations Carry out review of information, advice and signposting available on websites, in offices, in other formats, in relation to prevention 2024 Complete Implement any recommendations arising from the review to improve quality, consistency and access to information, advice and signposting 2024 Complete KEY ACTION 2.1 Improve access to the Private Rented Develop and implement a Private Rented Sector Access Scheme 2023 Complete Review the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme and make recommendations to improve access/re-design – Reviewed & streamlined – Briefing sessions for housing localities to increase uptake 2023 Complete Page 60 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status Sector for homeless people, people at risk of homelessness and reduce homelessness from the Private Rented Sector Enhance partnership working with the Private Rented Sector Panel for landlord registration, Below Tolerable Standard Issues and evictions 2023 Complete Improve engagement with private landlords to increase awareness of responsibilities and rights, to improve quality, reduce homelessness and improve access to the sector via establishing a Private Landlord Forum 2022 Complete Develop and deliver Private Rented Sector training and resources for frontline housing staff to improve knowledge and skills in delivery of wider housing options advice 2022 Complete KEY ACTION 2.2 Conversion of temporary furnished flats to settled homes/Scottish Secure tenancies Continue to where possible flip temporary accommodation to settled mainstream accommodation where this is suitable and continue to audit to inform efficacy Ongoing Complete KEY ACTION 2.3 Increase housing supply for homeless households or people at risk of homelessness Increase Buy Back and Empty Home Purchase Scheme initiatives to increase supply for homeless households Ongoing Ongoing Deliver 300 new social rented homes per annum through Affordable Housing Supply Programme (SHIP) – housing supply target to be reviewed following completion of HNDA3 Ongoing Ongoing Pilot of providing two offers of housing concurrently 2022 Complete Page 61 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 2.4 Implement North Lanarkshire Council Local Housing Strategy (2021-2026) Strategic Housing Priority 3: We prevent and resolve homelessness effectively Appropriate action taken to progress Amber and Red Actions identified through LHS Review process 2026 Complete KEY ACTION 3.1 Minimise time homeless households spend in temporary accommodation Reduce homeless case duration Ongoing Complete Develop PIE Design Guide in partnership with Third Sector Providers 2023 Complete Complete remodelling/reconfiguration of residential accommodation at Bank Street 2024 Ongoing Complete refurbishment of Black Street 2023 Complete Continue provision of residential accommodation through supported and specified units where required Ongoing Complete KEY ACTION 4.1 Deliver and continue to develop the Housing First Support Service for those with most complex needs Continue to deliver Housing First Support via the Housing First Team to 25 Housing First clients and 20 pathfinder clients - explore potential to extend/scale up – Additional 3 Forever Homes individuals transferred to service Ongoing Ongoing Review and redesign the Housing First Support Service Contract in tandem with the existing Housing Support commissioned contracts, internal housing support and health and social care support to deliver a sustainable, longer-term service that meets the broad range of needs and delivers on the RRTP objectives 2024 Complete Increase access/uptake of the Housing Self Directed Support Fund for Homes First clients 2023 Complete Explore piloting an ‘Out of Hours’ Crisis Response Service to prevent and mitigate housing crisis, improve access to assertive outreach and prevent tenancy failure 2023 Complete Page 62 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 4.2 Consider how Addictions Services can be redesigned to meet the needs of homeless households with most complex needs Contribute to the ADP Board and explore opportunities to improve access and referral pathways to addiction services for homeless households and those at risk of homelessness 2024 Complete Deliver ADP funded RRTP projects in partnership with Barnardo’s: • Family Plus (families and children impacted by substance use and trauma) • Youth Life Coach (care experienced young people at risk of substance use) • Creative Faces (care experienced young people at risk of substance use) 2023 Complete KEY ACTION 4.3 Consider how Mental Health Services can be redesigned to meet the needs of homeless households with most complex needs Review and refresh pathway between Housing, Homelessness Service and Mental Health Services 2023 Not commenced yet KEY ACTION 4.4 Develop Housing Contribution Statement (HCS) as part of the new Strategic Commissioning Plan (SCP) for 2023-2026 Ensure HCS and SCP alignment and commitment to RRTP objectives 2023 Complete Page 63 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 4.5 Review exclusion processes and strategies for engaging with clients with complex needs Develop and implement clear guidance and supports for supported accommodation staff and partner providers to reduce exclusions and identify alternative options to improve outcomes for those with complex needs 2022 Complete KEY ACTION 4.6 Explore development of new supports and services to meet the needs of people with complex needs for whom Housing First may not be suitable Develop and implement Tenant Guarantor Model 2023 Complete KEY ACTION 4.7 Continue to explore the development of new supports for people with complex needs to complement the existing supports and services available Explore implementation of peer support across Housing First and wider services 2023 Complete Page 64 of 322
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Action Milestones Timescale RAG Status KEY ACTION 4.8 Continue to implement trauma- informed practice, services and systems Recruit trauma-informed coordinator as part of the council’s wider plans to improve trauma-informed approaches across services and partners 2022 Complete Roll out trauma-informed training to all housing services staff with enhanced training for staff in roles with increased contact with clients with complex needs 2024 Complete Carry out trauma-informed walk-throughs focusing on specific priority areas to identify steps required to ensure trauma-informed environments, services and informed 2024 Not commenced yet Page 65 of 322
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Appendix 3 – Homelessness Action Plan 2025-2028 1 2029 timescale for anticipated 15% reduction as set out in Temporary Accommodation Strategy 2024-2029 Key Priority 1 - Housing Supply: Significantly reduce homelessness through increasing the supply of affordable homes Key Indicators Baseline Target Timescale Frequency K1.1 Number of homeless applications 2,228 in 2023/24 Reduce 15% 20291 Annual K1.2 Number of new affordable homes built (council and RSL) 3,544 total at 31st March 2024 NLC – 1,351 RSL – 2,193 5,000 Council homes 539 RSL homes 2035 2029/30 Annual K1.3 Number of Open Market Scheme Purchases 126 in 2023/24 100 per annum 2025-2035 Annual K1.4 Number of empty homes brought back into use 2023/24 – 75 (includes private and EHPS) Continue to increase 2025-2028 Annual K1.5 Number of homeless households whose housing needs are met through additional supply 120 (includes homeless and at risk/ OMPs and new build) Maintain and potentially increase linked to new build programme and subsequent allocations generated 2025-2028 Annual K1.6 Number of homeless households whose housing needs are met in the private rented sector 16 (2023/24) Maintain and potentially increase linked to new build programme and subsequent allocations generated 2025-2028 Annual Page 66 of 322
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K1.7 Number of properties acquired through the Open Market Purchase Scheme from private sector landlords with sitting tenants 31 Increase 2025-2028 Annual Homelessness Prevention Actions Baseline Target/Milestone Timescale Lead Partners A1.1 Deliver 5,000 new council homes by 2035 1,351 5,000 additional council homes 2035 NS A1.2 Deliver 539 new RSL homes through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan by 2029/30 2,193 539 additional RSL homes 2029/30 RSLs A1.3 Purchase 100 properties per annum through the Open Market Purchase Scheme 753 total at 31st March 2024 100 properties per annum 2025-2035 NS A1.4 Provide dedicated advice and support via an Empty Homes Officer to bring back empty homes into use 38 as at 23/24 35 empty homes per annum brought back into use Annual PST A1.5 Monitor impact of the council new build programme on meeting the housing needs of homeless households 25.6% of new build homes let to homeless households or households with insecure housing points and 75% of OMPS. Maintain and potentially increase where required 2025-2035 Housing Ops/BDS Performance Team A1.6 Explore new ways to increase awareness of the Open Market Purchase Scheme amongst private landlords to prevent homelessness - Promote via private landlord newsletter Facilitate private landlord forum, promote awareness and explore opportunities for wider awareness raising with landlords 2025 - 2028 BDS Strategy Team Page 67 of 322
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A1.7 Carry out analysis to identify strategic development sites, bring forward stalled sites and specific priorities (family homes etc.). - Analysis complete 2026 BDS Strategy Team Page 68 of 322
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Key Priority 2 - Temporary Accommodation: Reduce time spent in temporary accommodation through access to settled housing quickly Key Indicators Baseline Target Timescale Frequency K2.1 Average number of days spent in temporary accommodation for homeless households for cases closed 131 days in 2023/24 Reduce 2025 - 2028 Annual K2.2 Average number of days spent in temporary accommodation for families with children for cases closed Single parent – 120 days; Couple with children – 142 days; Other household with children – 164 days. 2023/24 Reduce 2025-2028 Annual K2.3 Average number of days to close a homeless case (from assessment to closure for applications assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness) 154 days in 2023/24 Reduce 2025-2028 Annual K2.4 Percentage of council available homes allocated to homeless households 48.1% Increase 2025-2028 Annual K2.5 Percentage of RSL available homes allocated to homeless households 16.9% Increase 2025-2028 Annual K2.6 Number of temporary accommodation properties 671 as at 31st March 2023/24 Increase then reduce aligned with the TAS requirements Insert info from TAS Annual K2.7 Percentage of homeless households provided with a Scottish Secure Tenancy 67.7% (2023/24 as a % of all homeless applications) Increase 2025-2028 Annual Page 69 of 322
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81.8% as a % of all assessed unintentionally homeless/threatened with homelessness K2.8 Number of temporary accommodation properties converted to permanent homes (flipped tenancies) 57 flipped in 2023/24 Increase 2025-2028 Annual Homelessness Prevention Actions Baseline Target/Milestone Timescale Lead Partners A2.1 Continue to convert temporary accommodation to settled homes where this is in the explicit interest of the tenant 57 flipped in 2023/24 Increase 2025-2028 Housing Ops A2.2 Continue to audit ‘flipped’ tenancies to inform effectiveness - Audit at 1 month, 6 month, 12 month and 24 month intervals? 2025-2028 BDS Performance Team A2.3 Continue to monitor the ‘fast track’ process implemented for SWF for homeless households to ensure continued priority to enable swift access to furniture items Fast track process established Ongoing monitoring 2025-2028 Housing Ops A2.4 Monitor the uptake of the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme 23/24 – No uptake Regular monitoring and actions to increase awareness implemented if necessary 2025-2028 Housing Ops/BDS Strategy Team A2.5 Increase the percentage of council homes allocated to homeless households as required for each housing locality in line with the allocation policy and local letting plans 48.1% Implement targets aligned with local needs 2025-2028 Housing Ops A2.6 Increase the percentage of RSL homes allocated to homeless households as required for each housing locality in line with RSL allocation policies and local letting plans 16.9% Implement targets aligned with local needs 2025-2028 Housing Ops Page 70 of 322
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A2.7 Explore ways to enable more real time updates to the Common Housing Register to ensure up to date information for homeless households visible to RSL CHR partners - Processes implemented to necessary Common Housing Register changes 2027 BDS Performance Team A2.8 Deliver training for RSL CHR partners on the CHR with a specific focus on homelessness - Training delivered 2025/26 BDS Performance Team A2.9 Implement local RSL/Council liaison homelessness meetings to improve collaboration at a local level to address homelessness - RSL/Council homelessness liaison meetings established 2025/26 Housing Ops A2.10 Develop a ‘key contacts housing directory’ to aid right points of contact across wider partners (education, RSLs, health and social care) - Directory developed and disseminated 2025/26 BDS Strategy Team A2.11 Continue to work with private landlords through the Private Landlord Forum to explore ways in which access to the private rented sector can be improved for homeless households (as well as preventing homelessness from the sector) Private landlords forum established Private landlord forum meetings 2025-2028 BDS Strategy Team A2.12 Explore ways of working in partnership with the Scottish Government and other local authorities to address lengthy delays by energy suppliers in replacing or updating meters, so that void social homes can be brought back into use earlier - Reduced void turnaround 2027 Housing Ops/ Property A2.13 Investigate the feasibility of reviewing housing offers to a single option - Review complete 2025 Housing Ops Page 71 of 322
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Key Priority 3 – Support: Improve support for households who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless Key Indicators Baseline Target Timescale Frequency K3.1 Percentage of homeless households receiving housing support (housing locality teams and commissioned services) 21.8% (2023/24 – support provided under the HS Regs as a % of all assessed as unintentionally homeless) Increase 2025-2028 Annual K3.2 Percentage of homeless household’s case closed due to non-engagement 671 (as at 2023/24 includes lost contact and no response to offer of support) Reduce 2025-2028 Annual K3.3 Number of people accessing housing options advice Baseline TBC Increase 2025-2028 Annual K3.4 Percentage of former homeless households provided with a Scottish Secure Tenancy that maintain their home for more than 12 months 87.49% (2023/24) Increase 2025-2028 Annual K3.5 Number of Homes First clients supported 54 Increase 2025-2028 Annual Homelessness Prevention Actions Baseline Target Timescale Lead Partners A3.1 Review and re-design commissioned housing support services to improve the provision of flexible strength based support to aid tenancy sustainment and prevent homelessness Review underway Complete review 2025-2028 BDS Strategy Team/ Housing Ops / Commissioned Services A3.2 Continue to deliver the Homes First Service and scale up where feasible 54 people supported through Homes First Increase 2025-2028 Housing Ops A3.3 Implement a new ‘in-house’ model of housing support, homelessness advice and assistance which promotes a single point of contact Revised housing locality structure developed New internal housing support service model implemented 2025-2027 Housing Ops Page 72 of 322
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A3.4 Expand the provision of wi-fi to all temporary accommodation properties - Install Broadband in All temporary accommodation 2025-26 IT / Housing Ops A3.5 Monitor uptake/completion of the Housing Options Training Toolkit Baseline TBC Achieve an increased number of staff completing training. 2025-28 Housing Ops/ LOD /BDS Performance Team A3.6 Deliver training on housing and homelessness awareness to young people in schools and colleges linking with education partners to identify optimum approaches - Training delivered 2025-28 Housing Ops/BDS (Strategy, Performance, Tenant Participation) A3.7 Develop Trauma-Informed Reception Hubs Across NLC Managed Accommodation - Hubs created 2025-2028 Housing Ops / BDS Strategy A3.8 Carry out a housing self-assessment of trauma informed practice to identify the current position and areas for improvement - Self -assessment complete 2025 BDS Strategy/Housing Ops A3.9 Deliver trauma training to the wider housing workforce appropriate to specific roles identified in the training needs analysis 2024 - 161 housing staff have completed the informed level training, 30 Staff completed skilled level in-person training Training delivered 2025-2028 BDS Strategy Team/LOD A3.10 Develop and implement a trauma service plan for housing Working group established Plan developed and implemented 2025-2028 BDS Strategy Team/Housing Ops /Property/ LOD A3.11 Coordinate and facilitate a North Lanarkshire wider housing sector domestic abuse network linked to the Violence Against Women Partnership to aid learning and practice amongst wider social landlords RSL Forum established Forum progressed. 2025-2028 BDS Strategy Team /Housing Ops /RSLs /DA Agencies Page 73 of 322
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A3.12 Enhance employability services for disadvantaged households affected by homelessness, with a focus on tailored support and housing needs assessment. Align efforts with the “No One Left Behind” Employability Strategic Plan 2024- 2027. Improved links between housing and employability services to improve job prospects and economic stability for homeless individuals and families 2025-2028 BDS / Housing Ops / Education & Families A3.13 Improve our understanding of the needs and requirements of LGBTQ+ service users. Carry out consultation with LGBTQ+ households to gain a better understanding of needs and requirements Consultation complete 2025 BDS Strategy Team A3.14 Explore alternative options to allow clients to interact with housing support services, providing information FAQs in relation to housing, benefits, repairs, and support services Launch an app/webpage and monitor interaction/feedback Develop a tech solution for Housing Support 2025-2027 IT/ BDS Strategy Team A3.15 Investigate the feasibility of developing a new model of supported transitional accommodation for Care Experienced Young People Options Paper Options explored 2025-2027 BDS Strategy Team/Housing Ops /H&SCP A3.16 Explore creation of H&SC Homelessness link workers to improve pathways to support - Creation of link workers explored 2025-28 Housing Op / H&SCP Page 74 of 322
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Key Priority 4 – Prevention: Preventing homelessness through early intervention, education and other support services Key Indicators Baseline Target Timescale Frequency K4.1 Number of Care Experienced Young People supported via training and reception flats 9 young people accessed the flats over 2023/24 Increase 2025-2028 Annual K4.2 Number of Care Experienced Young People homeless presentations Baseline TBC Reduce 2025-2028 Annual Homeless Prevention Actions Baseline Target Timescale Lead Partners A4.1 Continue to provide income maximisation services through dedicated housing income maximisation officers and linking with the council’s Tackling Poverty Team £15 million generated in 2022/23 Increase 2025-28 Housing Ops A4.2 Monitor the uptake of the Universal Credit Assistance Fund moving from a loan to a grant and outcomes to evidence future need £873,518.70 UCAF in 2023/24 Monitoring process established 2025-28 Housing Ops A4.3 Increase the number of reception flats for Care Experienced Young People 3 5 2025-28 Housing Ops / SW A4.4 Explore with Health and Social Care future opportunities to collaboratively meet the needs of homeless households with complex and/or multiple needs to provide a longer- term sustainable support operating model - Future sustainable operating model developed 2025-28 Housing Ops/ BDS /H&SCP A4.5 Implement a system of follow up wellbeing and tenancy sustainment ‘check-ins’ over and above existing resettlement visits for specific - Check-in system implemented 2025-2028 Housing Ops Page 75 of 322
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identified groups (young people and people with an identified support need) A4.6 Explore potential to increase the outreach of housing advice and support through the delivery of housing surgeries in key community locations - Housing surgeries delivered 2025-2026 Housing Ops A4.7 Establish housing links to courts at point of remand and for prison release and consider creation of housing/prison link worker. - Links established/creation of post considered 2025 BDS / Housing Ops / Justice Services / H & SCP A4.8 Refresh and implement the Health and Homelessness Action Plan Initial Health and Homelessness Plan created Plan revised and implemented 2025-2028 H & SCP A4.9 Improve quality, consistency, and access to information, advice, and signposting in relation to prevention across services and partner organisations. Carry out review of information, advice and signposting available on websites, in offices, in other formats, in relation to prevention Achieve enhanced availability and reliability of information and advice, ensuring consistent and effective prevention efforts across all partner organisations 2025-2026 BDS – Strategy Team Key BDS Business Development and Support Housing Ops Housing Operations RSLs Registered Social Landlords H&SCP Health and Social Care Partnership LOD Learning and Organisational Development SW Social Work Page 76 of 322
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Key Homelessness Trends North Lanarkshire vs. Scotland, 2023/24 Page 77 of 322
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Homeless Applications 6.53 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 East… Shetland… Angus Council Argyll and… Perth and… Highland… Scottish… West… North… Falkirk… Fife Council Midlothian… Dumfires… South… Dundee City… Glasgow… Homelessness Applications per 1,000 people (NRS estimates) 2023/24 2010/11, 2477 2018/19, 2366 2023/24, 2226 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Homeless Applications ↑ Homeless Applications: In 2023/24, North Lanarkshire experienced a rise in homelessness applications from 1,917 in 2022/23 to 2,226, reflecting a 16% increase compared to the previous year’s 13%. In contrast, Scotland as a whole saw 40,685 homelessness applications, marking an increase of 1,377 (4%) increase from the previous year. 2023/24 had the second highest numerical level of homelessness applications in North Lanarkshire in the past decade, second to 2,366 in 2018/19. When homelessness applications are considered as a proportion of the population, North Lanarkshire has 6.53 applications per 1,000 people. Page 78 of 322
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Repeat Homelessness Number of Live Cases ↑ Number of Live Homeless Cases: As at 31st March 2024, North Lanarkshire had 960 open homelessness applications, an increase of 94 cases (11%) from 2023. Nationally, there were 31,870 open homelessness cases, an increase of 2,462 cases (8%) from 2023. Both North Lanarkshire and Scotland have seen increases in homelessness cases, the rate of increase in North Lanarkshire (11%), is slightly higher than the national average (8%). ↑ Repeat Homelessness (within 12 months): Both North Lanarkshire and Scotland saw an increase in households re-assessed as homeless within one year. However, North Lanarkshire experienced a proportionally higher increase of 25 (36%), compared to the national average of 95 (8%). In 2023-24, 5% of households in North Lanarkshire were re-assessed as homeless, up from 4% in 2022-23. The national average remained steady at 4% for both years. Page 79 of 322
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Reasons for Homelessness Application Main Reasons for Application: From 2022-23 to 2023-24, North Lanarkshire experienced significant increases in homelessness applications due to being asked to leave (↑108, 23%), non-violent relationship breakdowns (↑57 cases, 18%), and termination of tenancy or mortgage arrears (↑35 cases, 85%). There were slight decreases in emergency situations (↓5 cases, 29%) and overcrowding (↓1 case, 14%). In comparison, Scotland seen increases in other reasons for leaving a household (↑924 cases, 28%), violent or abusive disputes (↑269 cases, 6%), and other reasons for loss of accommodation (↑447 cases, 18%). Decreases were noted in other landlord actions (↓523 cases, 15%) and non-violent relationship breakdowns (↓189 cases, 2%). Page 80 of 322
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Homelessness Assessment Decisions Summary of ALL Assessment Decisions: North Lanarkshire has a slightly higher proportion of cases classified as homeless or threatened with homelessness and unintentionally homeless compared to the national average. However, it also has a slightly higher proportion of intentionally homeless cases. All homeless (or threatened): North Lanarkshire 1,865 (85%) vs. Scotland 33,620 (83%) Unintentionally homeless (or threatened): North Lanarkshire 1,800 (82%) vs. Scotland 32,905 (81%) Intentionally homeless (or threatened): North Lanarkshire 65 (3%) vs. Scotland 710 (2%) Other: North Lanarkshire 330 (15%) vs. Scotland 6,810 (17%) Applications Assessed as Threatened with Homelessness: From 2022-23 to 2023-24, North Lanarkshire seen a significant increase in applications assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness, rising from 1,597 to 1,864 (↑267, 17%) applications. In comparison, Scotland experienced a more modest increase, with applications rising from 32,531 to 33,619 (↑1,088, 3%). Page 81 of 322
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Adults & Children Associated with Applications Assessed as Homeless or Threatened with Homelessness 36.6 33.6 32.4 30.5 32.4 31.4 0 10 20 30 40 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Households with children as a proportion of all homelessness applications Children: North Lanarkshire experienced an increase of 123 (12%) in the number of children associated with homelessness applications, compared to the national trend, which showed a decrease of 1,122 (7%). Adults: Scotland seen a small increase of 927 (2%) in the number of adults associated with homelessness applications. However, North Lanarkshire experienced an increase of 327 (18%). When households with children in North Lanarkshire are considered as a proportion of all household homeless applications, there has been a reduction of 5.2% over the past 6 year period. Homeless households with children accounted for 31.4% of all homelessness applications in 2023/24. Page 82 of 322
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Household Composition Household Type & Gender In North Lanarkshire, 1,021 (46%) of homeless applicants are single males, followed by single females, 390 (18%) and single female parents, 341 (15%). Single male parents accounted for 241 (11%) and couples with children, 102 (5%). In comparison, Scotland had a slightly higher proportion of applications from single males, 16,050 (48%) followed by single females, 6,835 (20%) and single parent females 5,055 (15%). There is a lower percentage from single male parents 1,820 (5%) and couples with children 1,150 (3%). Page 83 of 322
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Support Needs - Homeless or Threatened with Homelessness Support Needs: In North Lanarkshire, for the period 2022-23 to 2023-24, there was an increase in the total number of support needs identified, rising from 1,921 to 2,192 (17%). There were increases across all categories including, learning disabilities (↑68, 106%), physical disabilities (↑107,104%), alcohol/drug dependency (↑133, 75%), mental health (↑397, 73%) and medical conditions: (↑83, 81%). The number of support needs identified also increased, with a notable increase in households with two (↑142, 72%) and three (↑100, 125%) support needs. Across Scotland, of the total number of support needs identified increased from 32,530 in 22- 23, to 33,620 in 23-24, (↑1,090, 3%). The highest increases were in learning disabilities (↑210, 18%) and drug or alcohol dependency (↑308,10%), while basic housing management skills saw the largest decrease (↓364, -5%). Households with no support needs rose (↑595, 4%), and those with two support needs, (↑230, 5%). Conversely, the highest decreases were households with five support needs, (↓30, - 21%), and those with six support needs, (↓10, - 40%). Page 84 of 322
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Property Type from which the household became homeless Applications for homelessness in North Lanarkshire increased among those leaving parental homes, friends or partners, RSL properties, and prison leavers, with smaller decreases in the private sector and shared RSL properties. Nationally, there were notable rises in applications from those leaving parental homes and friends or partners, with substantial increases in bed & breakfast and supported accommodation usage. Applications from the private sector decreased in both areas, although North Lanarkshire's drop was less pronounced than Scotland's. ↑ At a Glance: North Lanarkshire Leaving parental homes: ↑111 (22%) Friends or partners: ↑108 (30%) Own Property: RSL Property: ↑27 (41%). Prison Leavers: ↑19 (29%) ↓ Decrease: Private Sector: ↓6 (3%) Shared Property: RSL: ↓4 (80%) ↑ At a Glance: Scotland Leaving parental homes: ↑330 (4%) Friends or partners: ↑610 (10%) Bed & Breakfast: ↑111 (148%) Employment-secure tenancies: ↑56 (20%) Supported accommodation: ↑1,046 (112%) ↓ Decrease: Private Sector: ↓867 (17%) Lodger: ↓ 160 (42%) Page 85 of 322
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Local Connection & Outcomes Temporary Accommodation All Households in Temporary Accommodation (as at 31st March) Local Connection: In 2023-24, North Lanarkshire had a higher proportion of households with a local connection (89%) compared to Scotland’s average (83%). It also had slightly more households connected to both the local area and another Scottish authority (9% vs. 8%) and fewer with connections only to other authorities (2% vs. 3%). 5 households had no known local connection (0.2% vs. 6%). North Lanarkshire had a slightly lower increase from the national average increase. Scotland 2024: ↑1,291 (9%) from previous year North Lanarkshire 2024: ↑43 (7%) from previous year Page 86 of 322
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Households with Children in Temporary Accommodation (as at 31st March) North Lanarkshire has seen decreases for both households with children and the number of children in temporary accommodation compared to Scotland: • Children in temporary accommodation ↓40 (15%). • Households with children/pregnant women ↓15 (12%). Scotland: Children in temporary accommodation: 10,110 (highest recorded): • Children in temporary accommodation ↑515 (5%). • Households with children/pregnant women ↑175 (4%). Page 87 of 322
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Average Time Spent in Temporary Accommodation North Lanarkshire average time spent in temporary accommodation is better than the national average with shorter average stays in temporary accommodation across all household types, and improvements in the time spent compared to the previous year. North Lanarkshire: Average days in temporary accommodation: 131 (↓164 days in 2022/23, Scottish average 226 days in 2023/24) Lone parents: 120 days (↓147 days in 2022/23) Couples with children: 142 days (↓198 days in 2022/23) Other households with children: 164 days (↓170 days in 2022/23) Scotland: • Lone parents: 270 days (↑ 254 days in 2022/23) • Couples with children: 375 days (↑224 days) • Other households with children: 319 days (↑280 days) Page 88 of 322
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Outcomes Homeless Unintentional: In 2023-24, North Lanarkshire had 1,665 outcomes for households assessed as unintentionally homeless or threatened with homelessness, with 1,450 securing settled accommodation (88%). This is a slight decrease from 89% in 2022-23. In comparison, Scotland had 28,275 outcomes, with 22,750 securing settled accommodation (83%), consistent with the previous year. The majority of settled accommodations are LA tenancies and RSLs. Page 89 of 322
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Average Days from Assessment to Closure Applications by Age Group 58 404 1367 8864 462 1598 102 0 500 1000 1500 2000 16-17 18-25 26-59 60+ Homeless applicants by age group -North Lanarkshire 2022/23 2023/24 Applications assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness: North Lanarkshire has decreased the average time from assessment to closure in 2022-23 from 169 to 154 days in 2023- 24 (↓9%). This compares favourably to the national position of 267 days in 2022-23 to 278 days in 2023-24 (↑4%) Applications have increased by 10.4% amongst the16-17 year old group and 14.4% amongst the 18-25 year old age group in North Lanarkshire. This compares to a 3% decrease amongst 16-17 year age group for Scotland and a 4% increase for the 18-25 year age group. However, proportionally there is a marginal difference over the 2022/23 and 2023/24 period, with 16-17 year olds accounting for 2.9% of all homeless applications in 2023/24 compared to 3.0% in 2022/23. When all 16-25 year olds are considered they represent 24.1% of all applications in 2022/23 compared to 23.6% in 2023/24. Page 90 of 322
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Summary of Key Points • Homelessness has increased for the second consecutive year in North Lanarkshire increasing by 16% over 2022/23 – 2023/24. This follows an increase of 13% in the previous year and compares to a 4% increase nationally over the past year. • When homelessness applications are considered by relative population, North Lanarkshire has 6.53 homelessness applications per 1,000 people in its population, compared to the national rate of 7.47. • North Lanarkshire has a similar, although marginally higher rate of repeat homelessness than the national rate, 5% compared to 4%. • There has been a higher increase in live homeless cases over the past year, with a 11% increase in North Lanarkshire compared to a 8% increase nationally – which is directly linked to the larger proportional increase in homeless applications in North Lanarkshire compared to Scotland. • The most common reason for homelessness in North Lanarkshire continues to be ‘asked to leave’, followed by disputes within the household non-violent and disputes within the household violent or abusive. This is consistent with national picture. • 85% of all homelessness applications in North Lanarkshire are assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness, 82% are assessed as unintentionally homeless. This is broadly similar to the national picture. • North Lanarkshire experienced an increase of 12% in the number of children associated with homelessness applications, compared to the national decrease of 7%. However, when households with children in North Lanarkshire are considered as a proportion of all household homeless applications, there has been a reduction of 5.2% over the past 6 year period. • Single males continue to account for the highest proportion of homeless applicants (46%). Families accounted for 31%, single females 18%, couples and ‘other’ households 5%. • Identified support needs has risen in line with rising homelessness applications, with an increase in multiple support needs identified. • The majority of homeless applicants in North Lanarkshire become homeless from the parental home/family/relatives, followed by friends/partners. This is consistent with national picture. Page 91 of 322
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• The suspension of the local connection rules has had minimal impact on homelessness applications (2% of applications with no local connection in North Lanarkshire – minimal change over the past 5 years). • There has been a slightly lower increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation in North Lanarkshire compared to Scotland (7% compared to 9%). • Households with children/pregnant women in temporary accommodation in North Lanarkshire decreased by 12% compared to an increase of 4% nationally. • Households in North Lanarkshire spend significantly less time in temporary accommodation than the rest of Scotland, with the average days spent in temporary accommodation in North Lanarkshire 131 days in 2023/24 compared to the Scottish average of 226 days. • Furthermore, the average days spent in temporary accommodation has been on a decreasing trend in North Lanarkshire, which is in contrast to the national trend of increasing time spent. • Families continue to spend longer in temporary accommodation compared to other household types. • The average time from assessment to closure continues to reduce in North Lanarkshire (reduction of 9% in the past year) in contrast to the national position (increase of 4%) and is significantly lower at nearly half the national time (154 days compared to 278 days nationally). • The 26-59 age group continues to account for the highest proportion of homeless applicants. Although younger age groups continue to be disproportionately affected by homelessness relative to the population. Page 92 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref PH/JS/NS Date 06/11/24 New Supply Community Benefits Update From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail stevensonjam@northlan.gov.uk Telephone James Stevenson Housing Development Manager Tel. 07583098631 1. Background 1.1 Community benefits are tangible, positive outcomes linked to public sector contracts, which help to improve the lives of local people in North Lanarkshire and help local communities to thrive. Community benefits help to boost employment and skills opportunities for local people and support local community initiatives, in addition to the general economic benefit the investment brings to each area such as increased opportunities for local businesses. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to update Committee on community benefits activity related to the new build housing programme for the period 1 September 2023 to 1 September 2024 and provide an update on community benefits delivered in the last 3 years from 2021 to 2024. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Consider the contents of the report regarding the current position on the delivery of community benefits. (2) Note that an update on community benefits from the New Supply Programme will continue to be submitted annually. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Transforming Places Item 6 Page 93 of 322
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1.2 The Council is committed to maximising the delivery of community benefits. The procurements undertaken for any new supply project includes a community benefit requirement which is assessed as part of the quality evaluation. 1.3 The Council predominantly use procurement Frameworks to deliver its new build programme where a points-based approach is used, and the supplier must deliver a stated number of community benefits points depending on the contract value. A list of community benefit outcomes and associated points are provided which are specifically focused on recruitment and employment, however purchasers may agree on alternatives with the supplier depending on the needs of the local area. 1.4 As part of the Council’s Plan for North Lanarkshire to support young people towards more positive outcomes, collaboration between New Supply; Education and Families; Supported Enterprise and Employability teams helps facilitate work experience and opportunities to positive destinations within construction. There is a particular emphasis on supporting key priority groups, as part of the delivery of the Plan for North Lanarkshire and the Workforce for Future Strategy to help tackle inequalities. 2. Report 2.1 Officers lead a community benefits development group which meets bi-monthly with the various stakeholders such as education, early careers, virtual schools, supported enterprise, community partnership team, and employability services. The group helps to co-ordinate and maximise opportunities created through the new supply programme, developing plans to deliver and achieve the targets set out in each tender to deliver the council’s objectives. This group has also supported other service areas to manage their community benefits in a more consistent and collaborative approach. External stakeholders such as, Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and Routes to Work also attend the development group to ensure effective collaboration and implementation of the “Work it” system where young people have an opportunity to input their work experience and employment ambitions and contractors register on the system to help deliver benefits. Community Benefits Menu 2.2 Each of the elements below describe the Community Benefits included in the council’s tender process. Employment - Targeted Recruitment and Employment 2.3 The new supply team collaborate at the preliminary stages of each project with arm’s length organisation “Routes to Work” to maximise the partnership with the contractors to match the right job for the right person within North Lanarkshire and to tackle any training requirements to support people entering employment. Understanding the contractors’ proposed community benefits activities and outcomes from future projects, helps with forward planning and the ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders prior to the commencement of the project to achieve maximum benefit. All relevant stakeholders meet at the Community Benefits Working Group to collaborate and discuss future requirements. 2.4 As outlined in Appendix 1, since 2021, there have been 34 local people employed through community benefits from key priority groups such as people who have been unemployed for more than six months and/or have no relevant experience and/or Page 94 of 322
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women returning to the labour market. A further 13 employment opportunities for people from priority groups are projected. The posts provided must be a minimum of 30 hours per week and last a minimum of 26 weeks. In addition, 26 new start apprentices have been employed. The apprenticeship must be filled either by a person aged 16 years of age or older. There have also been 65 workplace placements which lasts a minimum of two weeks for an unemployed person 16 years or over and include vocational tasters, to enable the person to gain a meaningful insight into the construction sector and/or business operations evident with the supply chain. Collaboration at the initial stages of each development has proven to help secure a meaningful work placement or permanent position. Education - Build Your Futures ‘24 2.5 In collaboration with the councils’ partners within the construction Industry, Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) created a “Build Your Future” programme to inform and inspire young people to consider and explore careers within the built environment. Originally piloted in Forth Valley, the programme is now expanding nationally. As part of their community benefits commitments, MAST Architects delivered a session for twenty young people (S1-S3) and teachers from Bellshill Academy at the Old Town Hall, Motherwell which is undergoing a strip out contract prior to residential development. The challenge was to identify a derelict building in their community and re-imagine it for a new purpose. After a site visit, they had to measure and cost their design and present their proposal. Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Training for Additional Supported Needs (ASN) Sector 2.6 During 2024, five pupils from Buchanan High school and one pupil from Caldervale High School, took part in training for both SQA Health and Safety in a Construction Environment and CSCS. Each of these pupils has an added support need ranging from Global Learning Delay to Autism. 2.7 In 2024, five pupils passed their SQA and CSCS Exam with three via the No Limits Apprenticeship Scheme. One participant has moved on from the No Limits programme as has secured full time employment as an apprentice joiner. Another is currently undertaking work experience with a plumbing company with a view to securing an apprenticeship during their next recruitment intake. A third pupil is working as a trainee labourer for McTaggart Construction. Training has also been provided by the contractor to upskill teachers to support those willing to undertake CSCS training. As part of the plan for North Lanarkshire, helping to break down these barriers to achieve these accreditations will help our disadvantaged young people into a construction related career. Paid Summer Placements 2.8 Two contractors agreed to take two young people within NLCs Brighter Futures Programme for a seven-week paid summer placement. The aim of the programme is to prepare students for future employment and address workforce challenges within their aspiring careers paths in the built environment. The first week they were given training and went through their CSCS qualification which they both passed. Contractors CCG at the Brandon Street housing development in Motherwell, and McTaggart Construction at Glenacre (Airdrie) development agreed to give a young person six weeks on site paid work experience to either decide which part of the built environment they would like to pursue or focus on the area they are most interested in. Page 95 of 322
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Due to the success of this programme, New Supply have updated its community benefits menu to include “Paid Summer Placements” and have made some of them mandatory tender requirements for up-and-coming housing projects. Enterprise – Supply Chain Development 2.9 As part of Supply Chain development, the Council encourage appointed contractors to get involved in “Meet the Real Buyer” events. These events facilitate engagement with small businesses within the area to help them develop and grow their business. A further seven Meet the Buyer sessions, and four business mentoring sessions for SME’s are forecast to bring meaningful benefits to SMEs to grow their businesses within NL. Community Engagement - Financial support 2.10 There has been further engagement with the communities’ team to develop further approaches to implement community benefits including Participatory Budgeting (PB). This allows officers who understand local communities at grass roots level to create a process for giving community groups an input to how and where funds should be spent in a fair, transparent and democratic process. It is intended that PB will be the preferred method to implement community benefits financial support and will be part of a future Community Benefits Wish List process being developed. Some examples of financial benefits provided to communities in this reporting period are outlined below: • £1,080 donation pledged from the Brandon Street Project to Forgewood Allotments group to rebuild some raised beds for disabled plot holders. • £3,000 earmarked for help at Muirhouse Primary School working with deprived young people. • £2,000 from the Castlehill, Wishaw Project for the amenity housing common room, contributing towards the internal decoration, paint, wallpaper, fridge, games, external planters and a shed for their garden equipment. • £3,200 from our Castlehill Project community benefits to support a paid summer placement within construction. The financial support forecast outlined in Appendix 1 may still be apportioned through the participatory budgeting process and community projects outlined in the tender documents however the financial support for a community project will also be fulfilled through the new approach “Community Benefits Wish List” being trialled at present. Non – Financial Support 2.11 The community benefits team receive requests or ‘wishes’ from local community groups. From 2021 to date, community benefits linked to the new supply programme has enabled over £37,282 worth of non-financial support to schools, community groups within North Lanarkshire. This includes several non-financial support activities carried out during 2024 with an approximate value of £9,750. Contractors have donated assorted items such as training time and excess materials that may otherwise have been re-cycled or sent to landfill. There are multiple benefits with this process including environmental and financial savings. Page 96 of 322
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3. Measures of success 3.1 Contract performance and community benefits are proactively managed against several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are managed by the New Supply Team. Appendix 1 shows an extract from the New Supply Community Benefits Tracker showing measures of success from 2021 - 2024 and the forecast for the coming months. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 – Extract from Community Benefits Tracker 2021 – 2024 Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 97 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 98 of 322
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The report highlights positive benefits derived from Community benefits to support a number of young people, and in particular young people with additional support needs. If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 99 of 322
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Appendix 1 - Measures of Success Extract from New Supply Community Benefits Tracker The table below shows the completed Community Benefits 2021 – 2024 * 1 year constitutes no. of completions from 1st Sept – 1st Sept of the following year. Targeted Recruitment and Employment 2021 2022 2023 2024 Completed 2021-2024 Forecast 2024/2025 TRE01 New Entrants – Key priority Groups 10 4 12 8 34 8 TRE02 New Entrants – no relevant experience 2 6 3 2 13 1 TRE03 New Entrant - Graduate 1 1 1 TRE04 New Start - Apprentice 7 15 4 26 5 Targeted Skills & Training 2021 2022 2023 2024 Completed 2021-2024 Forecast 2024/2025 TST01 Work Experience Placement (16 + years of age) 10 9 23 23 65 16 TST02 Work Experience Placement (14 - 16 +years of age) 0 1 0 1 14 TST03 Work Experience Placement - Graduate 1 1 0 SKL10 Summer Placement (paid) 2 2 TST04 Careers Event 1 25 26 15 67 11 TST05 Site Visit 9 8 9 26 5 TST06 School Mentoring or Enterprise Programme 0 6 2 1 9 5 Supply Chain Development 2021 2022 2023 2024 Completed 2021-2024 Forecast 2024/2025 SCD01 Supply Chain Briefing with SME’s 1 3 1 3 8 7 SCD02 Business Mentoring for a SME’s 4 Community Engagement 2021 2022 2023 2024 Completed 2021-2024 Forecast 2024/2025 CCE01 Financial Support for a Community Project 3 7 3 12 25 16 CCE02 Non-Financial Support for a Community Project 7 7 4 9 27 8 Completed = Total of completed community benefits from 13 developments from 2021 to date. Note total number of completions are higher than post contract award. Some pledges still to be achieved are included in the forecast figure. Page 100 of 322
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Note 2:- An additional outcome has been added to the CB Menu and this is the Paid Summer Placement (part of the Brighter Futures Programme). Due to the success of this we have included this in our Community Benefit menu. Forecast = Total includes the community benefits still to be delivered from developments in progress or just started. A further 29 projects, total of 1066 units still to commence post September 2024 – 2027 which will become part of the forecasted figures as they complete the tender process. These figures will continually change as developments complete and new developments begin. Figures as per the New Build Summary update as at Sept 24. This does not include off the shelf purchases from developers. Page 101 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref SL/MK Date 06/11/24 Tenant Participation Strategy (2025-2030) From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail llewellyns@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939280680 Executive Summary Tenant participation is a two-way process whereby tenants and landlords share information, ideas and responsibilities in order to shape and improve our housing policies, housing services and the standard of our housing stock. There is a statutory requirement for social landlords to develop and publish a Tenant Participation Strategy in consultation with tenants. The current Tenant Participation Strategy ‘Involving Tenants – Improving Services’ spans the period 2020 – 2025. This report seeks approval on a new Tenant Participation Strategy, ‘For Tenants, By Tenants’, which will cover the next five year period 2025-2030. The strategy builds on the key successes achieved to date, with a strong track record of effective tenant participation, highlighted by the recent Tenant Participation Accreditation Scotland (TPAS) gold award, presented to the Council’s Tenant Participation Team in recognition of the high standard of tenant participation activity. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge the development and consultation activity undertaken to produce a refreshed Tenant Participation Strategy. (2) Approve the new Tenant Participation Strategy: For Tenants, By Tenants and associated action plan covering the period, 2025 – 2030. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement (20) Improve the involvement of communities in the decisions, and development of services and supports, that affect them Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 7 Page 103 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 introduced the first legal framework for tenant participation in Scotland. Section 53 (1) of the 2001 Act sets out the statutory requirement for social landlords to develop and publish a Tenant Participation Strategy in consultation with tenants. 1.2 The Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 places additional duties on social landlords to involve both tenants and other customers in housing and related services with the introduction of the Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC). 1.3 The Charter is supported by a framework of 37 indicators and 16 outcomes including satisfaction measures and a range of contextual data which we report on to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) through an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) by the end of May each year. 1.4 There are three specific SSHC outcomes that relate to participation. These are: • Equalities – every tenant and other customer has their individual needs and rights recognised, is treated fairly and with respect and receives fair access to housing and housing services • Communication – tenants and other customers find it easy to communicate with their landlord and get the information they need about their landlord, how and why it makes decisions and the services it provides • Participation – tenants and other customers are offered a range of opportunities that make it easy for them to participate in, and influence their landlord’s decisions at a level they feel comfortable with 1.5 The current Tenant Participation Strategy ‘Involving Tenants – Improving Services’ covers the period 2020 – 2025. A new Tenant Participation Strategy ‘For Tenants, By Tenants’ covering the period 2025 to 2030 has been developed in partnership with North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants and Residents, tenants’ and residents’ groups, individual tenants and residents, and wider stakeholders. 2. Report 2.1 The Tenant Participation Strategy: For Tenants, By Tenants (2025-2030) replaces our previous five year Tenant Participation Strategy. It is the main source of information with regard to tenant participation for tenants and customers and outlines opportunities to participate in the monitoring and development of the housing service. The strategy: • Has been developed in line with our statutory duties and legislative requirements in relation to tenant and customer involvement • Sets out what actions and objectives we plan to achieve for the period 2025-2030 and outlines our priorities for action and involvement • Sets out how we will support and resource tenant participation between 2025-2030 • Aims to maximise involvement opportunities and sets out the range of formal and informal information, involvement and consultation opportunities • Includes a main action plan with a series of specific actions and milestones for the period 2025-2030 2.2 The aim of this strategy is to continue to develop and improve how we communicate with our tenants and residents and to ensure we provide opportunities for participation Page 104 of 322
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and involvement that are accessible to all. This aim was developed from the key messages gathered throughout the consultation and engagement process. In order to achieve the aim we have developed objectives which can be measured to enable us to demonstrate our success to our tenants and residents throughout the lifetime of this strategy. 2.3 The objectives set out within this strategy highlight the activities required to help achieve the overall aim. They are the main tasks required and are mindful of the key messages provided by our tenants and residents throughout consultation: • Objective 1: Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities • Objective 2: To develop engagement opportunities for our tenants, residents and under-represented groups that will develop their capacity to help themselves • Objective 3: Ensure effective use of tenant participation resources to involve tenants and residents in the development of services and support • Objective 4: Demonstrate continued commitment to customer satisfaction and feedback 2.4 There has been extensive tenant and resident consultation and involvement both in the development of the draft strategy and subsequently in finalising the strategy. A range of in-person and digital involvement methods have been employed to identify key priorities in the development of the draft strategy which was launched formally for consultation at the North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ conference in June earlier this year. The draft strategy was then published on the council’s website for consultation with wider stakeholders, tenants and residents. A summary consultation report is published on the council’s website which provides further detail on the feedback and comments received. 2.5 The new strategy builds on the success of the previous strategy and the strong track record of excellence in all aspects of tenant participation activity as demonstrated in the recent Tenant Participation Accreditation Scotland (TPAS) award presented to the Council’s Tenant Participation Team in recognition of excellence in the field of tenant participation. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Implementation of the new Tenant Participation Strategy: For Tenants, By Tenants (2025-2030). 4. Supporting documentation Appendix: Tenant Participation Strategy: For Tenants, By Tenants (2025 – 2030). Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 105 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? An EqIA has been carried out for the Tenant Participation Strategy which shows a positive impact across all protected characteristic groups, and in particular for people who are currently under-represented in tenant participation and involvement. This includes people from ethnic minority groups and younger people. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 106 of 322
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 107 of 322
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Contents Page 1. ﺖntroduction Page 7 2. Strategic and Legislative Context Page 8 3. Regulation and Performance Page 11 4. Equal Opportunities Page 14 5. ﺖmpact of Covid-19 Pandemic Page 14 6. Aims and Objectives Page 15 7. Key Achievements Page 17 8. Developing the Strategy Page 19 9. How to Get ﺖnvolved in North Lanarkshire Page 23 10. Tenant Participation Budget Page 35 11. Action Plan Page 36 12. Monitoring and Evaluation Page 48 13. Glossary Page 48 Page 109 of 322
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Foreword We are committed to effective tenant participation whereby tenants, residents, and staff work in partnership to enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across communities in North Lanarkshire. Much has been achieved since our previous Tenant Participation Strategy and we will continue to build on these achievements. In the development of our Tenant Participation Strategy 2025-2030, tenants told us that they want to have a voice, get involved and influence decisions as well as improve communication, increase tenant satisfaction, better understand all perspectives while also improve and develop services. We would like to take this opportunity to thank North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’, local tenants’ and residents’ groups and individual tenants who played a key role in developing this strategy by giving your feedback, time, commitment, and valuable contributions. We want to acknowledge that the involvement of tenants and residents are at the heart of the services we deliver and through working together we can improve housing services to make living in North Lanarkshire a better place. Councillor Michael McPake, Convener of Housing, North Lanarkshire Council Page 110 of 322
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Tenant Participation is the most crucial element in the makeup of North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants & Residents, without it, the Federation would be unable to function. It is a fundamental quality and one that has helped make this Association the largest of its kind in Scotland. Since the Federation’s inception eighteen years ago, participation has been at the forefront of our strategy on every level, from supporting and engaging with new and established groups, encouraging individuals to form a group or, (when that can’t be achieved) keeping interested tenants and residents fully informed of our extensive programme of meetings and events. North Lanarkshire is a large and diverse local authority, this brings various challenges and obstacles, but, by working together, in that spirit of participation, it is possible to overcome these hurdles. The Federation has, over time, built an excellent working relationship with N.L.C. and we go towards our “landmark” twentieth year with confidence. We meet on a very regular basis with staff from Housing and other departments, as well as with the Convener of Housing and other Elected Members. Tenants are consulted and listened to but, without the core infrastructure of the Federation in place, this would be an almost impossible task. This Federation is unique in that it enjoys the support of a full-time Tenant Participation Team to advise and guide it, every group has recognised the benefits of having an in-house T.P. Team and each group engages with the team at its own level and needs. This is the icing on North Lanarkshire Federation’s cake and, having a team of professionals at hand has been the catalyst for making it probably the most successful organisation of its kind in Scotland. Jim Leonard, Chairperson, North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ Page 111 of 322
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It is with great pleasure as Chief Officer of Housing to introduce our new revised Tenant Participation Strategy 2025-2030. A key strength in the development of this strategy has been the engagement of North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’, local tenants’ and residents’ groups and individual tenants through attending meetings, participating in focus groups, completing surveys and providing feedback. The global pandemic had an impact on the Tenant Participation Strategy. We had to respond quickly to a rapidly changing situation which presented challenges and opportunities for delivering tenant participation activities. Online digital engagement became the new form for tenant participation during the pandemic. More recently face-to-face methods of engagement have resumed while digital technology has continued to increase our reach to tenants and residents to meet their needs and preferences. Tenant participation grows from strength to strength, and we value tenants’ contributions making tenant participation in North Lanarkshire what it is today – tenants with a passion for participation. Our new Tenant Participation Strategy 2025-2030 sets out our overall aim and objectives for tenant participation, with the action plan providing the detail on how we will do this in partnership with our tenants and residents. I would like to thank all tenants and tenant and resident representatives who have given their time and energy to engage in the development of our new Tenant Participation Strategy 2025-2030 as well as attending annual conferences, carrying out scrutiny of our services, estate walkabouts, meetings to discuss housing issues and providing views on what matters to tenants. I look forward to continuing our good work with tenants and residents on improving housing services in the communities of North Lanarkshire. Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing), North Lanarkshire Council Page 112 of 322
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Your Tenant Participation Team The main role of the Tenant Participation Team is to support local tenants and residents with issues that matter to them. The team work with existing tenants’ and residents’ groups, identify and support new groups as well as engage with individual tenants and residents in a variety of ways. The team aim is to involve the community in shaping housing services by consulting with tenants and residents to strengthen their voice and by providing information, support, and advice to help develop and strengthen participation across North Lanarkshire. The team ensure that the views of those living in our neighbourhoods are heard on what works well and what needs to be improved. We want to deliver the services that tenants need and we want to get it right first time. We can only do this if tenants and community members work together with us and tell us what is important to them and their communities. Our in-house team play a key role in enabling equal opportunities for all our tenants, good communication and effective participation. Tracy Lennon, TP Manager Nancy Robertson, TP Officer Julie Gonzalez-Bradley, TP Officer Caroline Hanlon, TP Admin Assistant Page 113 of 322
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1. Introduction Our Tenant Participation Strategy 2025-2030 has been developed in partnership with tenants’ and residents’ groups, individual tenants and North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ (NLF) through seeking and listening to their views. This strategy outlines how we will support and resource Tenant Participation over the five years of the strategy. Definition of Tenant Participation: The National Strategy for Tenant Participation – Partners in Participation (1999) describes Tenant Participation as being “about tenants taking part in decision making processes and influencing decisions about housing policies; housing conditions; and housing (and related) services. It is a two-way process which involves the sharing of information, ideas, and power. Its aim is to improve the standard of housing conditions and service.” Guide to Successful Tenant Participation, Scottish Government 2019 By ‘Tenant Participation’ (TP), we mean a two-way process whereby tenants and landlords share information, ideas, and responsibilities in order to shape and improve our housing policies, housing services and the standard of our housing stock. North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) is committed to working with tenants and residents, recognising the clear benefits that TP delivers for the people and communities of North Lanarkshire and the Council. These include, but are not limited to: • Improved service delivery and outcomes for tenants which provide value for money. • Working in partnership to identify and achieve shared objectives, contributing to the overall ambition of reducing inequalities and improving prosperity for everyone in North Lanarkshire, as set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire. • Improved knowledge and awareness amongst tenants of housing services with increased skills and confidence to enable participation and influence decisions. • Increased tenant satisfaction with homes, neighbourhoods, and communities. Page 114 of 322
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Over the lifetime of this strategy, we will continue to build on our successful communication and involvement approaches in North Lanarkshire to further strengthen participation. In doing so, we will continue to embrace TP throughout our organisation, at the most senior level, for officers and elected members responsible for strategic direction, to officers working in localities, providing direct support, advice, and assistance within our communities. Our starting position is strong, with common goals, a culture of mutual respect and understanding and a passion to improve outcomes for the people of North Lanarkshire. This strategy reflects on our key achievements achieved over the past five years and outlines our vision and future shared commitments for the five-year period 2025-2030: ‘To continue to develop and improve how we communicate with our tenants and residents; and to ensure we provide equal opportunities for participation and involvement that are accessible to all.’ 2. Strategic and Legislative Context We have summarised our legislative duties below. It first became a legal requirement in 2001 for landlords to actively develop and support TP and produce a TP Strategy in consultation with tenants. Table 1: Legislative Requirements Legislation Duties and Responsibilities How we do this? Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 Legal requirement for landlords to actively develop and support TP and to produce a TP Strategy. Tenants were given rights to be consulted on decision making on their landlordΡs housing services and in continuously improving landlord performance. Co-production approach to development and implementation of strategies, plans, and performance reporting: Ϋ TP Strategy Ϋ Local Housing Strategy (LHS) Ϋ Housing management Ϋ Repairs and maintenance Ϋ Rent consultation Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 The Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC) and the independent Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) were introduced with outcomes and standards for communication and Tenant Scrutiny activity considers: Ϋ Standards of service to be provided in relation to housing management, repairs and maintenance Page 115 of 322
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participation. Tenants are required to be asked how satisЉed they are with how their landlord keeps them informed on services, their landlordΡs performance and opportunities to participate in decision making. Ϋ Changes to rent and service charges Ϋ Biennial Tenant Satisfaction Survey Ϋ Performance and Review Group Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 This helps local communities' voices to be heard in the planning and delivery of local services. TP Team encourage tenant representatives to attend community boards to ensure the voice of tenants is listened to in wider decision making. The National Standards for Community Engagement The National Standards for Community Engagement are good practice principles to improve and guide the process of community engagement. Our TP Strategy was developed in line with the National Standards for Community Engagement and the Scottish Government’s Guide to Successful Tenant Participation. Figure 1: The National Standards for Community Engagement Local Context and Links to other Strategies, Plans and Structures The Plan for North Lanarkshire sets the direction of travel for the Council, partners, and our unique communities. The Plan has a vision where North Lanarkshire is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit. The TP Strategy is Page 116 of 322
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aligned to the vision of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and supports its shared ambition. It makes a particularly strong contribution to the key priority to “Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities.” Our Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2021-2026 assesses housing need, demand, and provision to deliver high quality housing and related services in our communities in North Lanarkshire. Our TP Strategy is an action within the LHS which embraces partnership working and community engagement. North Lanarkshire Partnership facilitates nine Community Boards in North Lanarkshire providing the main vehicle for consultation and engagement between communities and the Council. Our TP Team encourage tenant representatives to attend community boards to represent the views of tenants and to help shape and contribute to the Local Outcome Improvement Plans. Our Equality Strategy focusses on furthering the ambitions and priorities of The Plan for North Lanarkshire. It recognises that the poverty, disadvantage, and inequalities that exist for some people in North Lanarkshire can be further exacerbated if they have particular characteristics. There are five objectives to success in mainstreaming equalities with two objectives relevant to the TP Strategy: Objective 1 “To know and understand our communities” and Objective 2 “To involve our communities effectively”. The TP Strategy is committed to involving those in seldom-heard groups including, but not limited to, people from ethnic minorities, Gypsy Travellers, older people, and young people. It sets out actions for understanding the barriers affecting involvement and effectively facilitating better participation to ensure our TP groups are as representative of their local communities as they can be. Page 117 of 322
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3. Regulation and Performance Scottish Social Housing Charter The first Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC) was introduced on 1 April 2012. There have been two reviews in 2016 and 2021. The Charter sets out the quality and value of services that tenants can expect from social landlords when performing their housing activities. It also provides the basis for the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) to assess and report on how well landlords are performing, enabling social landlords, their tenants and service users to identify areas of good performance and areas needing improvement. The Charter has 37 indicators and 16 outcomes as well as standards covering customer/landlord relationship (equalities, communication, and participation); housing quality and maintenance; neighbourhood and community; access to housing and support; getting good value from rents and service charges; and other customers. The outcomes are about the results a social landlord achieves for its tenants and customers. The outcomes linked to this strategy relate to customer/landlord relationship on: Figure 2: Charter Outcomes for Tenant Participation Page 118 of 322
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All the outcomes and standards in the Charter support the right to adequate housing as a human right by setting the standards and outcomes that social landlords should achieve for their tenants and other customers by delivering good quality homes and services. A full list of the Charter outcomes and standards is included within the supporting documents available on the Scottish Government website. Social landlords must provide the SHR with an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) by the end of May each year. The ARC reports our performance information to the SHR against the charter outcomes and includes contextual data relating to our stock. We are committed to working with tenants and customers in assessing, implementing, and reporting on all 16 Charter outcomes. Following submission of the ARC, the SHR then produces an independent report on our performance by the end of September/ October each year. This report is available to the public on the SHR website at www.scottishhousingreulator.gov.uk and can be used to compare our performance against that of other social housing landlords in Scotland. Tenant Satisfaction Our tenants tell us how satisfied they are with overall service and participation which is a requirement of the ARC. Our performance across participation and satisfaction indicators continues to improve and consistently compares favourably in comparison to the Scottish local authority average. 86.6% of tenants satisfied with overall service 95.8% of tenants said that NLC was good at keeping them informed about services and outcomes 96.8% of tenants satisfied with opportunities to participate in landlord’s decision making Page 119 of 322
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Table 2: Scottish Social Housing Charter on Tenant Satisfaction Indicators Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicator 2017 2019 2021 2023 North Lanarkshire Performance Direction LA Average 2023 Satisfied with overall service provided 84.0% 91.0% 81.2% 86.6% Increase of 5.4% 83.2% Landlord good at keeping them informed about services and outcomes 85.3% 92.5% 92.6% 95.8% Increase of 3.2% 81.1% Satisfied with opportunities to participate in landlord’s decision making 68.0% 92.5% 96.8% 96.8% Maintained 76.5% Annual Assurance Statement We must submit an Annual Assurance Statement to the Regulator which provides assurance that the Council complies with the relevant requirements contained in Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework. We have to consider feedback from our tenants and other service users as part of the Annual Assurance Framework, which provides an objective view of how the Housing Service is performing and whether the Charter outcomes are achieved. Page 120 of 322
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4. Equal Opportunities “Every tenant and other customer has their individual needs and rights recognised, is treated fairly and with respect, and receives fair access to housing and housing services.” Scottish Social Housing Charter, Outcome 1 In line with the Equalities Act 2010, our TP Strategy is committed to finding ways to make sure that participation reflects the rights and needs of a diverse range of tenants, encourages participation from people of ethnic minority backgrounds, people with physical disabilities, older people, young people, and people who share a protected characteristic. We are committed to removing barriers to participation for people who may be discriminated or marginalised and we will actively seek to encourage tenants and residents from under- represented population groups in our decision making and TP opportunities. Throughout the course of this strategy we will implement an equality data collation and monitoring framework, to aid a better understanding of our tenant involvement profile to help us identify specific communities of interest which require more targeted interventions to improve involvement. This will help us ensure that tenants and residents involved in shaping housing services are representative of our local communities, which in turn will help improve services to meet those specific needs. 5. Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic Reflecting on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, our methods of participation activities changed as a result of restrictions and Covid-recovery. It was a challenging time for the delivery of all services and not least engaging with tenants on their preferred face-to-face basis. The TP Team kept in touch via telephone, email, and text message during the pandemic with all tenant and resident groups as well as some individual tenants, while local groups supported their communities. Online meetings were held with NLF as well as Food for Thought sessions and training was provided to support tenants on getting online. Our plans to reconnect and meaningfully engage with tenants has resumed over the past two years. Page 121 of 322
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The pandemic has reinforced the need for our approach to be fluid and adaptable to meet changing needs and preferences. The acceleration to digital technology has also increased our ability to engage with many more tenants and residents than previously, providing an exciting opportunity to increase involvement over the course of this new strategy. 6. Aims and Objectives We developed our aims and objectives through consultation with NLF, local tenants’ and residents’ groups and individual tenants through our online surveys, focus group and conference. The overall aims of the TP Strategy at a North Lanarkshire and local level are: To continue to develop and improve how we communicate with our tenants and residents; and to ensure we provide equal opportunities for participation and involvement that are accessible to all. To achieve our aims, we have developed four objectives in collaboration with tenants and residents. These are: Objective 1: Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities We will continue to expand participation and involvement opportunities to help tenants shape and influence housing services, making it easier for people to get involved. We understand that not everyone will want to participate in the same way and that individual needs can vary. We will therefore ensure that we have a range of different ways in which people can get involved to meet the broad range of needs and will continue to harness the new opportunities brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic to increase the opportunities to get involved digitally, recognising that online methods can provide a more convenient option for some tenants not able to get involved in traditional face to face activities. At the same time, we also acknowledge that for some digital engagement may not be an option, whether this is through personal choice or lack of access to a device or connectivity. We will ensure there is a wide range of both in person, non-digital and digital opportunities available. Page 122 of 322
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We will continue to work with our partners to provide training to empower and create capacity within our communities for involvement and raise awareness of opportunities through effective partner collaboration. We will also make sure that we provide information in clear, easy to read and accessible formats. Objective 2: to develop engagement opportunities for our tenants, residents and under-represented groups that will develop their capacity to help themselves We are committed to continuing to build on our successful programme of involvement opportunities to identify new ways to involve more tenants and residents and in particular increase the involvement of tenants seldomly involved in tenant participation. We will extend our reach, targeting specific communities of interest who are under-represented in our TP opportunities, to ensure housing services are shaped by the unique communities which they serve. Objective 3: Ensure effective use of tenant participation resources to involve tenants and residents in the development of services and support We will continue to make best use of the annual TP resource allocation to pioneer new ways to increase the impact of our resources to strengthen participation. We will review our tenant scrutiny delivery model to identify recommendations for a future delivery model and increase our online presence to capitalise on cost effective ways to encourage involvement. Objective 4: Demonstrate continued commitment to customer satisfaction and feedback We will continue to involve tenants in reviewing performance and in the production and review of the annual performance report. We will review methods for measuring tenant satisfaction and evaluate our subgroups to ensure they continue to be fit for purpose. We are committed to sharing our activity with other council services to increase opportunities for collaboration to improve wider council services for the benefit of our communities. Page 123 of 322
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7. Key Achievements There have been several key achievements over the last five years. The council has been awarded ‘gold’ in TPAS Scotland’s Landlord’s Tenant Participation Accreditation, evidence of the high standard of all aspects of tenant participation activity over recent years. Other key achievements include: Page 124 of 322
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8. Developing the Strategy The process for the development of the TP Strategy 2025-2030 began in early 2024 with a two-phased approach. Phase 1 entailed a review of our existing TP Strategy 2020-2025 and a scoping exercise with NLF to provide feedback on what worked well on the layout of the 2020-2025 strategy and suggested improvements. Research was undertaken on good practice at a national level using the Scottish Government’s Guide to Successful Tenant Participation and examining TP strategies in other local authorities. We consulted and engaged with tenants and residents through our online survey and focus group with representatives of tenants’ and residents’ groups and individual tenants. All these methods of feedback informed and provided insights on this consultative draft of the TP Strategy 2025-2030. Phase 2 of our consultation focussed on the consultative draft strategy and took place over the course of June to August 2024. Feedback on the draft strategy used a range of involvement and consultation methods. This included publication of the strategy on the Council’s website with an online survey, in addition to several online and in-person consultation opportunities for a range of different stakeholders, to encourage as wide a range of views as possible to inform the final strategy. A separate consultation report which contains further information on the consultation and development of the strategy can be found as a supplementary report to this strategy on the Council’s website. Page 126 of 322
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25 Page 127 of 322
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26 * such as people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, Gypsy Travellers and young people. Tenant Feedback – What You Said An online TP Survey was undertaken during March and April 2024 via the Council’s website. The survey was widely promoted on Gov Delivery with 10,000 subscribers, Towns Today, NLC and NLF social media, Lanarkshire Live Radio, yammer post and to Tenants’ and Residents’ Groups as well as elected members. Here are some of the key findings: Page 128 of 322
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27 Here are some of the benefits and barriers of being involved in tenant participation highlighted by our tenants and residents. Page 129 of 322
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28 Key messages from consultation in phase 2 on the draft strategy reinforced the importance of providing clear, easy to read, accessible information in a range of formats and of developing a broader range of activities to extend the reach of tenant participation to people or groups who are under-represented. The strategy has been revised to include additional actions to widen the scope of activities to reach a larger audience. Over three quarters of respondents to an online survey said that the draft strategy was easy to read and understand. A summary version of the strategy has been produced alongside a ‘one page strategy’ which provides a concise and simplified way of conveying all the key messages of the strategy in a quick reference document. The majority of respondents agreed with the aims and objectives of the strategy, with emphasis placed on priorities to listen to tenants and to strive to improve customer satisfaction. 9. How to Get Involved in North Lanarkshire Tenant Participation Structure NLC Housing Solutions has overall responsibility for the delivery of TP activities in North Lanarkshire. The TP Team is employed by NLC Housing Solutions and works in partnership with NLF, the umbrella organisation representing the views of tenants and residents groups across North Lanarkshire. There are 36 tenants’ and residents’ groups across North Lanarkshire, which are supported by two TP Officers. Each TP Officer provides support for different geographical areas. The overall management of the TP team is provided by a TP manager and there is also a TP administrative assistant to support the wider work of the team. The diagram below shows the structure of TP in North Lanarkshire. Page 130 of 322
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29 Figure 3: Tenant participation structure Page 131 of 322
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30 Tenants and residents can get involved in TP in North Lanarkshire through a variety of ways and activities. These are as follows: Tenants’ and Residents’ Groups Some tenants choose to become formally involved in the form of either non- registered or registered tenants’ and residents’ groups. Becoming a Registered Tenants Organisation (RTO) gives groups a recognised role in the decision making process and contact details are maintained on a public register for consultation and information distribution. We would encourage groups to apply for RTO status, however non-registered groups can still promote the interests of their neighbourhood and included on the TP consultation database/contact list and are also eligible to apply for an annual administration grant. Here is a map showing the groups across North Lanarkshire: Page 132 of 322
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31 North Lanarkshire Federation NLF was established in 2006, representing tenants and residents across North Lanarkshire. The aims of NLF are to promote and encourage tenant and resident involvement and to make a difference by taking forward the views of local people. NLF have fortnightly meetings to discuss progress on achieving actions within the TP Strategy and the NLF Business Plan which aligns with our TP strategy. Chairpersons’ Meeting There are quarterly Local Chairpersons’ meetings giving local tenants’ and residents’ groups the opportunity to meet and have discussions with the local Area Housing Manager. Representatives from tenants’ groups within each locality can attend these meetings. An individual representative may attend in the absence of an established tenants’ group or where a group has folded. Members of the TP Team can also attend the Chairpersons’ meetings as a central point of contact between tenant representatives and locality staff. Estate Walkabouts Estate Walkabouts are led by tenants’ and residents’ groups and active tenant representatives along with local housing offices following guidelines and timescales. Tenants and residents are given the opportunity to highlight any priorities or issues of concern within their local areas to housing staff. “My personal thanks for your support in setting up the Kirkwood 2023 Tenants’ and Residents’ Association. Your support is much appreciated.” Peter Fanning, Chairperson Kirkwood Tenants’ & Residents’ Association “I was absolutely delighted, Jim actioned all of my issues immediately and there have been teams of men working in the area. It is now looking “first class”. The entire group is delighted and this has also helped motivate them more, as a group, as they have now seen first-hand the positive results from engaging with locality staff.” John Duffy, Mornay Way Tenants’ & Residents’ Association Page 133 of 322
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32 There is an annual Joint Tenant and Staff Chairpersons’ and Estate Walkabout Review Group Meeting whereby tenants and staff in localities have the opportunity to discuss what works well, to indicate improvements to be implemented as well as review the documentation and procedures. Tenant Scrutiny Tenants and other service users are involved in the self-assessment process of landlords, which takes an in depth look at parts of the Housing Service. A Tenant Scrutiny Activity Framework has been developed in partnership with NLF. During the period of the previous strategy, our tenants focussed on Allocations, Retirement Housing, and the Performance Report. North Star Consulting and Research have been commissioned as our independent Tenant Advisors to carry out tenant scrutiny on our behalf. Feedback from groups has been positive on this approach to tenant scrutiny. We will continue to engage with our tenants and residents during the strategy period 2025-2030 to identify the best opportunities and methods of Tenant Scrutiny activity. “This was our first walk about when several of our members met with housing staff from North Lanarkshire Council. Over a couple of hours, we covered a wide area including various streets, common grass areas, and walkways. We felt we were listened to, and it was a great opportunity to be able to highlight places of concern and discuss a wide range of issues. Staff agreed to deal with issues raised or report to other local housing landlords or other relevant NLC staff. We’re really grateful to NLC staff for taking the time to meet with us and undertake the walkabout.” David Johnstone, Chairperson Townhead Tenants’ & Residents’ Association “We have done a walkabout with housing staff in our retirement housing complex and things that we looked at have all been done” Gabe Smith, Chairperson, Chapelhall Tenants’ & Residents Association Page 134 of 322
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33 North Lanarkshire Federation Subgroups There are currently three NLF Subgroups: Ambition, Roads and Street Lighting and Waste Management which meet on a quarterly basis. Motherwell Tower Subgroup disbanded in March 2021and was successful in resolving issues in relation to Motherwell towers such as fire safety and parking. NLF highlighted: Ambition Subgroup The Ambition Subgroup is the newest of all our groups. Established in 2019 it is proving to be extremely popular, covering many progressive topics such as Town Centre Regeneration, New Supply, Capital Investment and Tower Reprovisioning. Group members receive real-time updates relating to development projects, plans, and new technologies within North Lanarkshire. “Council officers provide updates on Council related housing matters and other issues such as programmes of work involving the Council's plans for town centres. There is the opportunity to ask questions and it is interesting to hear about initiatives going on in other areas. The meetings also provide an overview on the work the Council is doing to meet its target of building new social housing in North Lanarkshire. A great advantage in attending these meetings is the opportunity to meet with and have discussion with the senior members of staff from the housing team - who are available and happy to answer questions or source information in response to the public's enquiries.” Mary McIntosh, Individual, Shotts “This is a great testament to the hard work and dedication of the group and council officers.” Jim Leonard, Chairperson, North Lanarkshire Federation of Tenants’ & Residents’ Page 135 of 322
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34 As well as meeting quarterly, group members have also joined staff on three sites visits to Chryston, Airdrie and Gowkthrapple. Groups members were able to view new build amenity housing and the operation of air source heat pumps which will contribute to achieving net zero. Feedback received on the site visits has been positive and future visits will be planned over 2025-2030. Roads and Street Lighting Subgroup The group works in partnership with NLC Roads Department which is a very useful two-way forum for any roads issues and updates which affect all our communities. Members are encouraged to raise any issues they see or hear about from their local communities but also learn of any updates and planned programmes NLC have ongoing. Waste Management Subgroup The Waste Management Subgroup had been running since 2017 with a focus in the early days on the changes to waste collection services. In recent years, the group was a key educational tool. A review was undertaken of the Waste Management Subgroup and we look forward to re-establishing a refreshed group soon. Ambition Subgroup visit new development in Caplaw Grove, Gowkthrapple Page 136 of 322
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35 NL in Bloom The TP Team facilitate NL in Bloom. The competition for 2024 has been reviewed with new categories agreed. Representatives from the TP Team and NLF visit each year all shortlisted gardens to choose winners and hold an annual celebration event whereby winners are presented with a NL in Bloom Gardens Award. A NL in Bloom brochure was produced of garden winners for 2023. NL Bloom has proved to be a successful way of engaging with tenants, promoting estate management, and highlighting neighbourhood improvements. We witnessed an increase of 20% in participation levels in 2023 compared to the previous year demonstrating the popularity of NL in Bloom. Database of Tenants/Customers The TP Team hold a list of groups which is reviewed quarterly and annually. Contact details are updated on a regular basis via meetings, AGMs, and Tenants’ Conferences. NL in Bloom Awards Ceremony Page 137 of 322
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36 NL Federation Annual Tenants’ and Residents’ Conference and NLC Annual Tenants’ Conference An annual NLF Tenants’ and Residents’ Conference & AGM and a separate NLC Tenants’ Conference are held every year. There have been three NLF Conferences and three Tenants’ Conferences over the course of the 2020-2025 strategy. The conferences remain popular and provide an effective involvement and networking opportunity. North Lanarkshire Federation Conference NLC Annual Tenants’ Conference Page 138 of 322
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37 Training and Development A variety of training and briefing sessions are delivered to consult with and inform our tenants and customers on key service areas. These include the NLF annual programme of “Food for Thought” sessions, tenants’ conferences, open meetings, and consultation events which are co-ordinated in line with training needs, service priorities and legislative changes. Some of the “Food for Thought” sessions held over the strategy period included sessions on the Charter in January 2024; the Tenants’ Code of Conduct in February 2024 and the new TP Strategy in April 2024. A Cost-of-Living Event was also held in March 2024. The TP Team deliver committee training to groups and have produced a guide on roles and responsibilities. There have been monthly development meetings to review NLF’s Constitution and Code of Conduct. Future development meetings will review the TP Guide and other policies. Joint tenant and staff training is planned for estate walkabouts and chairpersons’ meetings. Tenants are also supported to attend external conferences and training sessions to gain knowledge and understanding about national housing issues and share good practice. Social Media Our social media pages for Facebook are used to consult electronically via online surveys and to publicise topical news and events to maximise and promote involvement opportunities. Our social media is an effective medium to target campaigns such as the TP Advent Calendar, International Women’s Day, Employee Appreciation Day, and Celebrating Scottish Housing Day. There are currently 753 followers on NLC’s TP Facebook Page: @NLCTenantParticipation and 327 followers of @nlfederation. There has been a substantial increase in Facebook followers with more than double since our last strategy when there were 301 followers. “This was our first time attending such event. We found it really informative, well run and worthwhile.” Denise Mendell, Individual Page 139 of 322
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38 Tenants can keep in touch with housing news and services via email alerts. There is eGov Delivery which provides an opportunity to subscribe to a range of topics and receive an email direct to your inbox by entering your email address. In addition to housing news, subscription is available to a range of other topics. To sign up, visit www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Digital Support The TP Team have supported tenants and residents to develop their knowledge and skills in the use of digital platforms to participate in virtual meetings, Food for Thought and Information sessions as well as provide training on the use of digital devices and laptops. Tenants’ Newsletter Our Tenants’ Newsletter produced twice per annum are delivered to every tenant as well as being online and shared on social media. A review of the Tenants’ Newsletter saw the introduction of a living local version. We have also agreed to set up a joint tenant and staff working group to undertake a further review during Autumn 2024. “I cannot thank the TP team enough, they have given me a new laptop with internet & showed me how to use it, they even done a dummy run of an online meeting as I was nervous to join in. Since getting online, I have attended many meetings & sessions, giving me a purpose again.” James Cole, Individual, Cumbernauld Page 140 of 322
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39 Surveys We undertake various surveys and questionnaires regarding our services including our biennial Tenant Satisfaction Survey with NLF contributing to tenant satisfaction questions. Our online TP Survey was developed in partnership with NLF to find out tenants’ views on the strategy and TP. National Tenant Engagement The Scottish Government supports RTOs through four fully established regional networks. One purpose of the RTO representatives is to communicate practically with the Scottish Government on national policy issues. Having this two-way conversation means that the government can tap into the knowledge and expertise of the RTO members. Additionally, this also means that RTOs are able to participate and respond to consultation documents in a more effective and uniform way. Independent Tenant Scrutiny Support The Council currently commissions an independent external organisation to provide scrutiny support to NLF, tenants’ and residents’ groups and our wider tenants and residents. Tenant scrutiny involves a panel of tenants who meet regularly, gather evidence, give feedback to the Council and make recommendations as part of an in-depth report. It has been a key success in improving tenants’ and residents' ability to influence how services are delivered. NLF, our tenants’ and residents’ groups as well as individuals who are engaged in TP have helped identify and scrutinise several topics. “Back in 2023 several tenants group representatives and individual tenants attended a focus group session to discuss and respond to a consultation by the Scottish Housing Regulator – The Future of Social Housing Regulation in Scotland. The national picture has an impact on the housing service locally and it’s important that tenants across North Lanarkshire can have their say and influence national housing matters. This session was a great opportunity to do that.” Jim Leonard, Chairperson, North Lanarkshire Federation Page 141 of 322
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40 10. Tenant Participation Budget The tenant participation budget expenditure was £352,954 for 2023/24 with two- thirds (63.7%) spent on staffing costs, 10.4% on the tenants’ newsletter – Tenants' News and 7.3% on NLF Grant Funding. The table and graph below provide a breakdown of how the budget was spent in the year 2023/24 on a range of service provision and engagement activities. It provides a good indicator of the resources required to enable successful delivery of this strategy. Table 3: Budget Breakdown for 2023/24 Description É % of budget Staا Costs 225,005 63.7 Events & Engagement 7,488 2.1 NLF Grant Funding 25,744 7.3 Tenant Satisfaction Survey 4,900 1.4 Tenants News 36,669 10.4 Tenants Grants 9,200 2.6 Scrutiny (North Star Contract) 10,985 3.1 Conferences & Training 9,904 2.8 TP budget 20,000 5.6 Other 3,059 1.0 Total 352,954 100.0 Figure 4: Budget Breakdown for 2023/24 Page 142 of 322
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41 11. Action Plan Our action plan sets out the actions to be delivered to achieve our objectives and aim. Objective 1: Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities Action Milestones Timescale Lead Key Action 1.1 In partnership with our tenants and residents annually review the Tenant Participation Strategy and update the action plan • Complete an annual review of the Tenant Participation Strategy to align with current policy and legislative requirements • Update progress on achieving actions within the plan • Involve tenant representatives in an appraisal of the actions contained in the new strategy • Continue quarterly reporting on the strategy actions 2025-2030 Annual 2025-2030 Quarterly TPT/Tenant Representatives Key Action 1.2 Review and revitalise local tenant participation action plans in consultation with local groups and chairpersons’ meetings • Annual review of tenant participation at locality level • Quarterly TPT and Locality Manager meetings to discuss actions • Deliver joint tenants and staff training annually promoting Annual Quarterly Annual Local Groups, Chairpersons’ Meetings, TPT & LHT Page 143 of 322
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42 Objective 1: Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities Action Milestones Timescale Lead awareness of the process of tenant participation at locality level • Encourage attendance of tenants at local tenant participation action meetings 2025-2030 Key Action 1.3 Consider and develop opportunities for social forms of engagement that will encourage tenant participation and build capacity within communities • Consult with tenants and residents to develop a range of social forms of engagement that encourage tenant participation and build capacity • Develop a guidance note to outline social activities that can be supported through tenant participation grant funding • Provide support to tenants’ and residents’ groups to create a diary of social activities 2025-2030 2025 2025-2030 TPT Key Action 1.4 Develop an annual tenant participation training and information programme • Develop a revised training plan for tenant participation • Consult with tenants and residents on future training and information requirements 2025 2025-2030 TPT Page 144 of 322
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43 Objective 1: Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities Action Milestones Timescale Lead • Consult voluntary and public sector organisations on potential joint training opportunities • Develop information programme 2025-2030 2025-2030 Key Action 1.5 Review arrangements in relation to grant assistance to support tenants’ and residents’ groups and NLF • Review current funding arrangements • Consider review and tenant scrutiny findings to inform future resourcing • Consult on and develop proposals in relation to tenant participation 2025-2030 2025-2030 2025-2030 TPT/NLF Key Action 1.6 Continue to develop effective communication to help ensure involvement opportunities are accessible for everyone • Provide high quality information in plain language that can be accessed in a range of formats and languages • Develop and maintain a register of tenants and residents who require information in alternative formats or languages or need specific assistance to participate to their full potential • Review existing tenant participation information available via the Council 2025-2030 2025 2025 TPT/NLF Page 145 of 322
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44 Objective 1: Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities Action Milestones Timescale Lead website or printed form to ensure it is accessible and easy to understand Page 146 of 322
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45 Objective 2: Continue to develop engagement opportunities for our tenants, residents and under-represented groups that will develop their capacity to help themselves Action Milestones Timescale Lead Key Action 2.1 Work with our tenants and residents to produce and review the ‘Tenant Participation Guide’ • Consult and engage with tenants on content • Develop and produce a ‘Guide to Tenant Participation’ including Code of Practice, NLF Business Plan, Code of Conduct, Terms of Reference, Constitution, Evaluations, Grant Applications • Consider and develop opportunities that will increase participation and reduce administrative burden on groups and individuals starting their tenant participation journey 2025 – 2030 2026 2025-2030 TPT Key Action 2.2 Undertake annual tenants’ engagement opportunities to • Develop and publicise annual diary of engagement opportunities • Carry out regular consultation on rent increases and provide clear and concise Annual Annual TPT/NLF Page 147 of 322
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46 Objective 2: Continue to develop engagement opportunities for our tenants, residents and under-represented groups that will develop their capacity to help themselves Action Milestones Timescale Lead inform and influence service delivery information to help tenants make informed choices • Assist NLF to develop an Open Meeting programme on key service areas • Assist NLF to develop and implement their Food for Thought (FfT) Programme • Ensure recommendations and findings from FfT programme inform future service delivery for Housing Solutions 2025-2030 2025-2030 2025-2030 Key Action 2.3 Raise awareness of tenant participation services and activities within our local communities and council services • Encourage more individuals to become involved in tenant participation • Increase visibility of staff within communities • Ensure the voice of tenants and residents is represented at the Community Boards Annual 2025-2030 2025-2030 TPT/LHT Key Action 2.4 Increase involvement of under- represented groups in tenant participation • Improve our understanding of the profile of tenants and residents involved in tenant participation 2025-2030 TPT Page 148 of 322
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47 Objective 2: Continue to develop engagement opportunities for our tenants, residents and under-represented groups that will develop their capacity to help themselves Action Milestones Timescale Lead • Implement a framework for gathering equality monitoring data for tenants and residents involved in tenant participation • Undertake annual analysis of equality monitoring information to identify under- represented groups • Develop an action plan to increase involvement of under-represented groups/ individuals • Establish connections with the pan Lanarkshire Gypsy Traveller Strategic Group to explore opportunities to support engagement and participation of the Gypsy Traveller community in shaping services • Work with NLC Equalities Manager to identify opportunities to increase awareness of tenant participation amongst under-represented groups linking to the Council’s Equality Strategy 2025 Annual 2025 (and kept under review) 2025 2025-2030 Page 149 of 322
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48 Objective 3: Ensure effective use of tenant participation resources to involve tenants and residents in the decisions, and development of services and supports Action Milestones Timescale Lead Key Action 3.1 Review Tenants’ Newsletter • Carry out market research to determine best media/form for newsletter • Implement Newsletter Working Group to involve tenants and residents in assisting with content ideas and tenant articles • Produce two Tenants Newsletters annually Ongoing 2025-2030 Bi-annual ALL Key Action 3.2 Further develop use of technology to promote and increase tenant participation • Review electronic publicity methods and implement findings • Increase use of social media and council website to inform, involve and engage on tenant participation • Develop and implement training programme for social media training for tenants’ and residents’ groups and individuals • Develop virtual tenants’ and residents’ opportunities for engagement and participation 2025 2025-2030 2026 2025-2030 TPT/NLC Page 150 of 322
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49 Objective 3: Ensure effective use of tenant participation resources to involve tenants and residents in the decisions, and development of services and supports Action Milestones Timescale Lead Key Action 3.3 Develop ongoing programme of tenant scrutiny topics and activities • Complete annual programme of tenant scrutiny activities and implement recommendations/findings • Assist NLF to develop annual programme of tenant scrutiny • Review current service delivery model Annual Annual 2026 TPT/NLF Key Action 3.4 Deliver tenant participation services at a neighbourhood level to respond to needs as they arise • Develop short-life groups to address particular local housing issues • Improve communication and relationships by keeping groups and individuals updated on staff changes within local teams • Ensure all frontline housing staff are consistently trained and informed in relation to tenant participation • Provide joint training opportunities in relation to tenant participation for staff in other services • Continue to develop relationships with other council services to enable ‘piggy Annual 2025-2030 2025-2030 2025-2030 2025-2030 TPT Page 151 of 322
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50 Objective 3: Ensure effective use of tenant participation resources to involve tenants and residents in the decisions, and development of services and supports Action Milestones Timescale Lead backing’ at wider engagement events to promote tenant participation Page 152 of 322
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51 Objective 4: Demonstrate continued commitment to customer satisfaction and feedback Action Milestones Timescale Lead Key Action 4.1 Review methods for measuring tenant satisfaction to reflect demographic profile of our tenants and meet requirements of the Scottish Housing Regulator • Complete review • Develop bank of case studies to demonstrate achievements and successes • Complete review of how we report back to tenants and residents on the findings, recommendations and actions in relation to tenant surveys 2025-2030 2025-2030 2026 HS/TPT Key Action 4.2 Continue to develop and maintain a database of tenants/ customers who have agreed to be contacted to take part in consultation • Database reviewed annually and updated regularly Annual TPT Key Action 4.3 Produce an annual performance report in consultation with tenant representatives and in line with Charter guidelines • Annual Performance Report produced and submitted • Review and refresh the sub-group comprised of NLF representatives and ensure regular schedule of meetings to look at the ARC, Performance Report & the Annual Assurance Statement Annual 2025-2030 HS Page 153 of 322
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52 Objective 4: Demonstrate continued commitment to customer satisfaction and feedback Action Milestones Timescale Lead Key Action 4.4 Annually review outcomes for NLF Subgroups • Complete annual review of NLF Subgroups using the Place Standard tool • Implement review findings • Develop programme of activity to be shared with other council services to demonstrate how wider council engagement is vital to success Annual 2025-2030 2025-2030 TPT RESPONSIBILITY KEY Abbreviation Description NLF North Lanarkshire Federation TPT Tenant Participation Team LHT Local Housing Team NLC North Lanarkshire Council HS Housing Solutions Page 154 of 322
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53 12. Monitoring and Evaluation The TP Steering Group meets quarterly involving tenant representatives from the NLF and is chaired by the Convener of Housing. This group is responsible for ensuring progress is reported and achieved in relation to the actions and milestones set out in the strategy. An annual review of the strategy will be undertaken in consultation with NLF and our tenants and residents. If you would like to comment on the strategy or to get involved in tenant participation, please contact our Tenant Participation Team on 07890438431 or e-mail tenantparticipation@northlan.gov.uk 13. Glossary AGM Annual General Meeting ARC Annual Return on the Charter LHS Local Housing Strategy NLC North Lanarkshire Council NLF North Lanarkshire Federation of TenantsΡ and Residents' RTO Registered Tenant Organisation SHR Scottish Housing Regulator SSHC Scottish Social Housing Charter TP Tenant Participation TPT Tenant Participation Team Page 155 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref SL/MK Date 06/11/24 First Stop Shop Review and Redesign Cumbernauld First Stop Shop Update From Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail llewellyns@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 01698 274192 1. Background 1.1 At Housing Committee on 28th August 2024 members requested a report setting out costs to re-instate cash facilities at the Bron Way First Stop Shop. 1.2 It was also agreed that a consultation exercise would take place with regards to the proposals outlined in the First Stop Shop Service Review and Redesign report presented to Committee on 28th August. 1.3 There are currently ten First Stop Shops (FSS’s) situated across each of the Local Housing Market Areas in North Lanarkshire. The FSS’s have historically provided a first point of face-to-face contact for customer enquiries primarily for payment Executive Summary At Housing Committee on 28th August 2024, members requested a report be submitted setting out the costs associated with re-introducing cash payments at the Cumbernauld First Stop Shop. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge the content of the report. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (2) Refocus our town centres and communities to be multi- functional connected places which maximise social, economic, and environmental opportunities Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 8 Page 157 of 322
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transactions and enquiries relating to housing services, council tax and benefits, the Scottish Welfare Fund and environmental services. 1.4 Five of the ten offices; Airdrie, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Motherwell and Wishaw operate standard office hours, across Monday to Friday with a lunch time closure. The five smaller offices located in Kilsyth, Moodiesburn, Shotts, Bellshill and Viewpark are currently operating reduced opening hours. 1.5 The FSS service operates in close tandem with the locality housing offices, being co- located in most instances within the same premises as the local housing offices. This provides housing support for FSS staff for escalation of enquiries and to provide additional staff capacity to cover the FSS ‘front counter’ as required, ensuring a consistent high-level of customer service. North Lanarkshire Council is the largest local authority landlord in Scotland, with over 36,000 council homes. For this reason, the council has a high level of approaches for housing related advice, information and assistance. 1.6 The service has seen significant change in levels of customer demand and preferences over recent years, particularly over the past five years. This has in part been driven by the council’s ambitious Digital NL programme which has seen a new improved range of customer contact options developed, offering improved choice over contact methods for customers. The Covid-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on customer contact preferences, increasing the rate of adoption of digital technologies, which have been sustained and are projected to continue in the longer term. These factors alongside the closure of the Municipal Bank in 2022 have reduced the number of face- to-face enquiries significantly, with payment transactions no longer accounting for a large proportion of enquiries. 1.7 Given the reduction in demand and the changing nature of enquiries, a Short Life Working Group (SLWG) was established to carry out a review of the FSS service to explore ways to drive efficiency and ensure that the functions of the service continue to align with changing customer needs and preferences, whilst aligning with the overarching objectives and priorities for the council. The working group members comprised both FSS and housing employees. 1.8 Analysis of customer demand, operating procedures and current delivery model was undertaken as part of the service review and work of the SLWG. This analysis showed a sharp decline in the number of FSS enquiries across all offices, with an average reduction in enquiries across all offices of 86.1% over the past four years. For Cumbernauld the reduction is as follows. Table 1: Cumbernauld First Stop Shop Service Enquiries 2019/20 – 2023/24 FSS Office FSS All Service Enquiries 2019/20 FSS All Service Enquiries 2023/24 % Reduction in Enquiries Cumbernauld 22,068 4,376 80.2 1.9 A significant shift in the nature of enquiries is also evident from analysis of payment transactions, with a reduction of 54% in the number of payment transactions and 51% in the transactional amount processed over the 2019/20 - 2023/24 period. For Cumbernauld the reduction is as follows. Page 158 of 322
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Table 2: Cumbernauld First Stop Shop Service Payment Transactions 2019/20 – 2023/24 Office 2019/20 Number of Payment Transactions 2019/20 Amount £ 2023/24 Number of Payment Transactions 2023/24 Amount £ % Reduction in number of Transactions Cumbernauld 18,026 1,772,510 5,765 770,243 68 2. Report 2.1 As part of the Council’s Asset Rationalisation and One Service model a decision was taken to close a number of Council buildings including Fleming House. The Cumbernauld First Stop Shop and Housing office was located on the ground floor of the building and for the last 18 months has been the only part of the building in operation. 2.2 As Fleming House is due for demolition, alternative premises were being sought, however no premises became available that could fully accommodate the current service needs. Various properties were looked at however it was necessary to move the First Stop Shop and Housing Office to Bron Way on a semi-permanent basis and at the same time alternative accommodation was being searched for. 2.3 The Council owned premises were not fully suitable as the facilities could not be designed or modified within the timescale to meet the specification required for security purposes for the collection of cash handling. The First Stop Shop relocation to Bron Way therefore resulted in a Test of Change pilot adopted for a cashless financial transaction approach. 2.4 Officers continue to review properties that are available that could meet the service needs however there are no current properties available that meet the current requirements. 2.5 The cost to modify Bron Way is estimated to be in excess of £105,000.00. There is no allocated provision within the Council’s capital programmes for these works in the 2024/25 financial year. In the event that the works would be required, the service would liaise with the Council’s Strategic Capital Delivery Group to identify an appropriate funding source. 2.6 The consultation into the proposals contained within the First Stop Shop Review and Redesign report dated 28th August will officially launch at the Annual Tenant and Resident Conference to be held on 16th November 2024 at the Riverbank Community Hub in Coatbridge. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Continuation of tenant and resident satisfaction levels with the overall service and quality of service being delivered. 4. Supporting documentation There are no supporting documents with this report. Page 159 of 322
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Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 160 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 161 of 322
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 162 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref SL/GT/VR Date 06/11/24 Revenue Monitoring Report – Housing Revenue Account From Andrew McPherson, Depute Chief Executive E-mail telferg@northla.gov.uk Telephone Greg Telfer, Business Finance Manager, 07586 010692 1. Background 1.1 The Council approved its Housing Revenue Account budget of £174m on 21 December 2023. 1.2 The Financial Regulations require Services to remain within their approved budgetary provision, and to report all significant deviations – defined as the higher of £100,000 or Executive Summary This report provides a summary of the Housing Revenue Account financial performance for the period 1 April 2024 to 16 August 2024 (Period 6). The report illustrates the provisional outturn as at 31 March 2025, with major outturn variances highlighted and explained in accordance with the Council’s approved Financial Regulations. The Service is currently projecting an underspend of £1.500m for the financial year. In setting the 2024/25 budget, savings of £1.165m were approved which have been incorporated within the budget. It is currently anticipated that these savings will be fully delivered by the end of the financial year. Recommendations It is recommended that the Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledges the financial position of the HRA revenue budget 2024/25. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition statement (25) Ensure intelligent use of data and information to support fully evidence based decision making and future planning Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 9a Page 163 of 322
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5% - within their budget monitoring reports. Where significant deviations are identified, Services must provide explanatory commentary outline the action required to rectify such a deviation, and where relevant, must also highlight the impact this has on other budget headings. 2. Report 2.1 The Service is currently projecting an underspend of £1.500m for the financial year. Analysis of Significant Variances 2.2 The Housing Revenue Account currently anticipates an underspend of £0.150m within Employee Costs which is as a result of increased turnover savings. The position also incorporates the potential impact of the implementation of the pay award for 2024/25 albeit this is still subject to degree of uncertainty. The financial impact of any further discussions will continue to be monitored and reported as appropriate. 2.3 An underspend of £0.925m is currently anticipated within Property costs mainly in relation to repairs (£1.000m) and electricity (£0.150m). The Service is aware and continues to monitor the potential risks to the reported position including the impact of additional transitional contracts due to come online within the latter part of the year and the potential impact of repairs required during the winter months. The position around repairs will continue to be closely monitored with updates provided in future reports where required. These underspends are partially offset by increased costs in relation to the garden assistance scheme (£0.175m) and void rent loss (£0.050m). 2.4 An underspend of £0.600m is projected within Administration Costs as a result of lower than expected future credit losses (£0.500m), added to by lower than anticipated costs associated with legal fees (£0.050m) and Sheriff Officer Fees (£0.050m). 2.5 An under recovery of £0.175m is anticipated within Rents linked to mainstream rental income. Earmarked and One-off Resources 2.6 HRA reserve balances brought forward from 2023/24 total £16.820m. This includes a revised contingency fund balance of £1.742m, representing 1% of the approved 2024/25 HRA budget. In addition, a balance of £5.370m remains from the loan debt holiday taken in 2022/23 and is earmarked to support the ongoing cost impact of that policy decision. Finally, a balance of £3.403m is retained for ongoing risks and uncertainties and to support future budget strategies. It is anticipated that reserves totalling £3.260m will be utilised during 2024/25 as detailed in Appendix 2. A review of reserve balances will be undertaken as part of the year end close down in order to ensure suitable reserves are maintained. 2024/25 Budget Savings 2.7 The service uses a variety of information, records and processes to monitor achievement of its approved budget savings of £1.165m. It is anticipated that 100% approved savings will be delivered by the end of the financial year. Page 164 of 322
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3. Measures of success 3.1 The Service continues to operate withing approved resources and meet required savings targets. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 HRA Summary Appendix 2 Earmarked Reserves / Balance Sheet Provisions Andrew McPherson Depute Chief Executive Page 165 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The financial impacts are contained within the report and supporting appendices. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Page 166 of 322
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Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? All activities undertaken by the council are subject to risk, and in acknowledging the Council’s approved Risk Management Strategy, Services manage these as part of their overall corporate and service planning process. The current economic climate, in particular, has the potential to impact upon the Council’s ability to provide quality services within approved budget levels. Reflecting the risk analysis matrix included within the Risk Management Strategy, the Service considers the impact of inflation on key service contracts and the cost of living crisis presents an ongoing risk to the financial outturn for 2023/24 and this is an ongoing focus of discussion within the Service and with Finance. To minimise risk, this report has been prepared by Finance personnel in consultation with budget managers, in accordance with the Financial Regulations. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. Page 167 of 322
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5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 168 of 322
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Appendix 1 FINANCIAL MONITORING REPORT 01 April 2024 to 13 SEPTEMBER 2024 (Period 6) COMMITTEE: HOUSING CATEGORY ANNUAL PROJECTED ANALYSIS BUDGET OUTTURN % (1) (5) (6) (8) (9) (10) £ £ EMPLOYEE COSTS 29,815,170 29,665,170 150,000 FAV 0.5% 150,000 Underspend due to increased turnover savings PROPERTY COSTS 70,140,870 69,215,870 925,000 FAV 1.3% 925,000 Underspend mainly due to decreased repair and electricity costs slightly offset by increased costs to garden assistance and void rent loss SUPPLIES & SERVICES 727,970 727,970 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced budget TRANSPORT & PLANT 394,350 394,350 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced budget ADMINISTRATION COSTS 7,068,150 6,468,150 600,000 FAV 8.5% 600,000 Underspend mainly due to decreased expected future credit losses in addition to decreased legal and sheriff officer fees PAYMENTS TO OTHER BODIES 231,120 231,120 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced budget APPORTIONED EXPENSES 7,071,310 7,071,310 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget CAPITAL FINANCING COSTS 37,574,280 37,574,280 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget C.F.C.R. 20,089,260 20,089,260 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget OTHER COSTS 1,056,990 1,056,990 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget TOTAL EXPENDITURE 174,169,470 172,494,470 1,675,000 FAV 1.0% 1,675,000 OTHER GRANTS 0 0 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget FEES AND CHARGES 9,287,200 9,287,200 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget RENTS 164,344,660 164,169,660 (175,000) ADV (0.1)% (175,000) Under recovery of mainstream rental income INTEREST 15,000 15,000 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget DEPARTMENTAL CHARGES 522,610 522,610 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget SURPLUS 0 0 0 - 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget INCOME 174,169,470 173,994,470 (175,000) ADV (0.1)% (175,000) NET EXPENDITURE 0 (1,500,000) 1,500,000 FAV 1,500,000 FAV = Favourable variation, underspend etc 362,119 ADV = Adverse variation, overspend, income under-recovery etc PROJECTED OUTTURN PERIOD MOVEMENTVARIANCE (7) Page 169 of 322
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Appendix 2 DESCRIPTION OF EARMARKED RESERVES VALUE OF EARMARKED RESERVE CARRY FORWARD ANALYSIS VALUE % (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) £ £ £ Ambition 1,306,293 0 100.0% 1,306,293 Carry Forward Additional Loan Charges 3,702,000 1,542,000 58.3% 2,160,000 Carry Forward Enterprise Contract 1,078,000 1,078,000 0.0% 0 Budget fully utilised Rent Restructure 219,000 69,000 68.5% 150,000 Carry Forward Loan Debt Holiday 5,370,000 571,000 89.4% 4,799,000 Carry Forward SUB TOTAL 11,675,293 3,260,000 72.1% 8,415,293 Change Management/Risks & Uncertainty 3,403,000 0 0.0% 3,403,000 Core Reserve 1,742,000 0 100.0% 1,742,000 TOTAL 16,820,293 3,260,000 80.6% 13,560,293 PROJECTED OUTTURN North Lanarkshire Council Housing Revenue Account - Earmarked Reserves 01 April 2024 to 13 SEPTEMBER 2024 (Period 6) Page 170 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref GT/JMcG Date 06/11/24 Revenue Monitoring Report – Enterprise and Communities From Andrew McPherson, Depute Chief Executive E-mail telferg@northlan.gov.uk Telephone Greg Telfer, Business Finance Manager, 07583 010692 1. Background 1.1 The Council’s approved Financial Regulations require services to remain within their approved budgetary provision, and to report all significant deviations – defined as the higher of £100,000 or 5% - within their budget monitoring reports. Where significant deviations are identified, services must provide explanatory commentary, outline the action required to rectify such deviations and where relevant, must also highlight the impact this has on other budget headings. Executive Summary This report provides a summary of the financial performance of the Enterprise and Communities service for the period 1 April 2024 to 13 September 2024 (Period 6) and illustrates the provisional outturn as at 31 March 2025. Major outturn variances are highlighted and explained as per the Council’s approved Financial Regulations. In summary, the Enterprise and Communities service is currently forecasting a break-even position at this stage in the financial year. Recommendations It is recommended that Committee: (1) Acknowledges the financial position of the 2024/25 Enterprise and Communities revenue budget. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (25) Ensure intelligent use of data and information to support fully evidence based decision making and future planning Item 9b Page 171 of 322
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2. Report Summary of Financial Position 2.1 The Council approved its General Fund Revenue Budget on 15 February 2024, of which £201.899m (19.86%) represented the approved Net Revenue Budget for Enterprise and Communities. This budget has since been increased by £0.023m to reflect additional funding for Rapid Rehousing resulting in a revised budget of £201.922m 2.1.1 Enterprise and Communities is currently forecasting a break-even position. 2.1.2 Section 2.2 provides commentary on the financial performance of the Service per division. In addition, Appendices 1 to 5 of this report provide further explanation of the significant budget variations contributing to this outturn position. 2.1.3 The 2024/25 Enterprise and Communities budget incorporates £5.044m of savings. Of this, £2.744m relates service specific savings with £2.374m of savings (87%) forecast to be delivered within the current financial year. Further information regarding particularly challenging savings is noted in paragraph 2.4 below. A further £1.527m has been achieved towards the historic underspend savings target and it is anticipated that the balance of £0.772m will be achieved during remainder of the financial year. Analysis of Significant Variations 2.2 The Enterprise and Communities service is currently forecasting a break-even position at this early stage in the financial year. As at Period 6, there are a number of compensating variances across the divisions are further explained as follows: 2.2.1 Assets and Procurement (Break-even) Assets and Procurement is projecting a break-even position with compensating variances due to key net employee vacancies £0.381m and additional rental income of £0.139m offset by use of external advisors (£0.559m) to support the work of hard to fill vacancies. 2.2.2 Community Operations (£0.445m higher than budget) Community Operations is projecting an unfavourable position of £0.445m. Leisure membership income is forecast to under recovery by £1.000m. While the total number of memberships is higher during the current financial year the service is continuing to monitor membership levels and the impact on other income streams (e.g. pay as you go). Land Management and Waste Solutions anticipate an underspend of £0.589m. This is attributable to underspends in Employee Costs within Land (£0.856m), mainly from vacancies, partially offset by increased overtime costs, resulting in a net variance of £0.376m. Over-recoveries of income from recyclable materials in Waste (£0.170m) are partially offset by an expected under-recovery of Special Uplift income (£0.105m) through reduced demand for the service and other minor variances. An overspend of £0.134m is anticipated within Protective Services, mainly through increasing Pest Control sub-contractor costs and Public Analyst fees (£0.113m), from Page 172 of 322
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increased number of pest control cases. Minor vacancy savings are mostly offset by a minor under-recovery of Pest Control income. Within Fleet, expected additional external hire costs (£0.513m) and outsourcing of larger vehicle servicing costs (£0.583m) as a result of difficulties in recruiting mechanics are largely offset by an ear-marked reserve. Net employee savings (£0.527m), mainly from mechanic vacancies, are offset by overspends forecast against vehicle parts and materials (£0.109m) and increased vehicle insurance premiums (£0.146m) and tyres (£0.119m). The service is currently reviewing the vehicle requirements across the Council to reduce the external hires where possible. Roads and Transportation has a projected underspend of £0.187m, largely as a result of net employee savings, upkeep of grounds savings and a small over recovery of income. As the old roads contract ends, the Service is working on finalising the figures for final works on the old contract and continues engagement with the new contractor on their mobilisation plans. Within Facility Support Services an underspend of £0.895m is projected. This is due to the grant for Free School Meals received in advance of need (£1.000m), employee vacancies in building cleaning and community facilities (£0.030m) and additional school catering income (£0.073m). 2.2.3 Place (£0.669m underspend) An underspend of £0.669m is currently projected within Place largely as a result of net vacancies throughout the division (£0.921m). 2.2.4 Housing Management (£0.094m underspend) It is anticipated that the Housing Management division will underspend by £0.094m this financial year. This is due to vacancies across the service, partially offset by income under recoveries and additional costs associated with the maintenance of stair and close lighting. 2.2.5 Included within the reported outturn is the Council’s trading services. For 2024/25 the Council approved a surplus budget of £0.462m. The Council must comply with a statutory requirement to at least break-even over a rolling three year period. The combined surplus in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 was £0.274m. As at period 6 the Trading Accounts are projecting a surplus of £0.144m, which is £0.318m less than budget). This reduced surplus is in relation to the Trade Waste activity where there has been a drop in customer demand. The Service are continuing to review this Service and will provide updates in future reports. 2.2.6 Payments to other bodies are detailed in Appendix 3. This expenditure category has a total budget of £20.094m and is currently projected to be overspent by £0.495m primarily as a result of increased agency and sub-contractor costs (£0.325m). Increased agency costs within Assets and Procurement and Community Operations are mainly in relation to current vacancies while increased sub-contractor costs in Protective Services come as a result of increased pest control cases. Earmarked and One-off Reserves 2.3 Enterprise and Communities was given approval to earmark £18.255m of resources during the completion of the 2023/24 annual accounts. At period 6, £12.623m of the Page 173 of 322
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reserve balance will be utilised in 2024/25, with a balance of £4.128m required for the original purpose in future years. The remaining £0.005m will no longer be required. Appendix 4 details the individual Earmarked Reserves. 2024/25 Budget Savings 2.4 The Service uses a variety of information, records and processes to monitor achievement of its approved budget savings of £5.044m. As at period 6, £4.674m (92.66%) of its approved savings are forecast to be achievable during the year. The gap of £0.370m represents a timing delay in office rationalisation (£0.224m) and the introduction of tachograph fleet income (£0.050m)– both of which have been offset this financial year by an earmarked reserve. The remainder is for a delay in a staffing related saving within Business Intelligence (£0.061m) and delays in implementing charges for recycling bins (£0.035m) which will be offset by in year vacancy savings. It is anticipated that the balance relating to historic service underspends will be achieved over the remainder of the year with updates being provided in future reports. Management Actions 2.6 The Service continues to take a range of corrective management actions to ensure it manages cost pressures. This includes curtailment of non-essential spend and monitoring of vacancies. Change Management 2.7 The Service forecast to utilise £0.092m of the Council’s Change Management Fund mainly to support the litter bin strategy. A procurement exercise is currently underway and spend is fully expected this financial year. Costs within the Change Management Fund are not included in the Service outturn position. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The Service continues to operate within the approved budget resources 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 Objective Analysis Appendix 2 Subjective Analysis Appendix 3 Payments to Other Bodies Analysis Appendix 4 Status of Earmarked Reserves Appendix 5 Challenging Savings Andrew McPherson Depute Chief Executive Page 174 of 322
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The Service continues to curtail non-essential expenditure and take management action to minimise the impact of cost pressures on the Council’s overall financial position. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 175 of 322
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? All activities undertaken by the Council are subject to risk, and in acknowledging the Council’s approved Risk Management Strategy, Services managed these as part of their overall corporate and service planning processes. The current economic climate, in particular, has the potential to impact upon the Council’s ability to provide quality services within the approved budget levels. To reduce other financial risks, this report was prepared by service based Finance personnel in consultation with budget managers, in accordance with the Financial Regulations. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. Page 176 of 322
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5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 177 of 322
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APPENDIX 1 DIVISION OF SERVICE ANNUAL BUDGET PROJECTED OUT-TURN % PERIOD MOVEMENT SINCE ANALYSIS P4 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] £ £ £ Assets & Procurement 37,569,400 37,569,400 0 0.0% (0) Vacancy savings offset by increased external advisor costs and income from the legacy estate Community Operations 148,054,061 148,499,212 (445,151) (0.3%) (445,152) Under recovery in Leisure membership, overspends in Fleet due to difficulties in recruitment, and outsourcing maintenance of larger vehicles as a result of delays in moving to new depot partially offset by saving in vacancies and catering grant received in advance of need and underspend in consumables/admin as a result of changes in the disposables require for School Meals Housing Management 5,613,776 5,519,518 94,258 1.7% 94,258 Staff vacancies Place 11,147,312 10,477,994 669,318 6.0% 669,318 Staff vacancies Trading (462,202) (143,778) (318,424) 68.9% (318,424) Under-recovery of trade waste uplift income. NET EXPENDITURE 201,922,347 201,922,347 0 0.0% 0 NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report - Objective Analysis Period 6 (01 April - 13 September 2024) Enterprise & Communities PROJECTED OUT- TURN VARIANCE Page 178 of 322
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APPENDIX 2 [1] [2] [3] [5] [6] [7] £ £ £ £ EMPLOYEE COSTS 124,361,323 122,206,232 2,155,091 FAV 1.7% 105,402 Vacancy savings partly offset by increased overtime and turnover PROPERTY COSTS 58,097,648 58,162,435 (64,787) ADV (0.1%) (50,093) Overspend on utility costs partly offset by reduced tipping fees. SUPPLIES & SERVICES 24,496,040 24,702,911 (206,871) ADV (0.8%) (210,294) Overspend on ICT costs and food provisions. TRANSPORT & PLANT 6,914,230 7,299,640 (385,411) ADV (5.6%) 39,690 Additional costs of outsourced Fleet work prior to the completion of the new depot facility ADMINISTRATION COSTS 16,110,919 15,731,440 379,479 FAV 2.4% 38,964 Grant received in advance of need, partly offset by increased external advisor costs as a result of vacancies. PAYMENTS TO OTHER BODIES 20,094,825 20,589,817 (494,992) ADV (2.5%) (91,289) See Appendix 3 TRANSFER PAYMENTS 25,122 25,122 0 0.0% 0 Balanced budget CAPITAL FINANCING COSTS 60,182,957 60,182,592 365 FAV 0.0% 365 Minor underspend. OTHER EXPENDITURE 6,708,624 6,506,660 201,963 FAV 3.0% 123,702 Various minor underspends. TOTAL EXPENDITURE 316,991,687 315,406,850 1,584,837 FAV 0.5% (43,553) INCOME 115,069,340 113,484,501 (1,584,839) AVD (1.4%) 43,553 Under recovery of membership fees and site admissions within the Active and Creative Communities; under- recovery in community centre lets. NET EXPENDITURE 201,922,347 201,922,347 0 0.0% 0 NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report - Subjective Analysis Period 6 (01 April - 13 September 2024) Enterprise & Communities % ANALYSIS PERIOD MOVEMENT SINCE P4 CATEGORY ANNUAL BUDGET PROJECTED OUT-TURN PROJECTED OUT-TURN VARIANCE [4] Page 179 of 322
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APPENDIX 3 [1] [2] [3] [5] [6] [7] £ £ £ £ ROADS MAINTENANCE MAIN CONTRACTOR 12,837,359 12,837,359 0 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget BUSINESS SUPPORT GRANTS 1,896,978 1,890,019 6,959 FAV 0.4% 6,959 Minor variance. HOMELESS SUPPORT FEES 1,393,100 1,393,100 0 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget PAYMENTS TO OTHER BODIES - GENERAL 2,004,839 2,116,704 (111,865) ADV (5.6%) (31,915) Increased payments for parking service collection of income based on higher volumes of charges PAYMENTS TO CONTRACTORS - ROADS MAINT 955,638 993,909 (38,271) ADV (4.0%) (14,357) Minor Variance SUB-CONTRACTOR PAYMENTS 156,501 242,841 (86,340) ADV (55.2%) 0 Overspend in Environmental Health. AGENCY FEES 435,711 674,647 (238,936) ADV (54.8%) (51,975) Overspends in Asset Management, Waste and Fleet to cover current vacancies. PUBLIC ANALYST FEES 267,000 293,538 (26,538) ADV (9.9%) 0 Minor variance in Business Regulation. PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING GRANTS 147,699 147,699 0 0.0% 0 Balanced Budget TOTAL EXPENDITURE 20,094,825 20,589,817 (494,991) ADV (2.5%) (91,288) ANALYSIS [4] PERIOD MOVEMENT SINCE P4 NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report - Payments to Other Bodies Period 6 (01 April - 13 September 2024) Enterprise & Communities CATEGORY ANNUAL BUDGET PROJECTED OUT-TURN PROJECTED OUT- TURN VARIANCE % Page 180 of 322
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APPENDIX 4 Period 6 (01 April - 13 September 2024) Value % Dilapidations 588 0 588 259 588 100.0% 0 0 588 Costs associated with leased in property disinvestment Office Rationalisation 224 0 224 103 224 100.0% 0 0 224 Costs associated with Office closures and new energy mgt system Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Funding 38 37 75 0 38 50.5% 0 0 38 Consultancy spend for LHEES program Hybrid Working 60 0 60 60 60 100.0% 0 0 60 Costs associated with returning to office Mobilisation of Strategic Contracts - Property 1,244 0 1,244 129 1,244 100.0% 0 0 1,244 One off mobilisation costs Renewables 200 0 200 0 200 100.0% 0 0 200 Maintenance of renewable heating systems Electrical Testing 600 0 600 0 600 100.0% 0 0 600 Electrical testing programme Winter Reserve 1,500 0 1,500 0 1,500 100.0% 0 0 1,500 Contingency for significant winter event Private Sector Grants to Owner Occupiers 148 0 148 11 148 100.0% 0 0 148 Improvement grants Service Development - Cemeteries Bothies 250 0 250 0 250 100.0% 0 0 250 Funding for works in cemetery bothies; extra cleaning/ waste and plant hire due to covid. Bellshill Depot Eco hub 200 0 200 0 0 0.0% 200 0 0 Set up costs for Eco Hub Service Developments (fleet pressures) 1,041 0 1,041 908 1,041 100.0% 0 0 1,041 Contingency for increased fleet pressures - fuel, ext hires, agency staff and outsourcing Service Developments - Ash Dieback 896 0 896 0 896 100.0% 0 0 896 Works associated with removing ashdieback Greenspace Grants 83 190 273 0 83 30.4% 0 0 83 Grant carried forward Mobilisation of Strategic Contracts - Roads 933 0 933 597 900 96.5% 33 0 900 One off mobilisation costs Increased Usage of Country Parks 25 0 25 20 20 80.4% 0 5 20 Temporary Staffing costs Recover NL - Protective Services 49 75 124 14 49 39.3% 0 0 49 Environmental Improvements Active and Creative Grants 763 0 763 155 693 90.8% 70 0 693 Grant carried forward Rapid Rehousing 47 586 632 47 47 7.4% 0 0 47 Rapid Rehousing programme to tackle homelessness Homelessness Surplus 0 995 995 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0 Increases in homelessness presentations HEEPS 0 591 591 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0 Energy Efficiency Schemes - contributions to current programme Business Growth 1,121 819 1,940 5 1,121 57.8% 0 0 1,121 Temporary Property costs as a result of capital programme LACER- Business Growth & Recovery 1,292 0 1,292 0 1,292 100.0% 0 0 1,292 Business Recovery Shared Prosperity Grant 1,753 0 1,753 722 1,753 100.0% 0 0 1,753 Grant carried forward Cumbernauld Town Centre Project 0 216 216 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0 Cumbernauld Town Centre Funding for future repairs Levelling Up Grant Coatbridge 50 0 50 50 50 100.0% 0 0 50 Grant carried forward Smith Stone - Roadworks (former capital receipt) 134 0 134 27 27 20.3% 107 0 27 Roads works linked to former capital receipts Local Development Plan 77 210 287 0 77 26.8% 0 0 77 Set up cost to produce LDP Digital 1,222 0 1,222 1,222 1,222 100.0% 0 0 1,222 One off to cover digital balance Total 14,537 3,718 18,255 4,331 14,123 77% 410 5 14,123 Service Specific Earmarked Reserves: £000£000£000£000£000£000£000£000 Reserves Required In Year Commentary Regards UsageDESCRIPTION OF EARMARKED RESOURCE Reserve Allocation 2024/25 Profiled in Future Years Approved Reserve Total Spend to Date Projected Spend Reprofile to Future Years No Longer Required FINANCIAL YEAR - 2024/25 NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report - Status of Earmarked Reserves Enterprise & Communities Page 181 of 322
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APPENDIX 5 Period 6 (01 April - 13 September 2024) £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Savings 2021/2022 and 2022/23 EC10 Asset Management Rationalisation/Office Dis- investment. Assets & Procurement 800 576 224 Timing of Office Closures Ear Marked Reserve 224 0 EC37 Review of staffing within Business Intelligence and Strategic Resourcing team Community Operations 76 15 61 Delays in staff changes Vacancy savings 61 0 2024/25 Saving 0 72ECSC Charging for Recycling Bins Community Operations 210 175 35 Delays in implementing charges Vacancy savings 35 0 78ECSB Income Generation - Fleet Tachograph Community Operations 50 0 50 Delays in new Depot opening Ear Marked Reserve 50 0 0 TOTAL 1,136 766 370 370 0 DESCRIPTION OF APPROVED SAVING DIVISION Target Value Value Deliverable Reasons for Savings Gap NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report - Challeging Savings Enterprise & Communities DESCRIPTION Value Revised Savings Gap Commentary Savings Gap APPROVED SAVINGS REPLACEMENT SAVING / FUNDING Ref. Page 182 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref GT/VR Date 06/11/24 HRA Capital Monitoring Report – 1 April 2024 to 13 September 2024 From Andrew McPherson, Depute Chief Executive E-mail Telferg@northlan.gov.uk Telephone Greg Telfer, Business Finance Manager, 01698 302836 Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to review the progress towards agreed spending plans with the 2024/25 HRA capital programmes. The 2024/25 HRA mainstream capital programmes is expected to have an in year underspend of £4.000m. A request to reprofile expenditure to future years of the capital delivery programme will be considered by the Council’s Strategic Capital Delivery Group in accordance with its agreed Terms of Reference. The New Supply programme is projecting a full spend. Recommendations It is recommended that the Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledges the financial position of the 2024/25 HRA Capital Programmes. (2) Note the realignments to be considered by the Strategic Capital Delivery Group for the HRA Mainstream Capital Programme as set out in paragraphs 2.2 to 2.5 The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition statement (25) Ensure intelligent use of data and information to support fully evidence based decision making and future planning Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 10a Page 183 of 322
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1. Background Mainstream Working Programme 1.1 The Housing Committee on 14 February 2024 approved an outline mainstream programme for 2024/25 based on targeted expenditure of £73.825m. The programme will be funded as follows: £000 Prudential Borrowing 51,695 Capital Funded from Current Revenue (CFCR) 15,419 Total projected resources 67,114 Slippage allowance 6,711 Working Programme 73,825 New Build Programme 1.2 The 2024/25 working programme for new build is £34.541m, with 281 completions expected for the year and is funded as follows: £000 Prudential Borrowing 19,925 Capital Funded from Current Revenue (CFCR) 4,670 Scottish Government Grant 10,946 Total projected resources 35,541 Council Buy Back Schemes 1.3 As part of the 2024/25 Revenue Estimates, the budget provided for the continuation of both the Council’s Empty Homes Purchase Scheme (EHPS) and the Open Market Purchase Scheme (OMPS). This will allow approximately 100 properties to be brought back into Council use. 1.4 In addition to the EHPS and OMPS, the Mortgage to Rent scheme (MTR) was also added to the overall Council Buy Back scheme and is anticipating an additional 10 properties to be brought back into council use in 2024/25. 1.5 Funding requirements for 2024/25 for the Council Buy Back Scheme is made up as follows: £000 Prudential Borrowing 8,130 Scottish Government Grant Subsidy Income 4,000 506 Total projected resources 12,636 2. Report 2.1 The projected financial performance of the HRA Capital Programmes to 31 March 2025 is summarised below with further detail provided in appendix 1 for HRA mainstream programme and appendix 2 for the newbuild and buy back programmes. Page 184 of 322
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Mainstream 2.2 Following an assessment of projected spend requirements for 2024/25 during a mid- year review of budgets, the service has identified a number of reprofiling requirements to reflect programme delivery. These will be considered by the Council’s Strategic Capital Delivery Group in accordance with its Terms of Reference. 2.3 After reviewing the budget requirements for 2024/25, it is anticipated that an overall reduction in the projected spend for 2024/25 is expected. This is due to a variety of reasons including: lower than identified requirements for Kitchens and Bathrooms to be renewed at void stage; a reduction in the amount of heating systems being replaced at void stage; the reduced requirement for ICT systems replacement within the current year; and the delay in works across two demolition sites due to unforeseen structural issues. In the current financial year, this has been partially offset by additional works accelerated within the programme where possible. 2.4 The overall impact has resulted in the proposed re-profiling of £4.000m of expenditure into 2025/26 as detailed in the table below. 2.5 The reprofiling of the HRA mainstream capital programme is due to be considered by the Council’s Strategic Capital Delivery Group. If approved the budget will be adjusted for future reports. Page 185 of 322
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New Build 2.6 The New Build programme is currently projected to fully spend in 2024/25. As at period 6, £35.541m is legally committed (100% of the targeted spend) with £13.676m spent (32%). 2.7 There are currently five projects on site at Castlehill Road, Wishaw; Brandon Street, Motherwell; Downfield Road, Cumbernauld (off-the-shelf purchase); Gartferry Road, Chryston (off-the-shelf purchase); and Northburn Avenue Shop, Airdrie (Conversion). 2.8 Completion of 12 homes at Johnston Road, Gartcosh, 6 homes at Gartferry Road, Chryston, and 4 homes at Castlehill Road, Wishaw, took place during the period. 2.9 A retendering exercise is ongoing for the contract at Laburnum Road, Viewpark, to demonstrate value for money. 2.10 To date, 1,512 new build homes have been completed as part of the Council’s ambitious new supply programme of 5,000 new homes. Currently, 118 homes are under construction, with a total of 281 homes expected to complete during 2024/25, against a target of 268 homes. 2.11 Sites have been identified and approved at Committee for a further 1,142 homes across 32 sites, with site investigations, title checks and design development on these sites progressing. 2.12 At the Housing Committee on 28 August, the following sites were added to the new supply programme: Anvil Block, Main Street, Wishaw; Marnoch, Glenboig; and Hattonrigg Road, Bellshill. The following sites were removed from the new supply programme as they were no longer deemed viable to progress: Windmillhill Street, Motherwell; Airdriehill Street, Airdrie; Gibb Street, Chapelhall; and Mitchell Street, Coatbridge. 2.13 The Council has appointed contractors and consultants who are progressing layouts and designs for several sites, with site investigations underway. Council Buy Back Scheme 2.14 As at period 6, the programme is projected to fully spend between the Council buy back schemes, £11.767m attributable to EHPS and OMPS and £0.845m to the MTR scheme. Currently £6.931m (55%) of targeted spend is legally committed with £3.360m (27%) spent to date in total. This is funded by Prudential Borrowing, Scottish Government Funding and Subsidy Income. 2.15 To date, 30 properties have been brought back into use as affordable housing so far in 2024/25, with 100 properties expected to be acquired during this financial year. A Scottish Government grant contribution of £1.975m has been secured for 2024/25. 2.16 The final cost of borrowing will equate to a potential drawdown of £0.441m in 2025/26 from the amounts set aside for “Our Ambition”. Page 186 of 322
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3. Measures of success 3.1 The successful delivery of the HRA capital programmes, providing high quality housing stock. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 – 2024/25 HRA Capital Programme – Mainstream Budget Monitoring Period 6 Appendix 2 – 2024/25 HRA Capital Programme – New Build / Council Buy Back Scheme Budget Monitoring Period 6 Andrew McPherson Depute Chief Executive Page 187 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Financial impacts are outlined throughout the report. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Page 188 of 322
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Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? All activities undertaken by the Council are subject to risk, and in acknowledging the Council’s approved Risk Management Strategy, Services managed these as part of their overall corporate and service planning processes. The current economic climate, in particular, has the potential to impact upon the Council’s ability to provide quality services within the approved budget levels. To reduce other financial risks, this report was prepared by service based Finance personnel in consultation with budget managers, in accordance with the Financial Regulations 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 189 of 322
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Appendix 1 Page 190 of 322
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Appendix 2 Page 191 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref GT/JM Date 06/11/24 Enterprise and Communities – Capital Monitoring Report From Andrew McPherson, Depute Chief Executive E-mail telferg@northlan.gov.uk Telephone Greg Telfer, Business Finance Manager, 07583 010692 Executive Summary This report highlights the financial performance of 2024/25 Enterprise and Communities capital programme for the period ended 13 September 2024 (Period 6). In summary the Service has a total capital budget of £137.634m. At this stage in the financial year the Service expects expenditure to be £11.955m lower than current programme. Further explanation of project variances and management action taken by the Service is included within the main report and attached appendices. Recommendations It is recommended that the Committee: (1) Acknowledges the financial position of the 2024/25 Enterprise and Communities capital programme. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (25) Ensure intelligent use of data and information to support fully evidence based decision making and future planning Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 10b Page 193 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 Financial year 2024/25 is the first year of the 5 year capital programme which was approved by the Policy and Strategy Committee on 14 March 2024. 1.2 The Enterprise and Communities 2024/25 capital programme of £112.803m was approved by the Policy and Strategy Committee on 14 March 2024. The programme has since been increased by £15.765m relating to carry forwards from 2023/24 and increased external funding £10.147m. Reprofiling of £1.539m to future years and acceleration of £0.458m from future years was approved at the Council’s Strategic Capital Delivery Group (SCDG) in June 2024. This results in a revised working capital budget of £137.634m. 1.3 The Council’s approved Financial Regulations requires services to remain within their approved budgetary provision, and to report all significant deviations – defined as the higher of £0.100m or 5% - within their budget monitoring reports. Where significant deviations were identified, services must provide explanatory commentary, outline the action required to rectify such deviations and where relevant, must also highlight the impact this has on other budget headings. 2. Report 2.1 At this stage in the financial year the Service expects expenditure to be £11.955m lower than current programme. Given delivery challenges in the capital programme, the Service continues to review the potential to accelerate the profile of already planned works and will report this in future reports. Capital budgets and expenditure are summarised into Project/Themes (see Appendix 1). Assets and Procurement (£1.616m less than budget) 2.2 Within Assets and Procurement works have been accelerated within the Office Reconfiguration Theme (£0.814m) to support the needs of services. There are emerging issues within the Time Capsule’s water sports facility and lifts maintenance requirements which have resulted in forecast additional costs of £0.859m this financial year. The Service is working with tender returns to consider the package of works required and timing of their completion. A virement will be requested through the SCDG to resolve the funding for these works. There have also been cost increases experienced on a major rewire project within Maintaining Existing assets (£0.819m) mainly linked to additional asbestos removal works. This has been offset by an underspend on roofing works and the reprfol;ing of the timing of other works into next financial year. Within Sustainable Estates there has been additional unforeseen drainage works required for two modular accommodation projects resulting in increased costs of £0.223m. There have also been increased costs experienced to finalise the Heathery Park nursey project (£0.300m). It is also anticipated that it will now be possible to accelerate demolition works resulting in an in year variance of £0.469m. The Service will manage these increased budget requirements through their overall 5 year allocation. The appointed contractor for delivery of the redevelopment works at the Edward Lawson Centre has gone into administration meaning there has been a pause on the works on the site. While the service is looking to implement solutions for the completion of the works, the programme timescales will shift into the new financial year. Page 194 of 322
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Within the Town and Community Hub Theme in year expenditure on the St Kevin’s Community Hub project is now expected to be £4.417m lower than budget due to a timing delay in financial close as a result of pollution control issues which have now been resolved. Community Operations (£4.175m less than budget) 2.3 Within Community Operations the Service is undertaking an ongoing review of the Council’s vehicle requirements including the timing of delivery of new vehicles. As a result, an in year variance of £3.227m is projected at this stage in the financial year. The Service is actively considering other purchases that can be ordered and delivered this financial year in order to reduce the reliance on costs external hires. Within the overall projected outturn there is a forecast for £1.500m for mini bus purchases to be delivered by March 2025. However, until this tender return has been finalised there is a risk that the market will not be able to fulfil this order date. Due to the delay in commencing the new Roads and Infrastructure contract an underspend of £1.000m is currently anticipated for the LED Infrastructure project. Engagement with the new Roads and Infrastructure provider are ongoing to establish delivery timescales. Place (£6.164m less than budget) 2.4 Following approval of the programme realignment by the City Deal Cabinet in August 2024, the project team has reviewed programme activity and delivery in the current financial year. The current projections reflect the realigned programme and are reflective of their latest estimates of deliverability during 2024/25. The position will be managed over the length of the programme with the Service seeking consideration to reprofile the budget at an upcoming meeting of SCDG. 2.5 It is also worth noting that with continuing increases in the cost of delivering capital programmes all service areas continue to face significant challenges managing the delivery of capital programmes within the available envelope of resources. The Service will continue to seek to manage within existing resources. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The Service aim is to be in a balanced budget position at financial year-end and will take current reprofile requests to Committee. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 Summary Expenditure by Project/Theme Andrew McPherson Depute Chief Executive Page 195 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The Service aims to operate within approved funding levels and utilise budget virements to support emerging issues and mitigate variances across budget heads. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 196 of 322
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? All activities undertaken by the Council are subject to risk, and in acknowledging the Council’s approved Risk Management Strategy, Services managed these as part of their overall corporate and service planning processes. The current economic climate, in particular, has the potential to impact upon the Council’s ability to provide quality services within approved budget levels. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Page 197 of 322
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If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 198 of 322
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Appendix 1 Enterprise & Communities Capital Programme 2024/25 Theme Expenditure Summary 1st April 2024 - 13th September 2024 (PERIOD 6) Thematic Category Revised Budget £ Actual £ Committed £ Uncommitted £ Projected Outturn £ Outturn variance £ ASSET & PROCUREMENT Maintaining Existing Assets - windows, re- roofing, re-wiring and condition survey works for the Council's building assets 5,646,592 3,023,986 4,890,016 1,734,077 6,624,092 (977,500) Carbon Management 1,864,017 58,268 1,432,548 431,469 1,864,017 0 Office Rationalisation 937,312 932,627 1,600,589 150,000 1,750,589 (813,277) Health & Wellbeing & Digital Classrooms 154,494 0 150,000 0 150,000 4,494 Rationalisation including ASN & Social Work 4,662,868 1,425,043 3,224,666 1,442,695 4,667,361 (4,493) Curriculum Development 462,684 164,248 256,369 206,315 462,684 0 Sustainable Estate 1,356,117 841,195 1,500,579 78,226 1,578,805 (222,688) Outdoor Education and Outdoor Spaces 3,234,060 111,675 3,313,936 0 3,313,936 (79,876) Future Capital Receipts Investments 531,729 167,184 495,600 0 495,600 36,129 Design Fees 1,699,987 771,325 1,671,285 0 1,671,285 28,702 1140 Early Learning and Childcare Expansion 668,640 514,138 968,640 0 968,640 (300,000) Water Quality 92,496 46,324 51,428 41,068 92,496 0 Demolitions 413,001 188,325 314,650 567,576 882,227 (469,226) TOTAL ASSET & PROCUREMENT 21,723,997 8,244,338 19,870,306 4,651,426 24,521,731 (2,797,735) TOWN AND COMMUNITY HUBS Town and Community Hubs 43,573,724 11,331,834 26,319,234 12,840,751 39,159,985 4,413,739 TOTAL TOWN AND COMMUNITY HUBS 43,573,724 11,331,834 26,319,234 12,840,751 39,159,985 4,413,739 COMMUNITY OPERATIONS Operational and Infrastructure Development 12,761,834 1,812,768 6,683,874 2,903,035 9,586,909 3,174,925 Greenspace and Cemeteries 5,175,045 266,486 3,863,072 1,248,004 5,111,076 63,969 Greenspace Climate Resilience and Wellbeing 1,014,982 345,928 590,079 424,903 1,014,982 0 Parks Master Plan (including Strathclyde Park Watersports Centre Redevelopment) 3,406,521 147,036 267,219 3,203,271 3,470,490 (63,969) Roads and Street Lighting/Asset Mgt 12,786,575 2,783,003 7,758,975 4,027,600 11,786,575 1,000,000 Contaminated Land and Resilience 581,223 170,396 218,791 362,432 581,223 0 TOTAL COMMUNITY OPERATIONS 35,726,180 5,525,618 19,382,010 12,169,245 31,551,254 4,174,925 PLACE Economic Regeneration 9,203,842 3,911,398 5,906,306 3,160,485 9,066,791 137,051 City Deal 15,316,247 3,572,384 5,766,006 3,523,247 9,289,253 6,026,994 Enterprise Projects 1,652,827 175,307 598,142 1,054,685 1,652,827 0 Infrastructure & Transportation Improvements 10,437,594 2,727,957 7,193,056 3,244,539 10,437,595 0 TOTAL PLACE 36,610,510 10,387,045 19,463,510 10,982,956 30,446,465 6,164,045 TOTAL ENTERPRISE & COMMUNITIES 137,634,411 35,488,836 85,035,059 40,644,377 125,679,436 11,954,974 YTD OUTTURN Page 199 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref SL / GT Date 06/11/24 Housing Revenue Account – 2025/26 Revenue Estimates From Elaine Kemp, Chief Officer (Finance) E-mail kempe@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 01698 302408 1. Background 1.1 Income and expenditure in relation to a local authority’s own direct provision of housing must be recorded within a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) as set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. In addition, this Act sets out the requirement for local authorities Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to present to Committee information that will enable the Council to set its Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and rent levels for 2025/26 and provide a Revenue Budget position for financial years 2026/27 and 2027/28. The HRA Medium Term Financial Plan was presented to the Housing Committee in August 2024 and highlighted an envisaged budget gap in 2025/26 of £6.953m. The forecast position has now been updated to reflect changes in planning assumptions which has resulted in a very small net change to the forecast position with the budget gap for 2025/26 now expected to be £7.035m. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledges the key movements in the financial planning assumptions, (2) Recognises the subsequent impact on the budget gap, summarised at paragraph 2.4.6 (3) Considers the HRA reserve balances as detailed in paragraphs 2.5 to 2.7, and (4) Agrees to review the financial assumptions contained in this report at the Council meeting in December 2024 to approve the HRA Revenue Estimates and rent levels for 2025/26. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition statement (25) Ensure intelligent use of data and information to support fully evidence based decision making and future planning Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 11 Page 201 of 322
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to set an annual budget to support sound financial management and helps ensure that expenditure is linked to the key priorities of tenants. 1.2 North Lanarkshire is Scotland’s largest local authority landlord, with a housing stock of approximately 36,000. The number has reduced marginally over the last year reflecting the impact of tower re-provisioning, partially offset by additions to the stock through the Council’s new supply programme and buy back schemes. 1.3 The Council approved its 2024/25 HRA budget of £174m on 21 December 2023 with £161m (92%) funded by rental income from tenants. 1.4 The average 2024/25 weekly rent in North Lanarkshire of £86.45 is the 14th lowest amongst Scottish local authority landlords and 1% below the Scottish local authority average. 1.5 Committee has received regular updates on the progress of delivering the Council’s ambitious plans for housing through the Programme of Work and specifically the Transforming Places theme with a renewed focus on transforming town centres and communities, creating places with high-quality homes and vibrant town centres. 1.6 Significant progress to date includes: • Completion of 1,490 new build homes with a further 140 on site. Sites have been identified and are at various stages of progression for a further 1,203 homes, • Expansion of the buy back scheme with 777 homes purchased through the Council Buy Back Schemes at 16 August 2024, • The approval, development and ongoing delivery of plans for investment and re- provisioning of the Council’s tower properties, • Approval of a 5 year mainstream capital programme from 2021/22 to 2025/26 that aims to deliver £315m of investment in the Council’s housing stock; greater than 20% increase from the previous 5 year planning period. 30-year Business Plan 1.7 The 30-year Business Plan included as part of the 2025/26 budget setting process is shown in Appendix 3. Finance has worked closely with Housing and the New Supply Team to confirm future investment targets to support the development and refinement of financial modelling. The 30-year Business Plan continues to demonstrate affordability and sustainability of plans based on current assumptions. Housing Benefit / Universal Credit 1.8 During the mid point of the current financial year, North Lanarkshire had over 25,000 tenants in receipt of some form of support for their housing costs, representing 71% of tenants. 43% of tenants are now in receipt of the housing cost element of Universal Credit and a further 28% are in receipt of Housing Benefit. 1.9 A rent increase would result in some tenants receiving more Housing Benefit and some existing non-claimants becoming entitled to Housing Benefit. However, unless their circumstances change, most tenants will be liable for the same contribution towards their rent, with Housing Benefit making up the difference. 1.10 Tenants currently entitled to the full housing cost element of Universal Credit would have their Universal Credit payment uplifted to reflect any rent increases up to the Local Housing Allowance cap. Page 202 of 322
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1.11 As part of the 2024/25 Revenue Estimates the Council established a recurring Rent Assistance Fund of £1m. This has gone a long way to ensure the Council maintains a stable position for rent arrears by providing support to existing tenants to prevent them falling into arrears. The arrears balance for current tenants has remained largely unchanged throughout the current financial year where other landlords are experiencing significant increases in current tenant arrears. 2. Report HRA Revenue Estimates 2025/26 2.2 Appendix 1 provides the updated Revenue Estimates position for 2025/26. Adjusted 2024/25 Budget 2.3 The starting point for determining the HRA revenue budget for 2025/26 is the 2024/25 budget of £174.169m. Expenditure Budget 2025/26 2.4 The 2025/26 revised base budget has been adjusted to reflect the planning assumptions detailed in the HRA Medium Term Plan 2025/26 to 2029/30 as presented to the Housing Committee in August 2024. As highlighted in the MTFP, a small change in the key assumptions can have a significant impact. Therefore, the planning assumptions have been revised and where changes have been made these are presented below. 2.4.1 An additional cost pressure of £0.353m for Employee related costs has been included since the MTFP. This movement allows for a re-baseline of the 2024/25 employee costs budget (£0.280m) following the most recent Pay Award negotiations between Trade Unions and COSLA. It is known that this latest pay offer has been rejected by one of the main Trade Unions and there remains uncertainty over the final pay deal. Therefore any shortfall in provision will be taken into account within the 2025/26 MTFP. In addition, the cost pressure now includes provision to rectify shortfalls for incremental payments to staff in line with the current pay and grading model as well as recognising a minor change to pension costs as a result of the amended pay award assumption. 2.4.2 The provision for the Repairs contract inflation has reduced by £3.322m in line with the BCIS indexation forecast of 2.3%. At the time of writing the MTFP the forecast was 8% and continues to be subject to change again between now and the new financial year. As in previous years however, the increases applied to the Repairs contract will remain under close monitoring with cost pressures managed where possible and burdens built into future planning assumptions. 2.4.3 Borrowing Costs are forecast to be significantly higher than previously anticipated within the MTFP with an addition £1.903m now included in the revenue estimates with interest rates falling at a slower rate than previously anticipated. This increase reflects the General Fund’s forecast for borrowing rates of 4.85%. 2.4.4 General Contract Inflation has increased by £0.192m following a further review of the contracts in place within the HRA with further provision added for Care of Gardens and factoring arrangements on new build sites. Page 203 of 322
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2.4.5 Other Costs shows an increase of £0.188m since the MTFP reflecting an updated review of the current year’s projected outturn which identified some minor cost pressures that can no longer be managed within existing budget provision. 2.4.5 Base Budget Reductions are considered each year to ensure that the HRA continues to direct its resources towards key priorities. The revenue estimates recognises the removal of the anticipated First Stop Shop Saving which is now subject to further review (£0.216m). Further to this, assumptions around potential additional rental income through changes in stock has been adjusted as a result of the phasing of the Tower Strategy and impact on nil rented voids (£0.552m). This leaves a base budget adjustment of £1.050m from a reduction in energy budgets (£0.550m) and from expected credit losses (£.500m) as per the MTFP. 2.4.6 The combined impact of these cost pressures and partially offsetting savings is a budget gap of £7.035m. This can be summarised as follows: Use of Surplus Balances 2.5 As part of its long-term HRA budget strategy, it is the Council’s policy to set aside approximately 1% of the HRA budget as a core reserve. As a result, the anticipated core reserve currently stands at £1.742m. Based on the anticipated revenue budget required for 2025/26 it is anticipated that reserve will increase to £1.812m. 2.6 Based on the most recent revenue budget monitoring position, the projected HRA reserves position at 31 March 2025 can be summarised as follows: £m Earmarked Reserves 8.415 Core Contingency Reserve 1.742 Held for risks and uncertainties to support future budget challenges 3.402 Projected at March 2025 13.560 Table 2 – HRA Projected Reserves 2.7 Elected Members are reminded of the Council’s Reserves Policy approved at Policy and Strategy Committee in January 2020 which aims to ensure that available balances are managed and utilised in accordance with effective governance principles and continue to support financial plans which are affordable and sustainable. 2026/27 and 2027/28 Revenue Budget 2.8 Appendix 2 provides a reminder of the anticipated budget shortfalls forecast for 2026/27 and 2027/28 along with the updated 2025/26 position. This illustrates the longer term financial position of the HRA. At this stage no changes have been made to the future £m Cost Pressures 8.085 Base Budget Reductions (1.050) Budget Gap 7.035 Table 1 - HRA Budget Gap Page 204 of 322
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year assumptions. Decisions taken for 2025/26 will be baselined as part of the next iteration of the MTFP. Areas of Risk and Uncertainty 2.9 As always, in preparing the Revenue Estimates there is a level of risk and uncertainty around the forecasts and assumptions made, this is evident from the movements highlighted since the MTFP. The financial impact therefore remains under continuous review with any unbudgeted pressures arising, being managed where possible through in year management action or the use of reserves held for risks and uncertainties to support future budget challenges with the recurring impact addressed in future MTFPs. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The Council is required to set a balanced budget for the Housing Revenue Account with expenditure plans fully funded by income, largely from housing rents. 3.2 The setting of an annual budget and thereafter monitoring the budget ensures that tenants can have confidence that the Council and its officers are accountable for the spending decisions they make. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 Revenue Estimates 2025/26 Appendix 2 3-Year Revenue Budget Forecast Appendix 3 30-year Business Plan Summary Elaine Kemp Chief Officer (Finance) Page 205 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The HRA budget for 2025/26 will ensure that the Council can continue to provide a highly effective and responsive housing management service for all tenants and improve the health and wellbeing and economic outcomes of communities through the delivery of significant additional capital investment in high quality and affordable social housing. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The financial implications of the 2025/26 Revenue Estimates are outlined throughout the report. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 206 of 322
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If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? All activities undertaken by the council are subject to risk, and in acknowledging the Council’s approved Risk Management Strategy (September 2012), Services manage these as part of their overall corporate and service planning process. The current economic climate, in particular, has the potential to impact upon the Council’s ability to provide quality services within approved budget levels. The Government’s proposals for welfare reform include a number of changes to the housing benefit system which present significant financial risks to the HRA, including increasing rent arrears and cash collection costs, combined with lower levels of rental income. These risks are increased by the current cost-of-living crisis. These risks will be closely monitored throughout 2025/26 through the Council’s Financial Sustainability risk. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Page 207 of 322
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Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 208 of 322
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Appendix 1 Housing Revenue Accounts Revenue Estimates 2025/26 £m £m 2024/25 Revenue Budget 174.169 Net Expenditure Requirements Employee Costs - Pay Award 2024/25 0.280 Pay Award 2025/26 0.496 Other Empoyee Costs 0.218 Repairs Contract Inflation 1.409 General Contract Inflation 0.294 Borrowing Costs 5.062 Other Costs 0.326 8.085 Base Budget Reductions Energy Costs (0.550) Expected Credit losses (0.500) (1.050) Expenditure Budget 2025/26 181.204 Available Resources Rent Income 160.485 Other Income 13.684 174.169 Recurring Budget Shortfall 7.035 Page 209 of 322
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Appendix 2 Housing Revenue Account 3-Year Budget Position Forecast 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £m £m £m Budget Gap per MTFP 6.953 12.928 9.075 Additional Employee Costs 0.353 Reduced Repairs Contract Inflation (3.322) Increased Borrowing Costs 1.903 General Contract Inflation 0.192 Other Movements 0.188 Remove FSS Review 0.216 Reduced Income 0.552 Revised Budget Gap 7.035 12.928 9.075 Page 210 of 322
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Appendix 3 30 Year Business Plan Summary 30 Year Year 2025/30 2030/35 2035/40 2040/45 2045/50 2050/55 Totals Average Mainstream Housing Stock 34,377 34,183 34,062 33,663 33,145 32,807 New Build Housing Stock 2,032 2,780 3,339 3,639 3,639 3,529 Average Housing stock 36,409 36,963 37,401 37,302 36,784 36,336 Capital Investment Prudential borrowing 722,466 883,362 965,565 850,123 613,827 576,917 4,612,260 Other receipts / Government Grants 85,200 85,200 80,115 0 0 0 250,515 Sub total 807,666 968,562 1,045,680 850,123 613,827 576,917 4,862,775 CFCR 100,445 100,445 100,445 100,445 100,445 100,445 602,670 Total resources 908,111 1,069,007 1,146,125 950,568 714,272 677,362 5,465,445 Loan Analysis Opening debt 571,876 1,200,199 1,906,828 2,580,090 3,034,932 3,122,795 Prudential borrowing 722,466 883,362 965,565 850,123 613,827 576,917 Principal repayment - historic debt 51,654 62,434 75,517 51,354 30,400 9,699 Principal repayment - new borrowing 42,490 114,299 216,786 343,927 495,564 656,838 Closing debt 1,200,199 1,906,828 2,580,090 3,034,932 3,122,795 3,033,175 Per house (£) - Closing Stock 32,964 51,587 68,985 81,362 84,897 83,475 Housing Revenue Account Loan Charges 289,259 507,753 809,392 1,085,969 1,341,955 1,602,873 5,637,201 Other Costs 722,448 803,844 894,893 994,940 1,104,813 1,105,877 5,626,816 Other income (67,275) (67,275) (67,275) (67,275) (67,275) (67,275) (403,650) Balance to be financed by rents 944,432 1,244,322 1,637,010 2,013,634 2,379,493 2,641,475 10,860,366 Average weekly rent (£) 98.89 129.28 167.13 206.42 248.72 279.19 Rental Income 944,433 1,244,321 1,637,012 2,013,635 2,379,495 2,641,474 10,860,369 Capital charges as a % of rent income 30.63% 40.81% 49.44% 53.93% 56.40% 60.68% Page 211 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref SL Date 06/11/24 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Housing From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail LlewellynS@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939 280680 Executive Summary The housing service covers the management of all housing provider related functions including housing repairs and investment, rent management, void management, tenancy management, tenant satisfaction and homeless related services. Performance in each of these areas is monitored through various statutory returns, including the Annual Return on the Charter (ARC), the Scottish Government Housing Annual Statistical Return (HSAR) and the Scottish Government Homeless returns (HL1) as well as service and contractual KPI’s. The service has a robust performance monitoring regime where performance is reviewed on an ongoing basis and formally on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. As we are members of the Scottish Housing Network we regularly engage in benchmarking and practice sharing between other Scottish landlords. The purpose of this report is to highlight the 2023/24 year end performance and the 2024/25 year to date performance of the Housing service for the performance indicators detailed at Appendix 1. Recommendations It is recommended that the Housing Committee: (1) Review the high-level performance overview presented in Appendix 1, and the supporting data contained within the linked Excel spreadsheet and identify where further information is required to understand or investigate performance further. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement All ambition statements Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 12 Page 213 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 There are six inter-related strategic frameworks which are key to evaluating the success of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and assessing delivery towards achieving the overall vision by ensuring each stage is appropriately aligned, planned, guided, implemented, monitored, and governed. 1.2 The six frameworks focus on ensuring a corporate one council approach in respect of Policy, Governance, Performance, Self-Evaluation, Project Management, and Demonstrating Improved Outcomes for Communities. 1.3 The Strategic Performance Framework comprises performance measurement at three levels (as per the diagram on the right). This aims to collectively provide an overview of performance to help understand the impact of council activities on improving services and outcomes for the people and communities of North Lanarkshire. The measures in this Framework allow for day to day activities, and progress towards achieving the long-term vision set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire, to be regularly monitored, reported, assessed, and scrutinised. 1.4 The Strategic Performance Framework is aligned to the Accounts Commission’ Statutory Direction which places a requirement on councils to report a range of information in terms of (1) improving local services and outcomes, and (2) demonstrating Best Value. Key points of note in this respect are that the Accounts Commission also expect to see: (a) A balance in terms of reporting that captures highlights of good performance as well as areas of performance requiring improvement. (b) Reporting that is undertaken in a timely manner. (c) Easy access to performance information for all citizens and communities. (d) Comparisons of performance (i) over time (e.g. compared to previous years), and (ii) with others (e.g. other local authorities or the national average (where available and appropriate). The council’s comparative performance in Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) indicators can be viewed through the Improvement Service’s online dashboard: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/benchmarking/explore-the-data 1.5 A Performance Reporting Schedule supports the timely submission of a range of performance information to ensure fully informed review, reporting, scrutiny, and decision making processes by Elected Members and senior management. This Schedule, endorsed by the Audit and Scrutiny Panel in February 2024, includes Chief Officer’s individual Performance Reviews at Service Committees in line with the Strategic Performance Framework. 1.6 This report therefore presents the Housing Committee with the latest performance results for Housing for Members’ further review and scrutiny. 2. Strategic Performance Framework Housing Committee responsibilities 2.1 In line with the terms of reference outlined in the Scheme of Administration, the Housing Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing performance information for the Page 214 of 322
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following Ambition Statements from The Plan for North Lanarkshire. 1. Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth. 22. Facilitate a North Lanarkshire wide approach to asset rationalisation, including with communities and partners. 2.2 The high-level performance overview in Appendix 1 presents Members with a summary of the latest results for each performance indicator within the remit of the Chief Officer (Housing). 2.3 The information in Appendix 1 comprises the undernoted. Appendix 2 provides additional context in respect of the council’s approach to the measurement of indicators and setting of targets. • An ideal direction arrow - this indicates whether a higher or lower figure is the preferred direction of travel. • Measurement unit - for example whether the result is a %, a number, a unit cost (in £), or a ratio. • Performance results for the most recent financial years (depending on availability of data) along with the latest year’s target and corresponding RAG status (for indicators where it is appropriate to set targets). • The most recent monthly or quarterly results, along with the corresponding target and RAG status. Note the inclusion of this information is dependent on the measurement frequency of the indicator and availability of data as at the time of reporting. • A trend graph - this captures the direction of travel achieved over the years and includes the most recent monthly or quarterly results where available. • Comments - narrative summarising the current position and providing an explanation for any significant variations in performance. Where applicable, this narrative also highlights any internal or external factors impacting on service delivery as well as any residual effects of the pandemic, e.g. any increase or decrease in the volume of transactions or enquiries processed. 2.4 A large volume of data supports the high-level performance overview in Appendix 1. This is outlined in the latest performance results for Housing Excel spreadsheet which is available through the following link for Members to carry out a deep dive and review and scrutinise each performance indicator further. The Menu on the second tab of the spreadsheet contains built in hyperlinks that automatically take the user to a tab for each performance indicator and therefore provides a useful navigation aid to review the contents of the file. • Latest performance results for Housing.xlsx Current context 2.5 The financial pressures experienced by our tenants due to the rise in the cost of living is a priority for our service. The Rent Assistance Fund, introduced in February 2023, continues to help council tenants who may be on low-incomes, and also others who may be on universal credit. The rent assistance fund seeks to ensure tenancy levels A higher figure is better A lower figure is better Key to RAG status Green Performance is on target and/or within acceptable thresholds Red Performance does not meet target and is outwith acceptable thresholds Blue Performance surpasses the target and exceeds expectations Page 215 of 322
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are maintained despite the challenges faced by cost of living increases. Our dedicated Income Maximisers who help support our tenants can also identify any additional financial assistance they might be entitled to. Last year the team secured over £18 million in additional income for our tenants and this assistance resulted in more positive outcomes for our tenants. Last year several Local Authorities declared housing emergencies in their areas in response to the pressures through increased levels of homelessness, rising property prices and high levels of temporary accommodation use. In May 2024 the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency formally recognising the housing problem. Whilst we have saw an increase in our homeless presentations, we continue to manage our services well and have not breached The Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order 2014 and do not utilise the B&B type accommodation that many local authority landlords rely on to provide temporary accommodation to those experiencing homelessness with a need for temporary accommodation. Despite the current housing climate our overall performance and tenant satisfaction levels remain high and compare well with the Scottish Local Authority (LA) average and the Scottish national average which includes performance from local authorities and Registered Social Landlords. Recent Performance highlights 2.6 Overall satisfaction levels in our 2023 survey increased by 5.4% to 86.6%, which is slightly higher than the Scottish national average of 86.5% and significantly higher than the LA average of 80.3%. Rent arrears continues to reduce, with a further drop of 0.3% to 7.0%, 2% below our 9% target and well below the 9.5% Scottish LA average and only slightly higher than the Scottish national average. Tenancy sustainment levels increased by a further 0.5% on the previous year at 91.5%, slightly higher than the Scottish national average of 91.2% and the Scottish LA average of 91.1% The percentage of homes meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard was 84.8% this is a rise of 4.4% on the 2022/23 figure and compares favorably to the Scottish national average of 84.4% and Local Authority average of 77.8%. Our time taken to complete emergency repairs was 2.8 hours on average compared to a Scottish average of 4.0 hours and the Scottish LA average of 4.3 hours. Year to date as of August 2024 there has been a further improvement on this timescale at 2.4 hours. Whilst our time taken to complete non-emergency repairs was 6.8 days compared to the Scottish national average of 9 days and the Scottish LA average of 10 days. This good performance has been maintained year to date as of August 2024 at 6.86 days. Areas of performance requiring improvement 2.7 95.9% of cases of anti-social behaviour reported in the last year were resolved at the year end and within the targets agreed locally. This compares favorably with the Scottish national average of 94.3% and the Scottish LA average of 90.9%. The remaining 4.1% of cases were carried forward to the following year and resolved within locally agreed targets in 2024/25. We therefore performed at 100% compliance for the targets agreed for the service. Due to the nature and calculation method of this statutory Page 216 of 322
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indicator there will always be several cases outstanding at year end, and we have asked the Scottish Housing regulator to change the indicator to include the cases carried forward into the next year within the calculation, thus providing a more meaningful measure. There is a consultation exercise currently underway, and this indicator has been confirmed as one of the indicators under review by the Scottish Housing Regulator. Our average days to re-let homes increased by 2.7 days to 35 days during the year, mainly due to the supply and workforce shortages being experienced by our contractors and multiple refusal from prospective tenants. However, we performed well when compared to the Scottish average of 56.7 days and the Scottish LA average of 72.6 days. Year to date as of August 2024 the performance has improved at 31.9 days. A further end to end service review was carried out in August 2024 and a number of recommendations are being taken forward including the roll out of training for staff. In addition, our housing and repairs teams are working together and liaising closely with our new contractor to improve these timescales. For 2023/24 the Council were the 3rd top performing Local Authority in Scotland for void turnaround timescales and in addition our void standard including decoration is higher than most other councils. Next steps 2.8 As noted in paragraph 1.5, the Strategic Performance Framework is supported by a Performance Reporting Schedule. This sets out the arrangements for service, statutory, and Strategic Performance Framework reporting to committee. In this respect the relevant Committee can expect to receive the following in respect of Housing areas of work for 2024 to 2025. Report Description Committee Committee cycle Scottish Housing Regulator: annual landlord report This report presents the annual landlord report published by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) which shows Scotland’s social landlords’ performance for both Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s) against the Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC). • Latest report in November 2023: link to report Housing Committee Cycle 4 in 2024 Scottish Housing Regulator: Annual Assurance Statement Since April 2019, Social Landlords in Scotland are required to advise the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) if they meet the regulatory standards and requirements by submitting an Annual Assurance Statement between April and October each year. Each landlord should confirm in its Statement its level of compliance with all of the relevant requirements at section 3 of the Regulatory Framework. The SHR assesses each Statement as part of their regulatory risk assessment and publishes an engagement plan for each landlord. From March 2021, RSL engagement plans include a regulatory status which is the SHR judgment on whether the RSL complies with regulatory standards and requirements. • Latest report in August 2024: link to report Housing Committee Cycle 3 in 2025 Page 217 of 322
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Annual housing / Scottish Social Housing Charter performance report The annual performance report to tenants is designed to keep tenants, service users, and other customers informed of council performance and how the council is progressing towards meeting the outcomes of the Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC). • Latest report published on the website October 2024: link to website n/a, published on the council’s website in the autumn each year Community safety hub performance and development This report provided a one off update on the performance of the Community Safety Hub following its merger into Housing. Moving forward this report will be incorporated into the service’s programme of annual service performance reports. • Latest report in August 2024: link to report Housing Committee Cycle 3 in 2025 Homeless performance and processes This report provided a one off update in terms of performance in relation to the provision of homelessness services which continued to be delivered throughout the pandemic and, despite the challenges the pandemic brought, highlights many areas of improved performance. Moving forward this report will be incorporated into the service’s programme of annual service performance reports. • Latest report in November 2023: link to report Housing Committee Cycle 4 in 2024 3. Measures of success 3.1 Measures of success include: • Regular oversight and monitoring of performance across the organisation to gain assurances in terms of governance and accountability. • Regular review and challenge processes to scrutinise the performance of the council to ensure effective use of resources and that resources are directed in accordance with agreed policy and according to priorities, while ensuring sound decision making and clear accountability for the use of resources in achieving improved outcomes for service users and the local community. • Performance monitoring, management, and reporting arrangements that support the demonstration of improved performance in local services and outcomes, and the delivery of Best Value. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 - High-level performance overview. Appendix 2 - Note for information in respect of performance indicators and targets. Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 218 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 219 of 322
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5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 220 of 322
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Appendix 1 Housing High-level performance overview - as at September 2024 Page 221 of 322
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Appendix 2 Note for information in respect of performance indicators and targets It should be noted that the nature of particular areas of service being measured in order to assess and manage performance do not always lend themselves to a traditional approach to either measuring performance or setting targets, for example: • Some indicators (and targets) are required to monitor performance against a commitment or minimum standard the council has made in advance to achieve a stated level of performance when delivering a service. • Some indicators (and targets) are required to assess compliance with legislative requirements. • Some targets represent the level of performance that the council aims to achieve from a particular activity in either the short, medium, or long-term. • Some indicators are needed to help present a complete picture of performance in the round, as a single performance indicator used in isolation rarely tells the whole performance story and a range of indicators are required to reflect the economic, efficient, and effective aspects of demonstrating best value. • Some indicators and targets can help to support accountability to the public in terms of demonstrating best value and an efficient and effective approach to the delivery of services. • Some indicators are monitored to ensure the council complies with specific requirements, such as information governance or health and safety. • Some indicators are monitored to provide added context in order to help interpret performance results or supplement other existing measures. Information such as this can be critical to enhance knowledge and decision making in terms of demand to help determine priorities and allocate resources. • For some indicators it is not appropriate to set targets as it is the trend in the data (i.e. the direction of travel) that provides more meaningful information to allow for an assessment in relation to whether performance has improved. • Some indicators are national benchmarking indicators where their purpose is to allow for comparisons with other councils and the national average. These benchmarks are, in essence, can openers designed to focus questions on why variations in cost and performance are occurring between similar councils. • Some indicators are proxy measures, particularly in the case of measuring outcomes, as without directly measurable data for a desired outcome the only alternative is to use a proxy that is an indirect measure of the desired outcome but which is itself strongly correlated to that outcome. Page 224 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref PH Date 06/11/24 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Place (housing developments) From Pamela Humphries, Chief Office (Place) E-mail HumphriesP@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939 280710 1. Background 1.1 There are six inter-related strategic frameworks which are key to evaluating the success of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and assessing delivery towards achieving the overall vision by ensuring each stage is appropriately aligned, planned, guided, implemented, monitored, and governed. 1.2 The six frameworks focus on ensuring a corporate one council approach in respect of Policy, Governance, Performance, Self-Evaluation, Project Management, and Demonstrating Improved Outcomes for Communities. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to highlight the 2023/24 year end performance and the 2024/25 year to date performance of the Place Service in relation to the performance indicators detailed at Appendix 1 and 2 for new housing developments. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Review the high-level performance overview presented in Appendix 1, and the supporting data contained within the linked Excel spreadsheet, and identify where further information is required to understand or investigate performance further. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement All ambition statements Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 13 Page 225 of 322
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1.3 The Strategic Performance Framework comprises performance measurement at three levels (as per the diagram on the right). This aims to collectively provide an overview of performance to help understand the impact of council activities on improving services and outcomes for the people and communities of North Lanarkshire. The measures in this Framework allow for day to day activities, and progress towards achieving the long-term vision set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire, to be regularly monitored, reported, assessed, and scrutinised. 1.4 The Strategic Performance Framework is aligned to the Accounts Commission’ Statutory Direction which places a requirement on councils to report a range of information in terms of (1) improving local services and outcomes, and (2) demonstrating Best Value. Key points of note in this respect are that the Accounts Commission also expect to see: (a) A balance in terms of reporting that captures highlights of good performance as well as areas of performance requiring improvement. (b) Reporting that is undertaken in a timely manner. (c) Easy access to performance information for all citizens and communities. (d) Comparisons of performance (i) over time (e.g. compared to previous years), and (ii) with others (e.g. other local authorities or the national average (where available and appropriate). The council’s comparative performance in Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) indicators can be viewed through the Improvement Service’s online dashboard: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/benchmarking/explore-the-data 1.5 A Performance Reporting Schedule supports the timely submission of a range of performance information to ensure fully informed review, reporting, scrutiny, and decision making processes by Elected Members and senior management. This Schedule, endorsed by the Audit and Scrutiny Panel in February 2024, includes Chief Officer’s individual Performance Reviews at Service Committees in line with the Strategic Performance Framework. 1.6 This report therefore presents the Housing Committee with the latest performance results for Place for Members’ further review and scrutiny. 2. Strategic Performance Framework Housing Committee responsibilities 2.1 In line with the terms of reference outlined in the Scheme of Administration, the Housing Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing performance information for the following Ambition Statements from The Plan for North Lanarkshire. 1. Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth. 2.2 The high-level performance overview in Appendix 1 presents Members with a summary of the latest results for each performance indicator within the remit of the Chief Officer (Place). 2.3 The information in Appendix 1 comprises the undernoted. Appendix 2 provides additional context in respect of the council’s approach to the measurement of indicators and setting of targets. Page 226 of 322
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• An ideal direction arrow - this indicates whether a higher or lower figure is the preferred direction of travel. • Measurement unit - for example whether the result is a %, a number, a unit cost (in £), or a ratio. • Performance results for the most recent financial years (depending on availability of data) along with the latest year’s target and corresponding RAG status (for indicators where it is appropriate to set targets). • The most recent monthly or quarterly results, along with the corresponding target and RAG status. Note the inclusion of this information is dependent on the measurement frequency of the indicator and availability of data as at the time of reporting. • A trend graph - this captures the direction of travel achieved over the years and includes the most recent monthly or quarterly results where available. • Comments - narrative summarising the current position and providing an explanation for any significant variations in performance. Where applicable, this narrative also highlights any internal or external factors impacting on service delivery as well as any residual effects of the pandemic, e.g. any increase or decrease in the volume of transactions or enquiries processed. 2.4 A large volume of data supports the high-level performance overview in Appendix 1. This is outlined in the latest performance results for Place - housing development Excel spreadsheet which is available through the following link for Members to carry out a deep dive and review and scrutinise each performance indicator further. The Menu on the second tab of the spreadsheet contains built in hyperlinks that automatically take the user to a tab for each performance indicator and therefore provides a useful navigation aid to review the contents of the file. • Latest performance results for Place - housing developments.xlsx Next steps 2.5 As noted in paragraph 1.5, the Strategic Performance Framework is supported by a Performance Reporting Schedule. This sets out the arrangements for service, statutory, and Strategic Performance Framework reporting to committee. In this respect the relevant Committee can expect to receive the following in respect of Place areas of work for 2024 to 2025. Report Description Committee Committee cycle Planning performance framework This report updates on the Scottish Government’s feedback on the performance of the planning and place service for the latest year based on the Planning Performance Framework (PPF) submitted each year. • Latest report in November 2023: link to report Planning Committee Cycle 1 in 2025 Economic The ERDP Performance Framework was Enterprise Cycle 3 in A higher figure is better A lower figure is better Key to RAG status Green Performance is on target and/or within acceptable thresholds Red Performance does not meet target and is outwith acceptable thresholds Blue Performance surpasses the target and exceeds expectations Page 227 of 322
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Regeneration Delivery Plan (ERDP) Performance Framework approved by Committee in February 2021. This comprises a group of performance indicators at three levels. These indicators aim to collectively provide an overview of how the North Lanarkshire economy is performing as well as help to understand the impact that the delivery of the ERDP is having on improving economic opportunities and outcomes for all. • Latest report in August 2024: link to report and Fair Work Committee 2025 Fusion Assets Fusion Assets is a wholly owned subsidiary of the council. It focuses on delivering physical economic regeneration projects across North Lanarkshire and in particular industrial development - a market where there is currently limited speculative development. Unlike more traditional council owned property companies, Fusion Assets is more similar to an urban regeneration company whose role is focused on the redevelopment of vacant and derelict land and brownfield sites rather than commercial property management. • Latest report in May 2024: link to report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Cycles 2 and 4 in 2025 New supply programme update on progress This report aims to provide an update regarding progress with the delivery of the new supply programme which aims to deliver 5,000 new homes by 2035. • Latest report in November 2023: link to report Housing Committee Cycle 4 in 2024 3. Measures of success 3.1 Measures of success include: • Regular oversight and monitoring of performance across the organisation to gain assurances in terms of governance and accountability. • Regular review and challenge processes to scrutinise the performance of the council to ensure effective use of resources and that resources are directed in accordance with agreed policy and according to priorities, while ensuring sound decision making and clear accountability for the use of resources in achieving improved outcomes for service users and the local community. • Performance monitoring, management, and reporting arrangements that support the demonstration of improved performance in local services and outcomes, and the delivery of Best Value. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 - High-level performance overview. Appendix 2 - Note for information in respect of performance indicators and targets. Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 228 of 322
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5. 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 229 of 322
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5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 230 of 322
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Appendix 1 Place - housing developments High-level performance overview - as at September 2024 Page 231 of 322
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Appendix 2 Note for information in respect of performance indicators and targets It should be noted that the nature of particular areas of service being measured in order to assess and manage performance do not always lend themselves to a traditional approach to either measuring performance or setting targets, for example: • Some indicators (and targets) are required to monitor performance against a commitment or minimum standard the council has made in advance to achieve a stated level of performance when delivering a service. • Some indicators (and targets) are required to assess compliance with legislative requirements. • Some targets represent the level of performance that the council aims to achieve from a particular activity in either the short, medium, or long-term. • Some indicators are needed to help present a complete picture of performance in the round, as a single performance indicator used in isolation rarely tells the whole performance story and a range of indicators are required to reflect the economic, efficient, and effective aspects of demonstrating best value. • Some indicators and targets can help to support accountability to the public in terms of demonstrating best value and an efficient and effective approach to the delivery of services. • Some indicators are monitored to ensure the council complies with specific requirements, such as information governance or health and safety. • Some indicators are monitored to provide added context in order to help interpret performance results or supplement other existing measures. Information such as this can be critical to enhance knowledge and decision making in terms of demand to help determine priorities and allocate resources. • For some indicators it is not appropriate to set targets as it is the trend in the data (i.e. the direction of travel) that provides more meaningful information to allow for an assessment in relation to whether performance has improved. • Some indicators are national benchmarking indicators where their purpose is to allow for comparisons with other councils and the national average. These benchmarks are, in essence, can openers designed to focus questions on why variations in cost and performance are occurring between similar councils. • Some indicators are proxy measures, particularly in the case of measuring outcomes, as without directly measurable data for a desired outcome the only alternative is to use a proxy that is an indirect measure of the desired outcome but which is itself strongly correlated to that outcome. Page 232 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref SL/MH/HD Date 06/11/24 Mears Ltd Performance Monitoring Report to 30 September 2024 From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail HendryM@northlan.gov.uk DoohanK@northlan.gov.uk Telephone Michelle Hendry, 07960974797 Kevin Doohan, 07415477387 1. Background 1.1 On 1 July 2024 Mears Ltd became North Lanarkshire Council’s contractor to deliver Housing and Corporate repairs over an 8 year period, with options to extend for up to a further 4 years. 1.2 It should also be noted that the heating contract is also now incorporated into Mears Ltd contract with performance for this area of work now being measured. Executive Summary This report outlines Mears Ltd performance against Key Performance Indicators for the Housing and Corporate Maintenance and Investment Contract. This is for the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge Mears Ltd performance for both housing repairs and corporate repairs, from 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 14 Page 233 of 322
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2. Report Performance Indicators 2.1 Appendix 1 provides Housing performance for July-September 2024. Emergency and non-emergency timescales for Housing Repairs are shown in Appendix 2. Appendix 3 provides Corporate performance for July-September 2024. Emergency and non- emergency timescales for Corporate Repairs are shown in appendix 4. Housing Property Performance 2.2 The timescale in completing emergency repairs for all linked contractors, year to date, is currently 2.41 hours. Mears Ltd average is currently 2.24 hours. The 2023/24 Scottish average was 4 hours. 2.3 The timescale for completing non-emergency repairs, for all linked contractors, year to date, is currently 6.56 days. Mears Ltd average non-emergency timescales is 4.15 days. The 2023/24 Scottish average was 9 days. 2.4 98.03% of Immediate Response jobs (previously emergency) were completed in July, August and September 2024. This exceeds the 95% target. 2.5 99.68% of Normal Response jobs were completed within July, August and September 2024. This exceeds the 95% target. 2.6 98.33% of Void Repair jobs were completed within July, August and September 2024. This exceeds the 95% target. 2.7 Current customer satisfaction level is 94.55% for Mears Ltd. The 2023/24 Scottish average was 87%. We continue to receive various methods of surveys which include completed surveys online from tenants and at the post inspection stage of works, undertaken by our Technical Officers. Frontline resolutions 2.8 Six stage one complaints were received in relation to Mears Ltd for July, August and September 2024, they were responded to within timescale and were all upheld or partially upheld. An analysis of all complaints received is undertaken to allow any re- occurring issues to be addressed and associated service improvement actions to be progressed. Investigations 2.9 No stage 2 complaints were received in relation to Mears Ltd for July, August and September 2024 they were responded to within timescale and it was upheld. Corporate Property Performance 2.10 The timescale in completing emergency repairs, year to date, is currently 4.35 hours. Mears Ltd average is currently 3.44 hours. 2.11 The timescale for completing non-emergency repairs year to date, is currently 6.04 days. Mears Ltd average non-emergency timescales is 6.95 days. Page 234 of 322
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2.12 96.20% of Immediate Response jobs (previously emergency) were completed within July, August and September 2024. This exceeds the 95% target. 2.13 98.63% of Normal Response jobs were completed within July, August and September 2024. This surpasses the 95% target. 3. Measures of success 3.1 This report provides identified key performance indicators measurements against the Housing and Corporate Maintenance and Investment Contract. It also provides performance in relation to the Scottish Housing Regulator and measuring the charter outcomes. This should ensure elected members have sufficient information to assess how Mears’ Ltd performance supports the council in delivering against The Plan for North Lanarkshire, as well as producing a high level of service delivery, legal compliance and customer satisfaction. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 – Mears Housing Performance 24/25 (July-September 2024) Appendix 2 – Housing Emergency and Non-Emergency Performance 2024/2025 Appendix 3 – Mears Corporate Performance 24/25 (July- September 2024) Appendix 4 – Corporate Emergency and Non-Emergency Performance 2024/2025 Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 235 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 236 of 322
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 237 of 322
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Appendix 1 - Mears Ltd Housing Performance 2024/25 (July-September) Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 3.1 (a) Immediate Response Reactive Repairs (95%) Total 2615 3170 3011 % Within 98.09% 98.29% 97.70% 3.1 (b) Normal Response Reactive Repairs (95%) Total 2035 4811 4395 % Within 99.41% 99.83% 99.64% 3.4 Void Repair Orders (95%) Total 997 1444 1261 % Within 99.01% 99.45% 96.55% Appendix 2 – Housing Emergency and Non-Emergency Performance 2024/25 Housing Repairs Emergency Repair Timescales (Mears Ltd) – 2024/25 April May June July August September October November December January February March YTD Total Time Taken 2979:07:54 3904:16:16 2923:05:41 9806:29:51 Total Jobs 1246 1523 1296 4065 Average Timescale 2:23:27 2:33:49 2:15:20 2:24:45 Page 238 of 322
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Housing Non-Emergency Repair Timescales – 2024/25 (Mears Ltd) April May June July August September October November December January February March YTD No. Of Non Emergency Repairs 5232 7581 6599 19412 Total Number of Days Taken 15595 36415 28587 80597 Average Length of Time Taken 2.98 4.80 4.33 4.15 Appendix 3 - Mears Corporate Performance 24/25 (July-September) Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 3.1 (a) Immediate Response Reactive Repairs (95%) Total 84 204 168 % Within 94.38% 98.08% 94.92% 3.1 (b) Normal Response Reactive Repairs (95%) Total 92 436 837 % Within 100.00% 99.54% 98.01% Appendix 4 – Corporate Emergency and Non-Emergency Performance 2024/25 Corporate Repairs Emergency Repair Timescales (Mears Ltd) – 2024/25 April May June July August September October November December January February March YTD Total Time Taken 283:36:33 792:36:38 690:14:02 1766:27:13 Total Jobs 88 209 175 472 Average Timescale 3:13:22 3:47:33 3:56:39 3:44:33 Page 239 of 322
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Corporate Non-Emergency Repair Timescales – 2024/25 (Mears Ltd) April May June July August September October November December January February March YTD No. Of Non Emergency Repairs 283 637 726 1646 Total Number of Days Taken 1277 3401 6763 11441 Average Length of Time Taken 4.51 5.34 9.32 6.95 Page 240 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref SL/TH Date 06/11/24 Scottish Housing Regulator: 2023/24 Landlord Report From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail llewellyns@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 01698 274192 1. Background 1.1 The SHR and the SSHC were enacted by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010, which required Ministers to set standards and outcomes that social landlords should be achieving for tenants and other customers through their housing activities. The Act also established the SHR as an independent Regulator directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament. Scottish social housing landlords significantly vary in stock size from 1 to 41,886 properties. Executive Summary This report is to advise committee of the Landlord Report published by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) which shows Scotland’s social landlords’ performance for both Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s) against the Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC). Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Note the content of this report and the link to the Landlord Report provided by the SHR in section 4 which identifies North Lanarkshire Council’s performance in relation to the SSHC. (2) Note that a separate report has been provided to committee on 28 August 2024 on the Annual Assurance Statement. (3) Note the progress being made in the production of our annual report to tenants. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Ambition statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Item 15 Page 241 of 322
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1.2 The SHR requires social landlords to collect and provide key information on their performance in achieving the SSHC outcomes and standards in an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC). Returns are required by 31 May each year. Landlords also have a duty to publish a performance report by 31 October each year, which requires to be made available to all tenants. 1.3 In addition, all landlords have a legal requirement to submit a signed Annual Assurance Statement to the Regulator by 31 October each year. A separate report on this was presented to Committee on 28 August 2024. 1.4 Following submission of each local authority and RSL’s ARC, the SHR publish a landlord profile of all social landlords, which allows tenants to compare landlord’s performance across Scotland. In addition, a Landlord Report is produced by the SHR which reports on indicators within five main categories: • Homes and Rents • Tenant Satisfaction • Quality and Maintenance of Homes • Neighbourhoods • Value for Money These areas for reporting were agreed by the SHR through significant consultation with tenants. These indicators require to be set in context as detailed in this report. 1.5 The SHR publishes individual Engagement Plans in April each year for all social landlords highlighting any areas of service they will focus on to work with the local authority concerned. The 2024 SHR Engagement Plan for North Lanarkshire has not highlighted any current areas of concern however it continues to highlight those service areas which the Regulator monitors across all organisations. 2. Report 2.1 On 30 August 2024, the SHR published the Landlord Reports reflecting the performance reported in each authority's completed ARC. A link to the North Lanarkshire Council landlord report is available at section 4. 2.2 The report demonstrates that we have high levels of performance and tenant satisfaction and performance, both generally and in comparison with Scottish Local Authority averages and Scottish national averages, which includes the performance of RSL’s and Local Authorities. Landlord report categories 2.3 A summary of the performance figures from the five main areas detailed within the Landlord Report are shown below. Homes and rents 2.4 Average weekly rents are well below the Scottish average of £91.80. The average rent for all North Lanarkshire properties reported in the ARC return for 2023/24 was £80.87 per week. Page 242 of 322
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Tenant satisfaction 2.5 Our latest tenant satisfaction survey was completed in August 2023, where we returned to the face-to-face interviews we had previously utilised prior to the covid pandemic. The 2023 survey results are permitted to be submitted for a maximum of 3 years in our annual return. 2.6 Overall satisfaction levels in our 2023 survey increased by 5.4% to 86.6%, which is slightly higher than the Scottish average of 86.5% and significantly higher than the Local Authority average of 80.3%. 2.7 An increase of 3.2% from our 2021 survey saw 95.8% of tenants stating that they felt we are good at keeping them informed about our services and outcomes. This is 5.3% higher than the Scottish average of 90.5%, and 13.5% higher than the Scottish LA average of 82.3%. Quality and maintenance of homes 2.8 The percentage of homes meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard was 84.8% this is a rise of 4.4% on the 2022/23 figure and compares favourably to the Scottish average of 84.4% and Local Authority average of 77.8%. 2.9 Our time taken to complete emergency repairs was 2.8 hours on average compared to a Scottish average of 4.0 hours and the Scottish LA average of 4.3 hours. Whilst our time taken to complete non-emergency repairs was 6.8 days compared to the Scottish average of 9 days and the Scottish LA average of 10 days. 2.10 97.8% of reactive repairs were completed “right first time” comparing favourably to the Scottish average of 88.4% and the Scottish LA average of 88.8%. 2.11 93.7% of tenants who had repairs carried out said they were satisfied with the service they received. Although this is a fall of 1.5% from the previous year, when we compare this to the Scottish average of 87.3% & the LA average of 87.2%, our satisfaction levels are significantly higher. Neighbourhoods 2.12 For cases of anti-social behaviour reported in the last year, 95.9% were resolved at the year end and within the targets agreed locally, compared to the Scottish average of 94.3% and the Scottish LA average of 90.9%. The remaining 4.1% of cases were carried forward to the following year and resolved within locally agreed targets in 2024/25. We therefore performed at 100% compliance for the targets agreed for the service. Value for money 2.13 Our rent collection levels for 2023/24 were 99.3% which is on par with the Scottish average of 99.4% and the Scottish LA average of 99.3%. Our housing Central Rents team continue to secure more direct Universal Credit payments and pursue other non- Universal Credit tenant debt which has had a positive impact on the overall arrears’ levels. We continue to utilise our Rent Assistance Fund, introduced in 2023, to help our tenants who may be affected by the cost of living increases. Page 243 of 322
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2.14 Our average days to re-let homes increased by 2.7 days to 35 days during the year, mainly due to the supply and workforce shortages being experienced by our contractors. However, we performed well when compared to the Scottish average of 56.7 days and the Scottish LA average of 72.6 days. Our housing and repairs teams are working together and liaising closely with our new contractor to improve these timescales. 2.15 Our void rent loss figure of 1% also compares favourably to the Scottish average of 1.4% and the Scottish LA average of 1.8%. Monitoring rent loss continues to be a priority. Annual performance report 2.16 In line with the SHR requirements placed on the council to provide a report to tenants advising of performance against the SSHC, a group of tenant representatives has been working to review the performance data and to agree the content and format for the 2024 annual performance report. The timescale for publishing the report is 31 October each year. A link to the annual performance report will be made available to all Members on publication. 3. Measures of success 3.1 All indicators reported on through the SSHC and ARC are monitored via regular service review meetings across all disciplines within the housing service. We continue to review practices, procedures, and customer feedback to ensure that high standards of service delivery are achieved in all areas. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 There are no supporting documents, however, the full Landlord Report is provided on the following link to the Regulators website. Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 244 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Production of an Annual Assurance Statement is a statutory obligation for all landlords. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Page 245 of 322
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Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Production of an Annual Assurance Statement (ASS) is a statutory obligation for all landlords. Failure to produce and obtain a sign off from committee would constitute a legal and reputational risk. For this reason, the ASS is included in the risk register for the service and production of the statement and committee report is scheduled for committee cycle 2 each year 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 246 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref PH/JS/KS Date 06/11/24 New Housing Supply Programme – Procurement Update From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail stevensonjam@northlan.gov.uk Telephone James Stevenson, Housing Development Manager, 07583098631 Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to update Committee on current procurement activity relating to the new build housing programme and seek approval to progress procurement arrangements as outlined in the report. Recommendations It is recommended that the Housing Committee: 1. Approves the award of contracts procured via a “Direct Award” procedure via the Scottish Procurement Alliance New Build Housing Construction H2 (Scotland) framework agreement (the “Framework”) for the following sites: a. The site of the former Pentland School, Tay Street, Coatbridge to Ogilvie Construction Limited up to the value of £4.4M, including contingency allowance; and b. Bank Street, Coatbridge to Cruden Building (Scotland) Limited up to the value of £4.5M, including contingency allowance; c. Shawhead, Dunottar Avenue, Coatbridge to CCG Construction Limited up to the revised value of £24.8M, including contingency allowance; d. Dalziel Drive, Motherwell to McTaggart Construction Limited up to the revised value of £6.48M, including contingency allowance; e. Hill Street, Caldercruix to McTaggart Construction Limited up to the revised value of £6.00M, including contingency allowance; f. Main Street, Glenboig to Connect Modular Limited up to the value of £1.96M, including contingency allowance; and g. Glasgow Road, Cumbernauld to Connect Modular Limited up to the value of £2.45M, including contingency allowance. Item 16 Page 247 of 322
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a. Motherwell Town Hall, Motherwell up to the value of £6.55M, including contingency allowance. b. Combined Wishaw Sites (Graham Street, King Street, Caledonian Road, Stewarton Street, Wishaw) up to the value of £12.45M, including contingency allowance. c. Laburnum Road, Viewpark up to the value of £6.5M, including contingency allowance. 3. Approves the award of a contract procured via Hub South West for the site at Hattonrigg Road, Bellshill to Springfield Homes Limited / Dawn Homes Limited up to the revised value of £4.98M, including contingency allowance; and 4. Acknowledges the award of contracts for the following sites previously approved at Housing Committee on 28 August 2024: a. Columba High School site at School Street, Coatbridge awarded to CCG (Scotland) Limited on 19 September 2024 at a value of £26,843,805.55 including contingency allowance b. Thorn Road, Bellshill awarded to McTaggart Construction Limited on 04 October 2024 at a value of £5,961,317.95 including contingency allowance. 1. Background 1.1 The council has an approved programme to deliver 5,000 new homes by 2035. The delivery of such a large-scale programme presents several challenges, not least of which is the procurement of contractors to build the houses to the required standard, within the timescale required and at a competitive cost. To increase the pace of delivery, secure best value and minimise risk to the Council, a range of procurement options have been utilised. 1.2 To deliver the new build housing programme a range of procurement options are being utilised. For each project a Contract Strategy is undertaken to assess the most appropriate procurement route. These include but are not limited to the use of SPA and Scotland Excel frameworks utilising the direct award and mini comp procedures, and in some cases the use of Hub South West or a traditional “Restricted” style tendering procedure within the open market. 1.3 Within this report, seven site locations have been identified to be procured via the Direct Award procedure. The Direct Award procedure has been identified as the optimum route to market currently as it allows early engagement with contractors leading to economies 2. Approves the award of a contract procured via a “Mini Competition” procedure via the Framework for the following sites The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Transforming Places Page 248 of 322
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and efficiencies being achieved in design, early engagement for utilities and programme benefits to be achieved. 2. Report 2.1 The council has engaged with Ogilvie Construction who are a contractor on the Framework. Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at Pentland/Tay Street, Coatbridge, (18 units), at the revised value of £4.4M, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. 2.2 The council has engaged with Cruden Building (West) Limited who are a contractor on the Framework. Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at 1-13 Bank Street, Coatbridge, (10 supported and 6 mainstream units), at the revised value of £4.5M, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. 2.3 The council has engaged with CCG Construction Limited who are a contractor on the Framework. Pre-Tender costs have been obtained for the site at Shawhead, Dunottar Avenue, Coatbridge, (100 units), at the revised value of £24.8M, including contingency allowance. The Pre-Tender costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. 2.4 The council has engaged with McTaggart Construction Limited who are a contractor on the Framework. Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at Dalziel Drive, Motherwell (27 units), at the value of £6.48M, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. 2.5 The council has engaged with McTaggart Construction Limited who are a contractor on the Framework. Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at Hill Street, Caldercuix (25 units), at the value of £6.00M, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. 2.6 The council has engaged with Connect Modular Limited who are a contractor on the Framework. Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at Main Street, Glenboig (7 units), at the revised value of £1.96M, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. Page 249 of 322
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2.7 The council has engaged with Connect Modular Limited who are a contractor on the Framework. Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at Glasgow Road, Cumbernauld (8 units), at the revised value of £2.45M, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. 2.8 The council has tendered via a mini competition call off procedure from the Framework to procure a contract from the site at Motherwell Town Hall, Motherwell (20 units) at the value of £6.55M, including contingency allowance. The mini competition call-off procedure was considered to represent best value and, subject to tender checking the most economically advantageous tender will be checked and recommended to allow the contract award. 2.9 The council has tendered via a mini competition call off procedure from the Framework to procure a contract for the Combined Wishaw Sites (Graham Street, King Street, Caledonian Road, Stewarton Street, Wishaw) (51 units) at the value of £12.45M, including contingency allowance. The mini competition call-off procedure was considered to represent best value and, subject to tender checking the most economically advantageous tender will be checked and recommended to allow the contract award. 2.10 The council has tendered via a mini competition call off procedure from the Framework to procure a contract for the site at Laburnum Road, Viewpark (26 units) at the value of £6.5M, including contingency allowance. The mini competition call-off procedure was considered to represent best value and, subject to tender checking the most economically advantageous tender will be checked and recommended to allow the contract award. 2.11 The council has engaged with Hub South West regarding the proposed site at Hattonrigg Road, Bellshill (20 units). Feasibility costs have been obtained for the site at the value of £4.98m, including contingency allowance. The feasibility costs obtained are considered to represent best value and, subject to benchmarking against the appropriate framework rates, it is proposed that a final tender price be agreed to allow the contract award. The use of the HUBSW procedure provides a method of procurement that is time efficient and cost effective for both the Council and the bidder and allows for early engagement and advance works to take place. 2.12 The projects listed above in sections 2.1 – 2.11 are still in live procurement procedures however are nearing completion. Accordingly, the recommendations listed on page one of this report are for the approval for the award each contract (in accordance with the councils General Contract Standing Orders) up to the values stated as and when they are finalised outwith the council’s committee cycle. Adopting this approach shall expedite the programme and allow appointed contractors to progress works in a more efficient and effective manner. Additionally, this approach shall also prove beneficial where any pre-construction / enabling works are required whilst also allowing appointed contractors to engage third party companies i.e. utility companies to undertake works required to enable housing construction methods to commence. Page 250 of 322
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Should the recommendations within this report be approved, more detailed information on any contract awarded for each site shall reported to the next available Housing Committee following award. Should contracts to be awarded exceed the values stated in the recommendations, further details and approvals shall be sought from a future Housing Committee. 2.13 The pricing mechanism is a Priced Contract with Activity Schedule offering a good level of cost certainty. However, there are currently no cashable savings attributed to the contracts outlined within above within sections 2.1 – 2.11 at this time. 2.14 The council is committed to maximising the delivery of community benefits. The procurement includes a community benefit requirement, this approach is designed to deliver local community benefits where possible. Given the current stage of the procurement processes for each of the sites listed within this report, there are currently no Community Benefits identified. However, once contracts have been formally awarded, an overview of community benefits committed to by contractors will be reported to Committee. 2.15 All contractors appointed to the Framework and Hub South West have evidenced fair working practices within their organisations as part of the procurement procedures to be appointed to the respective arrangements 2.16 In addition to the 11 sites listed above in sections 2.1 – 2.11, work has progressed to award contracts following approval at the Housing Committee on 28 August 2024. a. Columba High School site at School Street, Coatbridge (127 Units) awarded to CCG (Scotland) Limited on 19 September 2024 at a value of £26,843,805.55 including contingency allowance b. Thorn Road, Bellshill (26 Units) awarded to McTaggart Construction Limited on 04 October 2024 at a value of £5,961,317.95 including contingency allowance. Further information on the two contracts awarded above can be found within Appendix 1 of this report. 2.17 Officers from New Supply will be responsible for managing all contracts once awarded which will be undertaken in accordance with the council’s agreed approach to contract and supplier management. 2.18 In addition to the sites detailed above, the next batch of sites will be identified and assessed, and a suitable procurement route will be identified to progress these projects to deliver new build housing to align with the Plan for North Lanarkshire. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The proposed contract awards detailed within this report will deliver the following outcomes: a) The appointment of contractors who have the experience and capability to deliver new build social housing. b) The procurement procedures applied are compliant with the procurement legislation, overarching framework agreements and internal procedures. Page 251 of 322
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c) That best value is both demonstrable and achieved. d) That contracts awarded secure a range of community benefits. e) Those contracts awarded support payment of the real Living Wage to staff employed in the delivery of the requirements; and f) That the performance of contracts awarded are proactively managed against several Key Performance Indicators. 4. Supporting Documents Appendix 1 Summary of Contracts Awarded Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 252 of 322
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The new build programme includes measures that will help reduce inequalities of outcome through certain design features including: • Housing for Varying Needs to make homes as accessible as possible. • Secure by Design to make homes and the surrounding environment as safe and secure as possible. • Achieving the Scottish Government requirements for Greener Homes to • reduce the incidence of fuel Poverty. • Facilitating improved access to high-speed internet capabilities including installation of ‘fibre to the property’. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The funding for projects referred to in this report can be met from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account budget for the New Supply Programme. Grant support is also provided by the Scottish Government. The costs associated with contract delivery will be contained within the HRA New Supply capital programme. Current forecasts include for grant from the Scottish Government towards the cost of the new homes which is from a minimum of £83,584 per unit. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 253 of 322
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The proposed award of contracts detailed within this report will ensure that the impact on the Council’s carbon footprint is mitigated. The specifications incorporated within the contract documentation will: deliver reduced energy need; encourage sustainable construction; promote health and wellbeing; reduce waste and resources through effective storage, collection and composting of waste and recyclable materials and; include measures which will reduce CO2 emissions. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The implementation and delivery of the New Supply programme will be promoted through the New Supply PR plan and via communications with elected members and local stakeholders Page 254 of 322
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5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risk associated with the New Supply Programme is managed within the council’s project management and risk register process. By undertaking detailed Ground Investigation and other relevant site assessments, prior to proceeding with the development of any site, the council is mitigating the risk of unforeseen costs relating to ground conditions, although this risk cannot be eliminated entirely. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. The Council’s New Supply housing programme previously partnered with Veterans Housing Scotland to deliver housing for Armed Forces Veterans and the current SHIP supports new affordable housing project for Scottish Veterans' Garden City Association. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 255 of 322
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Appendix 1 – Summary of Contracts Awarded Contract Ref NLC-SLP-22-084 Title New Build Social Housing at Former Columba High School Site, Coatbridge Classification Works Competition Governance by Value The Framework terms & conditions, with adherence to the council’s GCSO 13 on 3rd party frameworks Procurement Route Call-off following Mini Competition using Third Party Framework No. of Framework Contractors Seven No. of Tenders Received Two Award Criteria Most Economically Advantageous Tender: 30% Quality and 70% Price Score Range of Tenders Received 90.16% – 92.60% Comments This contract was procured from the Scottish Procurement Alliance H2 New Build Housing framework agreement, Workstream 1. Lot 6 (Low Rise Housing up to 11m Floor Height - Projects with individual Sites of Over 100 units) Award Details Contract Award Date 19 September 2024 Awarded Value £26,843,805.55 Contract Duration 48 Months Contractor Name CCG (Scotland) Limited Contractor Size Large Contractor Location South Lanarkshire Payment of Living Wage? Yes Living Wage Accredited? No Community Benefits Committed 5 x New Job for an Individual from a Priority Group 2 x New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group 9 x Work Experience Placement to obtain a "Foundation Apprenticeship 4 x Work Experience Placement for an individual aged 14 to 16 years of age 4 x Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 12 x Educational Visits 1 x Work Experience Placement for an individual aged 14 to 16 years of age 6 x Financial Support for a Community Project / Organisation Page 256 of 322
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3 x Non-financial Support for a Community Project / Organisation 2 x Business Event / Briefing to promote supply chain opportunities Contract Ref NLC-SLP-23-030 Title New Build Social Housing at Thorn Road, Bellshill Classification Works Competition Governance by Value The Framework terms & conditions, with adherence to the council’s GCSO 13 on 3rd party frameworks Procurement Route Call-off following Direct Award using Third Party Framework No. of Framework Contractors Nine Comments This contract was procured considering the relevant information technical and commercial proposals from the Scottish Procurement Alliance H2 New Build Housing framework agreement, Workstream 1. Lot 3 (10 - 30 units) Award Details Contract Award Date 04 October 2024 Awarded Value £5,961,317.95 Contract Duration 16 Months Contractor Name McTaggart Construction Limited Contractor Size SME Contractor Location North Lanarkshire Payment of Living Wage? Yes Living Wage Accredited? No Community Benefits Committed 2 x New Job for an Individual from a Priority Group 1 x New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group 2 x MCR Pathways 1-2-1 Mentoring Programme (or equivalent Programme) 1 x Work Experience Placement for an individual aged 14 to 16 years of age 1 x Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 5 x Educational Visits 1 x Financial Support for a Community Project / Organisation 1 x Non-financial Support for a Community Project / Organisation 1 x Business Event / Briefing to promote supply chain opportunities Page 257 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref: HO RF 23 052/ NLC-SLP-23-118 Date: 06 November 2024 Contract Award for MTC for Re-Roofing, Re-Rendering & Energy Efficiency Works including EES:ABS From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail starbucks@northlan.gov.uk Telephone: Siobhan Starbuck – Contract Support Manager – via MS Teams Executive Summary The Committee is asked to approve the award of a contract for “MTC for Re-Roofing, Re-Rendering and Energy Efficiency Works including EES:ABS” (the ‘Agreement’) to: • Lot 1 – Procast Building Contractors Limited • Lot 2 – GMG Contractors Limited • Lot 3 – Ailsa Building Contractors Limited The Agreement is for an initial period of 24 months anticipated to commence on 2 December 2024. The Council reserves the right to extend the Agreement for additional periods up to a maximum of a further 36 months. The maximum value of the Agreement shall not exceed Ninety Nine Million Pounds Sterling (£99,000,000.00) exclusive of VAT. The value of the Agreement is split across three lots; • Lot 1 – £54,450,000, • Lot 2 – £29,700,000 and • Lot 3 – £14,850,000. As a Measured Term Contract form of agreement, the value of the Agreement is pertinent to demand therefore there is no guarantee that the council will spend any, or all, of the awarded Agreement value. Recommendations It is recommended that the Committee approves the award of the Agreement at the maximum value of Ninety Nine Million Pounds Sterling (£99,000,000.00) exclusive of VAT to: • Procast Building Contractors Limited for Lot 1 at the maximum value of Fifty Four Million Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Sterling (£54,450,000) exclusive of VAT; Item 17 Page 259 of 322
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• GMG Contractors Limited for Lot 2 at the maximum value of Twenty Nine Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling (£29,700,000) exclusive of VAT; and • Ailsa Building Contractors Limited for Lot 3 at the maximum value of Fourteen Million Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Sterling (£14,850,000) exclusive of VAT. This recommendation follows the completion of a procurement procedure, where the tenders recommended for award have been evaluated as providing the most economically advantageous tenders in terms of cost and quality for the council. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition Statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Transforming Places 1. Background 1.1 The requirements within the Agreement are currently under contract split across three lots; Lot 1: Procast Building Contractors Limited Lot 2 - Ailsa Building Contractors Limited Lot 3 - GMG Contractors Limited 1.2 The council is committed to improving the energy efficiency of its housing stock through working towards achievement of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) targets for social landlords, as well as national and council Net Zero commitments. The council is also committed to the improvement of private sector housing stock in North Lanarkshire through the utilisation of Scottish Government EES:ABS funding as appropriate, this Agreement contains the scope of installation works to work toward these targets, such as, but not limited to: • external wall insulation (EWI) and associated works • loft, underfloor and cavity wall insulation • replacement roofs • photovoltaic roof panels and associated works • ventilation measures • installation of monitoring equipment to assess temperature and humidity both during and after the works are completed 1.3 To enable adequate service provision, the requirements of the Agreement have been split across three lots, with each lot having a set maximum value of work that can be allocated to each appointed contractor. This approach allows the council to spread the workload across multiple contractors therefore ensuring delivery requirements can be met dependant on each appointed contractor’s availability and capacity at time a work order is placed. Page 260 of 322
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1.4 Tenderers were free to bid for all three lots, however, if a tenderer was recommended for lot 1, their tender for lots 2 and 3 (if they submitted a tender for other lots) was excluded on the basis of the council requirement to appoint a separate contractor for each lot. The same approach applied to the tenderer recommended for lot 2, their tender for lot 3 (if submitted) would be excluded. 2. Report 2.1 A user intelligence group (‘UIG’) of technical and procurement representatives was formed to review technical specifications, discuss trading processes, market conditions and trends, ways to maximise community benefits and sustainability and to agree the procurement strategy for the Agreement to enable the council to achieve maximum benefit for the requirements. 2.2 The initial estimated value of the Agreement dictated that the procurement procedure be undertaken in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. An advert for the procurement opportunity was published on the Public Contracts Scotland and the UK Find a Tender (FTS) website. 2.3 The procurement procedure was undertaken as a “Restricted Procedure” and was split in to two stages, stage 1 – Invitation to Participate (selection) and stage 2 – Invitation to Tender (award). Further information on the process is detailed below: • Invitation to Participate (ITP) documentation containing the SPD (Scotland) and subsequent assessment criteria specific to the requirements of the Agreement received a total interest from 47 companies with the council receiving 13 Request to Participate (RTP) submissions. • To reduce the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to stage 2 of the process, RTP’s received were evaluated in accordance with the process contained within the ITP package. Following evaluation of RTP’s received and subsequent receipt of evidence, supporting documentation etc. to corroborate responses within SPD (Scotland) submissions, five candidates were invited to tender for each Lot within stage 2 of the procurement procedure. • Following the publication of Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation to candidates who progressed from stage 1, the council received five tender submissions for each Lot within stage 2. • Based on the criteria and scoring methodology set out in the ITP and ITT packages, evaluation of the responses within each stage was completed by members identified by the UIG. 2.4 The Agreement award recommendation is made on the basis of the three tenderers who have been evaluated as representing the most economically advantageous tenders: • Lot 1 – Procast Building Contractors Limited • Lot 2 – GMG Contractors Limited • Lot 3 – Ailsa Building Contractors Limited Page 261 of 322
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2.5 Appendix 1 confirms the scoring achieved by each tenderer for each Lot, further details of the procurement procedure is provided in Appendix 2 and the SME status and location of all tenderers is located within Appendix 3. Financial / Budget Consideration 2.6 The pre-tender whole life estimate budget for the Agreement was £99,000,000.00. This is the maximum value of the Agreement as identified and set by the council. As a measured term contract there is no obligation on the council to spend any, or all, of this value. 2.7 When comparing rates to the existing contract tendered in 2020, tendered rates for this Agreement have increased by an average of 37%. These increased costs can be attributed to a multitude of factors including the covid pandemic, ongoing global conflicts, increased construction material costs and increased labour costs brought about by the sharp rise in inflation and other cost of living pressures. The pre-tender estimate budget has been set to incorporate these increases, however, future inflation and other external events may increase costs over the maximum 5 years Agreement duration and the yearly amount of Scottish Government EES:ABS funding allocated to this Agreement. The EES:ABS allocation is included within the maximum budget and provides for owner works to progress to multi-tenure properties, anticipated to be around £3.1M per year, this is subject to yearly applications to confirm the exact funding amount. Both factors will be monitored and managed closely by the project team to maximise the volume of work that can be completed under the Agreement. 2.8 The costs associated with delivery of the Agreement will be contained within the Capital budget for Housing Services. Price Stability 2.9 The Agreement pricing is fixed until 31 July 2025. Thereafter, prices will be adjusted annually by the application of the RICS BCIS General Building Cost Price Index which is an industry standard approach. Community Benefits 2.10 The council is committed to maximising the delivery of community benefits. The procurement included a community benefit requirement, this approach is designed to deliver local community benefits where possible. 2.11 Within their tender, the three recommended contractors committed to deliver the following community benefits within the initial 24 months of the Agreement. These will also be delivered on a pro-rata basis during any optional extension period awarded under the Agreement: Lot 1 - Procast Building Contractors Limited Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed New Job for an Individual from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 New Job for an Individual not from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group (Full Time) 2 Page 262 of 322
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Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 1 Educational Visits 3 Educational Workplace Visit 1 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 Lot 2 – GMG Contractors Limited Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed New Job for an Individual not from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 3 Work Experience Placement for an individual14-16 years of age 2 Educational Visits 3 Educational Workplace Visit 1 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 1 Non-Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 1 Lot 3 – Ailsa Building Contractors Limited Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed New Job for an Individual from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 New Job for an Individual not from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group (Full Time) 2 Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 4 Educational Workplace Visit 2 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 2.12 The community benefits delivered as part of the Agreement includes the creation of jobs or apprenticeships. Fair Work First 2.13 Within their tender submission, all three contractors recommended for award advised that they will commit to the following areas of the Scottish Governments “Fair Work First” initiative: 2.14 For Lot 1 Procast Building Contractors Limited have provided confirmation that their company approach aligns with ‘Fair Work First’. For example, they are a living wage accredited employer, reject zero hours contracts, offer flexible working to all staff, have comprehensive diversity and inclusivity policies in place and encourage employee engagement throughout the business. They are an investor in people awarded business with comprehensive workforce development practices in place including mentorship programmes, trade and graduate apprenticeships. They also have robust processes in place to ensure fair and prompt payment throughout their supply chain. Page 263 of 322
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2.15 For Lot 2 GMG Contractors Limited have provided confirmation that their company is fully committed to ‘Fair Work First’. For example, they are a ‘living wage Scotland’ accredited employer, reject zero hours contracts, offer flexible/ hybrid working, invest in staff training and workforce development including apprenticeships which gained them an investors in young people platinum award. They operate regular employee forums for regular staff communication and engagement. 2.16 For Lot 3 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited have provided confirmation that their company policies align with all ‘Fair Work First’ criteria and they encourage the same from their subcontractors and suppliers. For example, they are working towards ‘living wage’ employer accreditation, reject zero hours contracts, offer family friendly policies including flexible/ hybrid working and invest in staff training and workforce development including apprenticeships. Contract Management 2.17 Officers from Housing Services will be responsible for managing the Agreement which will be undertaken in accordance with the contract and supplier management conditions applied within the Agreement. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The Agreement will deliver the following outcomes; • conclusion of a procurement procedure that is compliant with procurement legislation and internal procedures 3.2 Best Value has been considered to be demonstrated by: • this procurement opportunity being divided into three lots based on maximum value, and the requirement that no more than one lot is awarded to any one contractor, which attracted the full spectrum of the market ensuring competitive bids were received by the council • the appointment of contractors who have, via their responses to the ITP and ITT, evidenced they have the experience and capability to deliver an innovative, high quality and responsive service to the council, tenants and private owners • commitment by the three contractors recommended for award to deliver of a range of community benefits as set out in this report 4. Supporting documents Appendix 1 Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Appendix 2 Summary of Procurement Process Appendix 3 SME Status and Location of All Tenderers Page 264 of 322
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Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 265 of 322
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The maximum value of the Agreement is Ninety Nine Million Pounds Sterling (£99,000,000) exclusive of VAT including any option to extend the Agreement. The costs associated with contract delivery will be contained within the HRA Capital budget for Housing Services. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Legal input, both internal and external, was required to incorporate bespoke contract amendments to cover the contractor design requirement of the contract. Training has been arranged for all key staff in relation to these changes prior to the commencement of the Agreement. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e-mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 266 of 322
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The Agreement included the requirement for tenderers to hold BS EN ISO 14001 / EMAS (or equivalent) accreditation, all three contractors have provided appropriate evidence of accreditation. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Due to the high value of this Agreement, committee approval is required and will be published on the council’s website for public viewing 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risk will be minimised and managed by a designated contract manager in accordance with the Council’s agreed approach to contract and supplier management. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex-Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. Page 267 of 322
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5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Page 268 of 322
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Appendix 1 – Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Lot 1: Stage 1 – Invitation to Participate Final Rank Candidate Name Total Score (%) Invited to Tender 1 Procast Building Contractors Limited 93.30 Yes 2 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited 80.00 Yes 2 Everwarm Limited 80.00 Yes 4 Hugh LS McConnell Limited 70.00 Yes 5 AC Whyte & Co Limited 63.30 Yes Four other RTP submissions received for Lot 1 were assessed as failing to meet the councils minimum requirements set within the procurement procedure therefore were not progressed to have their selection criteria scored. Lot 1: Stage 2 – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 Procast Building Contractors Limited 95.82 Yes 2 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited 92.40 No 3 AC Whyte & Co Limited 86.27 No 4 Everwarm Limited 81.42 No 5 Hugh LS McConnell Limited 78.12 No Lot 2: Stage 1 – Invitation to Participate Final Rank Candidate Name Total Score (%) Invited to Tender 1 Procast Building Contractors Limited 100.00 Yes 2 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited 90.00 Yes 3 Everwarm Limited 80.00 Yes 4 Hugh LS McConnell Limited 70.00 Yes 5 GMG Contractors Limited 63.40 Yes 6 AC Whyte & Co Limited 63.30 No Page 269 of 322
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Six other RTP submissions received for Lot 2 were assessed as failing to meet the councils minimum requirements set within the procurement procedure therefore were not progressed to have their selection criteria scored. Lot 2: Stage 2 – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 GMG Contractors Limited 91.60 Yes 2 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited 60.82 No 3 Everwarm Limited 43.64 No 4 Hugh LS McConnell Limited 40.91 No N/A Procast Building Contractors Limited N/A Recommended for Lot 1 Lot 3: Stage 1 – Invitation to Participate Final Rank Candidate Name Total Score (%) Invited to Tender 1 Procast Building Contractors Limited 100.00 Yes 2 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited 90.00 Yes 3 Everwarm Limited 86.70 Yes 4 Hugh LS McConnell Limited 80.00 Yes 5 AC Whyte & Co Limited 73.30 Yes 6 GMG Contractors Limited 63.40 No 7 Union Technical Services Limited 53.30 No Six other RTP submissions received for Lot 3 were assessed as failing to meet the councils minimum requirements set within the procurement procedure therefore were not progressed to have their selection criteria scored. Lot 3: Stage 2 – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 Ailsa Building Contractors Limited 92.40 Yes 2 AC Whyte & Co Limited 84.55 No 3 Everwarm Limited 81.44 No Page 270 of 322
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4 Hugh LS McConnell Limited 74.91 No N/A Procast Building Contractors Limited N/A Recommended for Lot 1 Page 271 of 322
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Appendix 2 – Agreement - Summary of Procurement Process Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3 CPT Contract Reference Allocated: NLC-SLP-23-118 Procurement Procedure Utilised: Restricted Procedure Governing Legislation / Regulations: Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 Date Contract Strategy Approved: 14 March 2024 Date Contract Notice Published: 15 March 2024 Tender Platform Utilised: PCS Mailbox (PCS) Total Expressions of Interest Received: 47 NLC Based Expressions of Interest: 83% Request to Participate (RTP) Return Deadline: 17 April 2024 Number of RTP’s Received: 9 12 13 RTP’s from SME’s: 8 11 12 RTP’s from NLC Based Candidates: 1 1 1 RTP’s from Supported Businesses: 0 0 0 Number of Non−compliant RTP’s: 4 6 6 Number of Compliant RTP’s: 5 6 7 Number of Candidates Invited to Tender: 5 5 5 ITT Publication Date: 07 June 2024 Tender Return Deadline: 24 July 2024 Number of Tenders Received: 5 5 5 Tenders from SME’s: 5 5 5 Tenders from NLC Based Tenderers: 1 1 1 Number of Non−compliant Tenders: 0 0 0 Number of Compliant Tenders: 5 5 5 Number of Recommended Tenderers: 1 1 1 Basis of Award: Quality: 40% Price: 60% Page 272 of 322
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Evaluation Team: Officers from the Housing Property Anticipated Start Date of the Agreement: 02 December 2024 Total Agreement Period (Months): 24 + 12 + 12 + 12 Maximum Value of the Agreement: £99,000,000 .00 (Excluding VAT) Page 273 of 322
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Appendix 3 – SME Status and location of all Tenderers Name of Tenderer Size of Tendering Organisation (Micro, Small, Medium or Large) Location (Local Authority / Council Area) AC Whyte & Co Limited Medium East Renfrewshire Ailsa Building Contractors Limited Medium North Lanarkshire Everwarm Limited Large West Lothian GMG Contractors Limited Small Glasgow Hugh LS McConnell Limited Medium South Lanarkshire Procast Building Contractors Limited Medium South Lanarkshire Page 274 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref: HO HT 24 033/ NLC- SLP-24-035 Date: 06 November 2024 Contract Award for MTC for Full Gas Heating Installations; 2025-2029 From Stephen Llewellyn – Chief Officer (Housing Management) E-mail starbucks@northlan.gov.uk Telephone: Siobhan Starbuck – Contract Support Manager – via MS Teams Executive Summary The Committee is asked to approve the award of a contract for “MTC for Full Gas Heating Installations; 2025-2029” (the ‘Agreement’) to: • Lot 1 – Saltire Facilities Management Ltd • Lot 2 – Gas Call Services Ltd The Agreement is for an initial period of 24 months anticipated to commence on 22 January 2025. The Council reserves the right to extend the Agreement for additional periods up to a maximum of a further 24 months. The maximum value of the Agreement shall not exceed Forty Million Pounds Sterling (£40,000,000.00) exclusive of VAT. The value of the Agreement is split across two lots; • Lot 1 – £24,000,000, • Lot 2 – £16,000,000 As a Measured Term Contract form of agreement, the value of the Agreement is pertinent to demand therefore there is no guarantee that the council will spend any, or all, of the awarded Agreement value. Recommendations It is recommended that the Committee approves the award of the Agreement at the maximum value of Forty Million Pounds Sterling (£40,000,000.00) exclusive of VAT exclusive of VAT to: • Saltire Facilities Management Ltd. for Lot 1 at the maximum value of Twenty-Four Million Pounds Sterling (£24,000,000) exclusive of VAT; Item 18 Page 275 of 322
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• Gas Call Services Ltd. for Lot 2 at the maximum value of Sixteen Million Pounds Sterling (£16,000,000) exclusive of VAT; and This recommendation follows the completion of a procurement procedure, where the tenders recommended for award have been evaluated as providing the most economically advantageous tenders in terms of cost and quality for the council. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition Statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Invest in North Lanarkshire 1. Background 1.1 The requirements within the Agreement are currently under contract split across two lots; • Lot 1 –Gas Call Services Ltd • Lot 2 – Saltire Facilities Management Ltd These contracts are due to expire no later than 22 January 2025, with the Agreement detailed within this report due to supersede it. 1.2 The council is committed to deliver future gas heating system replacements to Council-owned domestic properties within the geographical area of North Lanarkshire Council. This contract is required due to properties having gas heating systems that are beyond repair and requiring upgrading and is applicable to the whole domestic property portfolio. The scope of services comprises of the removal and replacement of gas heating systems including boilers, radiators, pipework and associated works this agreement will support the ongoing maintenance of Council-owned domestic properties and will require appropriately experiences and qualified contractors to replace gas heating systems. 1.3 To enable adequate service provision, the requirements of the Agreement have been split across two, with each lot having a set maximum value of work that can be allocated to each appointed contractor. This approach allows the council to spread the workload across multiple contractors therefore ensuring delivery requirements can be met dependant on each appointed contractor’s availability and capacity at time a work order is placed. 1.4 Tenderers were free to bid for both lots, however, if a tenderer was recommended for lot 1, their tender for lot 2 (if they submitted a tender for each lot) was excluded on the basis of the council requirement to appoint a separate contractor for each lot. 2. Report Page 276 of 322
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2.1 A user intelligence group (‘UIG’) of technical and procurement representatives was formed to review technical specifications, discuss trading processes, market conditions and trends, ways to maximise community benefits and sustainability and to agree the procurement strategy for the Agreement to enable the council to achieve maximum benefit for the requirements. 2.2 The initial estimated value of the Agreement dictated that the procurement procedure be undertaken in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. An advert for the procurement opportunity was published on the Public Contracts Scotland and the UK Find a Tender (FTS) website. 2.3 The procurement procedure was undertaken as an “Open Procedure”. Invitation to Tender documentation published by the council received a total interest from 38 companies with the council receiving 9 tender submissions for each lot. 2.4 Based on the evaluation criteria and scoring methodology set out in the invitation to tender package within the procurement procedure, an evaluation of tender responses received was completed by members identified by the UIG. Selection stage responses were assessed first and compliant tenderers that satisfied / declared that they met the published minimum selection stage criteria progressed to the award stage evaluation. Following identification of the recommended tenderer(s), their selection stage responses were assessed in more detail to ensure they satisfied the minimum selection stage criteria applied The Agreement award recommendation is made on the basis of the two tenderers who have been evaluated as representing the most economically advantageous tenders: • Lot 1 – Saltire Facilities Management Ltd • Lot 2 – Gas Call Services Ltd 2.5 Appendix 1 confirms the scoring achieved by each tenderer for each Lot, further details of the procurement procedure are provided in Appendix 2 and the SME status and location of all tenderers is located within Appendix 3. Financial / Budget Consideration 2.6 The pre-tender whole life estimate budget for the Agreement was £40,000,000.00. This is the maximum value of the Agreement as identified and set by the council. As a measured term contract there is no obligation on the council to spend any, or all, of this value. 2.7 When comparing rates to the existing contract tendered in 2022, tendered rates for this Agreement have increased by an average of 7%. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Building Cost Information Services M&E Cost Index for this period is 5.6%. This is an acceptable uplift. The pre-tender estimate budget has been set to incorporate these increases; however, future inflation and other external events may increase costs over the maximum 4 years Agreement duration. The budget will be monitored and managed closely by the project team to maximise the volume of work that can be completed under the Agreement. 2.8 The costs associated with delivery of the Agreement will be contained within the Capital budget for Housing Services. . Price Stability Page 277 of 322
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2.9 The Agreement pricing is fixed until July 2025. Thereafter, prices will be adjusted annually by the application of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Building Cost Information Services M&E Cost Index which is an industry standard approach. Community Benefits 2.10 The council is committed to maximising the delivery of community benefits. The procurement included a community benefit requirement, this approach is designed to deliver local community benefits where possible. 2.11 Within their tender, the two recommended contractors committed to deliver the following community benefits within the initial 24 months of the Agreement. These will also be delivered on a pro-rata basis during any optional extension period awarded under the Agreement: Lot 1 - Saltire Facilities Management Ltd Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group (Full Time) 2 Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 4 Careers Event 4 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 Non-Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 Lot 2 – GMG Contractors Limited Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group (Full Time) 2 Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 1 Work Experience Placement for an individual14-16 years of age 1 Educational Visits 3 Educational Workplace Visit 1 Supply Chain Briefing with SME’s 1 Business Mentoring for a SME’s 1 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 Non-Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 2.12 The community benefits delivered as part of the Agreement includes the creation of jobs or apprenticeships. Fair Work First 2.13 Within their tender submission, both contractors recommended for award advised that they will commit to the following areas of the Scottish Governments “Fair Work First” initiative: Page 278 of 322
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• For Lot 1 Saltire Facilities Management Ltd have provided confirmation that their company approach aligns with ‘Fair Work First’. For example, they are a living wage accredited employer, do not utilise zero hours contracts, offer flexible working to staff, have comprehensive diversity and inclusivity policies in place and encourage employee engagement throughout the business. They have comprehensive workforce development practices in place including mentorship programmes, trade and graduate apprenticeships. They also have robust processes in place to ensure fair and prompt payment throughout their supply chain. • For Lot 2 Gas Call Services Ltd have provided confirmation that their company approach aligns with ‘Fair Work First’. For example, they are a living wage accredited employer, do not utilise zero hours contracts, offer flexible working to staff. They have comprehensive workforce development practices in place including mentorship programmes, trade and graduate apprenticeships. They also have robust processes in place to ensure fair and prompt payment throughout their supply chain. Contract Management 2.14 Officers from Housing Services will be responsible for managing the Agreement which will be undertaken in accordance with the contract and supplier management conditions applied within the Agreement. 3. Measures of success The Agreement will deliver the following outcomes; 3.1 conclusion of a procurement procedure that is compliant with procurement legislation and internal procedures 3.2 Best Value has been considered to be demonstrated by: • this procurement opportunity being divided into two lots based on maximum value, and the requirement that no more than one lot is awarded to any one contractor, which attracted the full spectrum of the market ensuring competitive bids were received by the council • the appointment of contractors who have, via their responses to the ITT, evidenced they have the experience and capability to deliver an innovative, high quality and responsive service to the council, tenants and private owners • commitment by the two contractors recommended for award to deliver of a range of community benefits as set out in this report 4. Supporting documents Appendix 1 Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Appendix 2 Summary of Procurement Process Appendix 3 SME Status and Location of All Tenderers Page 279 of 322
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Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 280 of 322
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The maximum value of the Agreement is Forty Million Pounds Sterling (£40,000,000) exclusive of VAT including any option to extend the Agreement. The costs associated with contract delivery will be contained within the HRA Capital budget for Housing Services. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e-mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Page 281 of 322
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Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The Agreement included the requirement for tenderers to hold BS EN ISO 14001 / EMAS (or equivalent) accreditation, both contractors have provided appropriate evidence of accreditation. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Due to the high value of this Agreement, committee approval is required and will be published on the council’s website for public viewing 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risk will be minimised and managed by a designated contract manager in accordance with the Council’s agreed approach to contract and supplier management. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex-Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Page 282 of 322
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If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Page 283 of 322
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Appendix 1 Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Lot 1: – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 Saltire Facilities Management Ltd 96.80% Yes 2 Gas Call Services Ltd 88.56% No 3 British Gas Social Housing Ltd trading as PH Jones 86.80% No 4 Everwarm Ltd 80.71 No 5 City Technical Services UK Ltd 78.65% No 6 Hugh LS McConnell 72.79% No 7 BRB Electrical Limited 71.54% No 8 Easy Heat Systems Ltd 7.87% No Lot 2: – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 Gas Call Services Ltd 95.41% Yes 2 British Gas Social Housing Ltd trading as PH Jones 92.80% No 3 Everwarm Ltd 87.83% No 4 City Technical Services UK Ltd 86.22% No 5 Hugh LS McConnell 80.79% No 6 BRB Electrical Limited 80.07% No 7 Easy Heat Systems Ltd 39.33% No Note: in accordance with the ITT Saltire Facilities Management Ltd were successful in the first Lot they had bid for, were excluded from the Lot 2. Page 284 of 322
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Appendix 2 – Agreement - Summary of Procurement Process Lot 1 Lot 2 CPT Contract Reference Allocated: NLC- SLP-24-035 Procurement Procedure Utilised: Open Procedure Governing Legislation / Regulations: Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 Date Contract Strategy Approved: 08 August 2024 Date Contract Notice Published: 12 August 2024 Tender Platform Utilised: PCS Mailbox (PCS) Total Expressions of Interest Received: 38 NLC Based Expressions of Interest: 7 Number of Tenders Received: 9 9 Tenders from SME’s: 5 5 Tenders from NLC Based Tenderers 1 1 Tenders from Supported Businesses: 0 0 Number of Non−compliant Tenders 1 1 Number of Compliant Tenders 8 8 Number of Recommended Tenderers: 1 1 Basis of Award: Quality: 40% Price: 60% Evaluation Team: Officers from the Housing Property Anticipated Start Date of the Agreement: 22 January 2025 Total Agreement Period (Months): 24 + 12 + 12 Maximum Value of the Agreement: +- £40,000,000 .00 (Excluding VAT) Page 285 of 322
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Appendix 3 – SME Status and location of all Tenderers Name of Tenderer Size of Tendering Organisation (Micro, Small, Medium or Large) Location (Local Authority / Council Area) BRB Electrical Limited Medium City of Glasgow British Gas Social Housing Ltd trading as PH Jones Large Cheshire City Technical Services UK Ltd Medium City of Glasgow Easy Heat Systems Ltd Medium Perthshire Everwarm Ltd Large West Lothian Gas Call Services Ltd Medium City of Glasgow Hugh LS McConnell Medium South Lanarkshire Saltire Facilities Management Ltd Large North Lanarkshire Page 286 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref: HO WN 24 027 / NLC-SLP-24-040 Date: 06 November 2024 Contract Award for MTC for Replacement Windows & Doors 2025 - 2027 From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail starbucks@northlan.gov.uk Telephone: Siobhan Starbuck – Contract Support Manager – via MS Teams Executive Summary The Committee is asked to approve the award of a contract for “MTC for Replacement Windows & Doors 2025 - 2027” (the ‘Agreement’) to: • Lot 1 – Sidey Solutions Ltd • Lot 2 – Walkers Profiles Ltd The Agreement is for an initial period of 24 months anticipated to commence on 22 January 2025. The Council reserves the right to extend the Agreement for additional periods up to a maximum of a further 24 months. The maximum value of the Agreement shall not exceed Forty-Five Million Pounds Sterling (£45,000,000.00) exclusive of VAT. The value of the Agreement is split across two lots; • Lot 1 – £28,000,000, • Lot 2 – £17,000,000 As a Measured Term Contract form of agreement, the value of the Agreement is pertinent to demand therefore there is no guarantee that the council will spend any, or all, of the awarded Agreement value. Recommendations It is recommended that the Committee approves the award of the Agreement at the maximum value of Forty-Five Million Pounds Sterling (£45,000,000.00) exclusive of VAT to: • Sidey Solutions Ltd. for Lot 1 at the maximum value of Twenty-Eight Million Pounds Sterling (£28,000,000) exclusive of VAT; • Walkers Profiles Ltd. for Lot 2 at the maximum value of Seventeen Million Pounds Sterling (£17,000,000) exclusive of VAT; and Item 19 Page 287 of 322
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This recommendation follows the completion of a procurement procedure, where the tenders recommended for award have been evaluated as providing the most economically advantageous tenders in terms of cost and quality for the council. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition Statement (1) Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth Programme of Work Invest in North Lanarkshire Page 288 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 The requirements within the Agreement are currently under contract split across two lots; • Lot 1 – Walkers Profiles Ltd • Lot 2 – Belac Group Limited (Entered liquidation 24 January 2024) These contracts are due to expire no later than 22 January 2025, with the Agreement detailed within this report due to supersede it. 1.2 The council is committed to replacing windows and doors in Council-owned domestic properties within the geographical area of North Lanarkshire Council. This contract is required due to properties having windows and doors that are beyond repair and requiring upgrading with modern triple glazing and is applicable to the whole domestic property portfolio. The scope of services comprises of the removal and replacement of window , doors and associated works this agreement will support the ongoing maintenance of Council-owned domestic properties and will require appropriately experiences and qualified contractors to replace windows and doors. 1.3 To enable adequate service provision, the requirements of the Agreement have been split across two lots, with each lot having a set maximum value of work that can be allocated to each appointed contractor. This approach allows the council to spread the workload across multiple contractors therefore ensuring delivery requirements can be met dependant on each appointed contractor’s availability and capacity at time a work order is placed. 1.4 Tenderers were free to bid for both lots, however, if a tenderer was recommended for lot 1, their tender for lot 2 (if they submitted a tender for each lot) was excluded on the basis of the council requirement to appoint a separate contractor for each lot. 2. Report 2.1 A user intelligence group (‘UIG’) of technical and procurement representatives was formed to review technical specifications, discuss trading processes, market conditions and trends, ways to maximise community benefits and sustainability and to agree the procurement strategy for the Agreement to enable the council to achieve maximum benefit for the requirements. 2.2 The initial estimated value of the Agreement dictated that the procurement procedure be undertaken in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. An advert for the procurement opportunity was published on the Public Contracts Scotland and the UK Find a Tender (FTS) website. 2.3 The procurement procedure was undertaken as an “Open Procedure”. Invitation to Tender documentation published by the council received a total interest from 28 companies with the council receiving 7 tender submissions for Lot 1 and 6 for lot 2. 2.4 Based on the evaluation criteria and scoring methodology set out in the invitation to tender package within the procurement procedure, an evaluation of tender responses received was completed by members identified by the UIG. Selection stage responses were assessed first and compliant tenderers that satisfied / declared that they met the published minimum selection stage criteria progressed to the award stage evaluation. Following identification of Page 289 of 322
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the recommended tenderer(s), their selection stage responses were assessed in more detail to ensure they satisfied the minimum selection stage criteria applied The Agreement award recommendation is made on the basis of the two tenderers who have been evaluated as representing the most economically advantageous tenders: • Lot 1 – Sidey Solutions Ltd • Lot 2 – Walkers Profiles Ltd 2.5 Appendix 1 confirms the scoring achieved by each tenderer for each Lot, further details of the procurement procedure are provided in Appendix 2 and the SME status and location of all tenderers is located within Appendix 3. Financial / Budget Consideration 2.6 The pre-tender whole life estimate budget for the Agreement was £45,000,000.00. This is the maximum value of the Agreement as identified and set by the council. As a measured term contract there is no obligation on the council to spend any, or all, of this value. 2.7 When comparing rates to the existing contract tendered in 2022, tendered rates for this are in line with these when adjusted for inflation as outlined in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Building Cost Information Services General Building Cost Index for this period .The pre-tender estimate budget has been set to incorporate these increases; however, future inflation and other external events may increase costs over the maximum 4 years Agreement duration. The budget will be monitored and managed closely by the project team to maximise the volume of work that can be completed under the Agreement. 2.8 The costs associated with delivery of the Agreement will be contained within the Capital budget for Housing Services. . Price Stability 2.9 The Agreement pricing is fixed until August 2025. Thereafter, prices will be adjusted annually by the application of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Building Cost Information Services General Building Cost Index which is an industry standard approach. Community Benefits 2.10 The council is committed to maximising the delivery of community benefits. The procurement included a community benefit requirement, this approach is designed to deliver local community benefits where possible. 2.11 Within their tender, the two recommended contractors committed to deliver the following community benefits within the initial 24 months of the Agreement. These will also be delivered on a pro-rata basis during any optional extension period awarded under the Agreement: Lot 1 – Sidey Solution Ltd Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 4 Page 290 of 322
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Careers Event 4 Site Visits 2 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 4 Non-Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 2 Lot 2 – Walkers Profiles Ltd Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed New Job from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 New Job for an Apprentice from a Priority Group (Full Time) 1 Work Experience Placement for an individual16+ years of age 1 Careers Event 1 Site Visits 1 Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 1 Non-Financial Support for a community project/ organisation 1 2.12 The community benefits delivered as part of the Agreement includes the creation of jobs or apprenticeships. Fair Work First 2.11 Within their tender submission, both contractors recommended for award advised that they will commit to the following areas of the Scottish Governments “Fair Work First” initiative: • For Lot 1 Sidey Solutions Ltd have provided confirmation that their company approach aligns with ‘Fair Work First’. For example, they are a living wage accredited employer, do not utilise zero hours contracts, offer flexible working to staff, have comprehensive diversity and inclusivity policies in place and encourage employee engagement throughout the business. They have comprehensive workforce development practices in place including mentorship programmes, trade and graduate apprenticeships. They also have robust processes in place to ensure fair and prompt payment throughout their supply chain. • For Lot 2 Walkers Profiles Ltd have provided confirmation that their company approach aligns with ‘Fair Work First’. For example, they are a living wage accredited employer, do not utilise zero hours contracts, offer flexible working to staff from day one. They have comprehensive workforce development practices in place including mentorship programmes, trade and graduate apprenticeships. They also have robust processes in place to ensure fair and prompt payment throughout their supply chain. Contract Management 2.13 Officers from Housing Services will be responsible for managing the Agreement which will be undertaken in accordance with the contract and supplier management conditions applied within the Agreement. Page 291 of 322
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3. Measures of success The Agreement will deliver the following outcomes; 3.1 Conclusion of a procurement procedure that is compliant with procurement legislation and internal procedures. 3.2 Best Value has been considered to be demonstrated by: • this procurement opportunity being divided into two lots based on maximum value, and the requirement that no more than one lot is awarded to any one contractor, which attracted the full spectrum of the market ensuring competitive bids were received by the council. • the appointment of contractors who have, via their responses to the ITT, evidenced they have the experience and capability to deliver an innovative, high quality and responsive service to the council, tenants and private owners. • commitment by the two contractors recommended for award to deliver of a range of community benefits as set out in this report. 4. Supporting documents 4.1 Appendix 1 Summary of Tender Evaluation Process 4.2 Appendix 2 Summary of Procurement Process 4.3 Appendix 3 SME Status and Location of All Tenderers Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 292 of 322
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The maximum value of the Agreement is Forty Million Pounds Sterling (£40,000,000) exclusive of VAT including any option to extend the Agreement. The costs associated with contract delivery will be contained within the HRA Capital budget for Housing Services. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e-mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 293 of 322
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The Agreement included the requirement for tenderers to hold BS EN ISO 14001 / EMAS (or equivalent) accreditation, both contractors have provided appropriate evidence of accreditation. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Due to the high value of this Agreement, committee approval is required and will be published on the council’s website for public viewing 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risk will be minimised and managed by a designated contract manager in accordance with the Council’s agreed approach to contract and supplier management. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex-Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Page 294 of 322
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Appendix 1 Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Lot 1: – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 Sidey Solution Ltd 100% Yes 2 Walkers Profiles Ltd 93.11% No 3 CR Smith Manufacturing Ltd 82.33% No Lot 2: – Invitation to Tender Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Score (%) Recommended for Award 1 Walkers Profiles Ltd 96.20% Yes 2 CR Smith Manufacturing Ltd 85.56% No Note: in accordance with the ITT Sidey Solution Ltd were successful in the first Lot they had bid for, were excluded from the Lot 2. Page 295 of 322
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Appendix 2 – Agreement - Summary of Procurement Process Lot 1 Lot 2 CPT Contract Reference Allocated: NLC-SLP-24-040 Procurement Procedure Utilised: Open Procedure Governing Legislation / Regulations: Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 Date Contract Strategy Approved: 26 July 2024 Date Contract Notice Published: 30 July 2024 Tender Platform Utilised: PCS-Tender (PCST) Total Expressions of Interest Received: 28 NLC Based Expressions of Interest: 7 Number of Tenders Received: 7 6 Tenders from SME’s: 6 5 Tenders from NLC Based Tenderers 2 2 Tenders from Supported Businesses: 0 0 Number of Non−compliant Tenders 4 3 Number of Compliant Tenders 3 3 Number of Recommended Tenderers: 1 1 Basis of Award: Quality: 40% Price: 60% Evaluation Team: Officers from the Housing Property Anticipated Start Date of the Agreement: 22 January 2025 Total Agreement Period (Months): 24 + 12 + 12 Maximum Value of the Agreement: +- £45,000,000 .00 (Excluding VAT) Page 296 of 322
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Appendix 3 – SME Status and location of all Tenderers * Name of Tenderer Size of Tendering Organisation (Micro, Small, Medium or Large) Location (Local Authority / Council Area) CR Smith Manufacturing Ltd Medium Fife Sidey Solution Ltd Medium Perthshire Walkers Profiles Ltd Medium North Lanarkshire *Complaint Bidders Page 297 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref: NLC-CPT-23-046 Date: 06 November 2024 Contract Award for Replacement Housing & Asset Management System From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail LlewellynS@northlan.gov.uk Telephone: 07939280680 Executive Summary The Committee is asked to approve the award of a contract for a Replacement Housing & Asset Management System (the ‘Agreement’) to Civica UK Limited. The Agreement is for an initial period of 60 months anticipated to commence on 18 November 2024. The council reserves the right to extend the Agreement for additional periods up to a maximum of a further 84 months. The maximum value of the Agreement is Two Million Pounds Sterling (£2,500,000) exclusive of VAT. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) approves the award of the Agreement to Civica UK Limited at the maximum value of Two Million Pounds Sterling (£2,500,000) exclusive of VAT. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition Statement (24) Review and design services around people, communities, and shared resources Programme of Work All Programmes of Work 1. Background 1.1 The council currently provides housing management and repair functions for its circa 37,000 housing stock through its Housing Services Management System (HSMS) and Common Housing Register (CHR). This system is an in house developed systems which have continued to be maintained internally for over 20 years providing the flexibility of being able Item 20 Page 299 of 322
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to be tailored to meet the ever-changing needs of the services. However, it has become apparent that the support and maintenance cannot be sustained and carries with it a high level of risk. Substantial investment would be required to modernise HSMS & CHR to align with the ‘cloud first’ principle and to enable web-based functionality for mobile working and online tenant/resident engagement capabilities. 1.2 Market research was carried out towards the end of 2019 to seek a suitable replacement incorporating a housing asset management element. A further market review was carried out, and a detailed risk assessment created which ultimately led to a replacement project commencing. The project was paused in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted service areas and the wider council having to quickly implement home working etc. and again in 2022 as work would have coincided with the commencement of the Housing & Corporate contract formally Enterprise Contract. 1.3 The Enterprise Architecture Governance Group have been involved since 2020. They supported the use of an interim asset management system which was required to remove the use of access databases and spreadsheets. The ‘Confirm’ solution was agreed as a suitable solution until a replacement for HSMS was procured. Since then, the requirement for an Enterprise asset management system has been discussed and agreed the housing asset data would transition to the replacement HSMS system. 1.4 The aim of this project is to implement an all-in-one housing and asset management system bringing together all information relating to properties and tenancies into the one system providing staff with a modern intuitive system to support them in their day-to-day roles. Key objectives include: • Achieve best value by implementing the most cost-effective solution to meet the needs of the service; • Improve efficiencies through use of technology; • Improve tenant/resident’s interactions with the service; • Align with the future operating model; • Improve the skills of the workforce by introducing new technologies and delivering effective training; • Ensuring solution is flexible and scalable to meet demand of service during the term of the contract; • Integration to BI Hub for strategic performance information and any other data analysis; • Ensuring most up to date software version to maintain system integrity; • Maintaining accurate and up to date data on properties, tenancies, and service users; • Effective supplier management; and • Making better use of data. Scoping Table: In scope Elements in scope for this project to ensure objectives are met Out of scope Elements not in scope Functionality for Housing Management per requirements Functionality for Housing Property per requirements Functionality for Asset Management per requirements Staffing model Page 300 of 322
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Document storage Integrations to other council systems Implementation plan System testing End user training Contractor management 1.5 The requirements of the Agreement have never been contracted before by the council therefore historical information, data etc. is not available. 2. Report 2.1 A group of technical and procurement representatives was formed to develop and agree the procurement strategy for the Agreement to enable the council to achieve maximum benefit for the requirements. 2.2 The initial estimated value of the Agreement dictated that the procurement procedure be undertaken in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. 2.3 The procurement procedure was undertaken as a mini competition from the Crown Commercial Services, Vertical Applications Solutions (RM6259), Lot 3 Housing, Environmental and Planning Solutions framework agreement. 2.4 Invitation to Tender documentation was issued to all 29 companies appointed to Lot 3 of the Framework Agreement with the council receiving 4 tender submissions. 2.5 This recommendation to award the Agreement follows the completion of a procurement procedure where Civica UK Limited has been evaluated as demonstrating Best Value for the council. The successful solution is the Cx product set. 2.6 Appendix 1 confirms the scoring achieved by each tenderer, further details of the procurement procedure is provided in Appendix 2 and the SME status and location of all tenderers is located within Appendix 3. Financial / Budget Consideration 2.7 The pre-tender wholelife estimate budget for the full duration of the Agreement was £5,000,000. Following completion of the procurement procedure, the value of the Agreement to be awarded is Two Million Pounds Sterling (£2,000,000) exclusive of VAT. 2.8 The current internal HSMS incurs licence fees of £40,000 per annum. Additionally, 2 x Contract Progress Analysts / Programmers are employed full-time at a combined cost of approximately £200,000 per annum (with annual uplifts). These analysts are responsible for supporting, integrating and maintaining the development of the system and will remain in-situ until the replacement systems goes live. Thereafter, these costs will cease. 2.9 The costs associated with delivery of the Agreement will be contained within mixed Revenue and Capital budget. The implementation, training and year one costs will be covered from the Capital Budget (HRA Mainstream Capital Budget) with the remaining Revenue budget from Housing. Page 301 of 322
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Price Stability 2.10 The pricing is fixed for the first 5 years of the agreement. All optional extension years will be subject to an application from the Supplier requiring pre-defined criteria to be satisfied to allow appropriate consideration of increase requests. 2.11 Please find below a high-level breakdown of the total pricing for each of the requested categories during the evaluation process. *This item includes 3.8% year on year uplifts for years 6 to 12. These are not automatically given and were for evaluation purposes. Price variation for those years is to be managed in accordance with the corresponding schedule. 2.12 The contract is to be awarded at a maximum value to allow for licence fluidity and price variations process in years 6 to 12 and any customer enhancement in future years. Community Benefits 2.13 The council is committed to maximising the delivery of community benefits. The procurement included a community benefit requirement, this approach is designed to deliver local community benefits where possible. 2.14 Within their tender, Civica UK Limited committed to deliver the following community benefits within the Agreement: Community Benefit Type Quantity Committed Educational Visits 10 Financial Support for a Community Project / Organisation 10 2.15 The community benefits delivered as part of the Agreement does not include the creation of jobs or apprenticeships. Fair Work First 2.16 Within their tender submission, Civica UK Limited advised that they commit to key areas of the Scottish Governments “Fair Work First” initiative. Contract Management Summary Headings Costs System Implementation £356,550.12 Training £24,000.40 Licensing, System Support, Maintenance & Hosting (per-set pricing model) *£965,501.22 over potential full 12-year duration (£80,458.44 per annum). Total evaluated pricing £1,345,051.74 Page 302 of 322
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2.17 Officers from Housing will be responsible for implementing and managing the Agreement which will be undertaken in accordance with the contract and supplier management conditions applied within the Agreement. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The Agreement will deliver the following outcomes: • Cloud hosted solution - The new system will be cloud hosted removing the requirement for on-premises servers within the North Lanarkshire Council's IT infrastructure. This move to cloud hosting offers multiple advantages, including scalability, reduced maintenance overhead, and the ability to access the system from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. • Enhanced functionality - Implementing a new system will provide functionality that is currently unavailable in the existing system, meaning the council will have access to a broader range of tools and features, which can streamline housing management tasks and improve decision-making processes. • Regular Updates - The new system will be designed to receive regular updates. This is critical for staying compliant with evolving legislation and security requirements. Keeping the system up to date ensures that it remains secure and aligned with the latest industry standards and best practices. • Mobile Working Capabilities - The anticipated system will enable council staff to work remotely using mobile devices. This feature can significantly improve operational flexibility and responsiveness. Staff can access critical information and perform tasks while on the field or working from home, enhancing overall productivity. • Online Tenant Services –The system will have the ability to provide online services to tenants. This feature enhances tenant engagement by offering them convenient digital tools to interact with the council. Tenants can access information, submit requests, and communicate with the council through online channels, improving customer service and satisfaction. • Efficiencies - The successful implementation of an integrated housing and asset management system providing a modernised operational model providing efficiencies and improved services to both staff and tenants whilst ensuring cost-effectiveness for the council. 3.2 Best Value has been considered to be demonstrated by Civica UK Limited having achieved the highest ranking upon conclusion of the evaluation process. 4. Supporting documents Appendix 1 Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Appendix 2 Summary of Procurement Process Appendix 3 SME Status and Location of All Tenderers Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 303 of 322
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Discussion have taken place with finance in relation to the budget requirement and all funding has been agreed and is being projected with appropriate budget projections. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e-mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☒ No ☒ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Approval of this report will bring a new technology solution to the council that will impact digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi. Page 304 of 322
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Approval has been given by EAGG to stage 3 – contract award and further processes to be completed following that can only be concluded following contract award. Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risks are recorded on the Service Risk Register, linked to the risk for the provision of housing services. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex-Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 305 of 322
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Appendix 1 – Summary of Tender Evaluation Process Final Rank Tenderer Name Total Tender Score (%) Recommended for Award (Yes / No) 1 Civica UK Limited 92.33% Yes 2 Capita Business Serviced Limited 75.07% No 3 NEC Software Solutions UK Limited 71.52% No 4 Insight Direct (UK) Limited 53.35% No Page 306 of 322
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Appendix 2 – Summary of Procurement Process Response CPT Contract Reference Allocated: NLC-CPT-23-046 Procurement Procedure Utilised: Mini Competition Governing Legislation / Regulations: Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 Date Contract Strategy Approved: 21 November 2023 Framework / DPS Owner: Crown Commercial Services Framework / DPS Title: Vertical Application Solutions Framework / DPS Reference Number: RM6259 Lot Reference / Title: Lot 3 - Housing, Environmental and Planning Solutions Companies Appointed to Framework / Lot: 29 Number of Companies Invited to Take Part: 29 Date ITT Published: 06 May 2024 Tender Platform Utilised: PCS-Tender (PCST) Tender Return Deadline: 28 June 2024 Number of Tenders Received: 4 Tenders from SME’s: 0 Tenders from NLC Based Tenderers: 0 Tenders from Supported Businesses: 0 Number of Non−compliant Tenders: 0 Number of Compliant Tenders: 4 Number of Recommended Tenderers: 1 Basis of Award: Quality: 60% Price: 40% Evaluation Team: Housing Business & Digital Anticipated Start Date of the Agreement: 18 November 2024 Total Agreement Period (Months): Initial period = 60 months Extension period = 36+24+24 months Maximum Awarded Value of the Agreement: £2,500,000 Page 307 of 322
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Appendix 3 – SME Status and location of all Tenderers Name of Tenderer Size of Tendering Organisation (Micro, Small, Medium or Large) Location (Local Authority / Council Area) Civica UK Limited Large London Capita Business Serviced Limited Large London NEC Software Solutions UK Limited Large Hertfordshire Insight Direct (UK) Limited Large Norfolk Page 308 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref AMcG/SL Date 06/11/24 Housing Support Contract Extension and Re-design From Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing) E-mail llewellyns@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939280680 Executive Summary Committee is asked to consider the outcome of the review of commissioned housing support services and to approve the recommendations to re-shape some aspects of support delivery and modify the existing contracts to extend the current service for six months to enable a re-tendering process to be undertaken early in 2025. This report details the outcome of a review into commissioned housing support services. It was intended to incorporate new homeless prevention duties from the Housing (Scotland) Bill into a re-design of housing support, however this legislation has been delayed and is unlikely to be implemented until 2026/27. The scope of the recommendations to re-design elements of the service were therefore limited and instead only some elements of the support delivery will be re-shaped to ensure the provision of broader holistic housing support services alongside a whole family approach to delivery. The contracts were originally for two years with a one-year extension option which was approved by Committee in November 2021. The contracts are currently in the one-year extension option and are due to come to an end on 31st January 2025. The total value of the current contracts is £3,405,873. The value of the six-month modification to extend the contract until 31st July 2025 is £567,646. The below table contains the details of the current contracts: Item 21 Page 309 of 322
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Organisation Contract Term Contract Extension Period Annual Contract Value SLW Payments for full contract term Service Type Barnardo’s Scotland Initial 2 years 01/02/22 – 31/01/24 1 Year Extension Option 01/02/24 – 31/01/25 £353,000 £65,501 Floating support for young people aged 16 to 26 years Simon Community Scotland £622,291 £115,471 Accommodation based support and floating housing support for adults 27 years and over Blue Triangle (Glasgow) Housing Association (BTHA) £160,000 £29,661 Supported accommodation for young people 16 to 26 years Additionally, it should be noted that there was no available funding to provide any annual uplift within these contracts and values were fixed from the outset. However, as part of the commitment to tackle low pay and implement the Scottish Living Wage (SLW), the Scottish Government included housing support services within the Health and Social Care pay awards. This was implemented for housing support contracts with effect from December 2022 and has meant that contract payments exceed the original values stated and must therefore be recorded and reported. This additional funding was provided directly by the Scottish Government to North Lanarkshire Council specifically to increase pay to meet the SLW for all health and social care workers, including those commissioned to deliver housing support services. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Consider the key findings from the review of housing support services to ensure improved outcomes and best value. (2) Approve the recommendations set out in this report to re-shape elements of housing support provision, modify the existing contracts to extend for six months and re-tender housing support services early in 2025. (3) Acknowledge the delay in the new homeless prevention duties as part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. (4) Acknowledge that a report will be brought to future Housing Committee for approval to award new contracts for housing support services in 2025. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement (24) Review and design services around people, communities, and shared resources Programme of Work Resilient People Page 310 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 Commissioned housing support providers Barnardo’s Scotland, Simon Community Scotland and Blue Triangle (Glasgow) Housing Association (BTHA) were appointed to provide housing support services from February 2022 following an OJEU procurement process. Committee approved the contract awards for all three services in November 2021. 1.2 Barnardo’s provide floating housing support for young people up to the age of 26 years, including young people formerly looked after and accommodated. Simon Community Scotland provide accommodation-based support to homeless people with complex needs aged 16 years and over across North Lanarkshire with bases in Wishaw, Motherwell and Airdrie, as well as floating housing support services to those aged 27 years and over. BTHA provide supported accommodation services to vulnerable young people aged 16 to 26 years including care leavers and is located in the Viewpark area. All three services assist in mitigating the impacts of welfare reform on some of our most vulnerable customers. 1.3 The council has a responsibility to assess the support needs of homeless households deemed to be unintentionally homeless and to provide support where the assessment indicates a need, as identified under an Amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (inserted by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010). Housing support services can play an important role in preventing homelessness and is bolstered through a thorough housing options approach to resolve housing issues before a crisis occurs. Where homelessness is unavoidable, housing support provides a household with the best possible chance to sustain their future accommodation. 1.4 The delivery of housing support services is underpinned by the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2021 – 2026 vision and key strategic housing outcomes. The vision of the LHS is “to make North Lanarkshire the place to live, through the provision of high-quality housing and support in sustainable communities, that enables people to thrive and prosper”. The vision is underpinned by seven key priorities and Priorities 3 and 4 relate to homelessness and housing support services: - Priority 3 – “We prevent and resolve homelessness effectively” Priority 4 – “We have a range of housing options and supports which promote independence, health and wellbeing” 1.5 The LHS identified a key commitment to undertake an evaluation and review of housing support services with a view to reconfiguring the delivery of housing support in the wider context of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP), potentially merging housing support contracts with the ‘Homes First’ contract and taking account of the forthcoming legislation on homeless prevention. Page 311 of 322
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2. Report Housing Support Review and Re-shaping Future Delivery 2.1 The ‘Homes First’ service is a critical element of the RRTP and is currently funded through RRTP grant provided by the Scottish Government. The RRTP is in its final year of delivery and future funding for the ’Homes First’ service is uncertain. Wider discussions are now underway with partners to consider how this service can be sustained in future. As a result, it has not been feasible to consider merging the contracts for housing support services with ‘Homes First’. 2.2 It was also intended to incorporate the future requirements of the Prevention of Homelessness Bill; however, these legal requirements have been delayed and merged with other wider changes to housing legislation within the social and private rented sectors. The Housing (Scotland) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 26 March 2024 and is unlikely to be implemented until 2026/27. Whilst we are clear that homeless prevention is critical and many elements are already being delivered or identified as actions to be implemented soon, the specifics of the bill cannot be included until it has been approved by Parliament and given Royal Assent. 2.3 Whilst the scope of change to housing support provision had become more limited, a wider evaluation and review of the current delivery was completed. The aim was to understand the demand for housing support services, the intensity of need for support those with more complex and/or multiple support needs and to fully consider the potential to re-design services to improve outcomes and achieve best value for the funding available. 2.4 The review was completed in line with the council’s project management and options appraisal processes and consulted with various stakeholders to understand current views of service delivery as well identify areas for improvement. A Project Board was formed consisting of senior housing staff to oversee the overall management of the project and guide decision making and compliance. A Project Working Group consisting of local staff was established to enable operational views and feedback to be gathered. Focus groups were also completed with people who had experienced homelessness and were or had been supported by commissioned services to ensure the views of those with lived experience were fully explored and incorporated into options for future service delivery. 2.5 A series of options were developed and discussed with the Project Working Group in terms of viability and deliverability with a focus on achieving improved outcomes for homeless people. Reports were then developed with clear options on how services could be re-designed to better meet needs, and these were presented to the Project Board for consideration and discussion. The Project Board fully considered the various options and agreed a preferred option. 2.6 The preferred option identified is to re-tender housing support services and merge the existing Barnardo’s Scotland floating housing support services for young people with Simon Community Scotland’s accommodation-based support and floating support for adults. This option enables the same service provider to handle both tailored outreach and supported accommodation which would improve consistency of support delivery and streamline co-ordination and administration of the service. This option also provides continuity for those being supported and consistent assistance to integrate into existing community resources and services building stronger ties. The service would provide accommodation and/or housing support to all age groups and adopt a Page 312 of 322
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whole-family and holistic approach, co-ordinating with partner agencies such as education, social work and health. 2.7 The existing supported accommodation services delivered by Blue Triangle will also be re-tendered and the future client group will be single males which is the most prevalent household type of homeless people in North Lanarkshire. The change of client group assists in meeting demand for those who are homeless and who have multiple and complex needs. This is a change from the current service delivery model which is focussed on young people. At the present time, the majority of young people who need temporary accommodation are provided with dispersed accommodation with outreach support and it is the intention to continue this because it achieves improved outcomes and protects vulnerable young people. We further propose to change the client group at the accommodation in Bridgework, Motherwell to ensure that intensively supported accommodation provision is available for young people who have complex needs and who may require more intensive support. Bridgework can accommodate four individuals in their own self-contained accommodation which is more conducive to supporting young people. If there is a rise in the demand for additional young persons supported accommodation, we may consider attaching up to four additional satellite flats as part of a core and cluster model of support delivery. These services will be managed within the re-tendering and contract arrangements. 2.8 The merging of two existing housing support services offers long-term savings through streamlined administration and reduced duplication. It also offers holistic support by addressing the needs of all family members and enables those moving on from accommodation to have their outreach support planned and delivered by the same key worker which aligns with trauma informed principles. Careful consideration and planning will have to be given to the split of existing resources to safeguard the provision of both accommodation and outreach support. 2.9 Re-tendering housing support services as part of a merged contract will have implications for both existing support providers in terms of potentially ending their existing service provision in Noth Lanarkshire, should a new provider be appointed. Nevertheless, TUPE will apply to any winning contractor and negotiations will take place between existing providers and the new contractor to ensure staff jobs are protected and will be facilitated by the housing service and supported by the procurement team. Contract Modification and Financial Impacts 2.10 The initial contract period for all three commissioned housing support services ended on 31st January 2024 and approval was granted to award the one-year extension option which is due to expire on 31st January 2025. 2.11 The unavoidable delay in concluding the housing support review process has meant that we have been unable to re-procure services within the originally planned timescale. A modification to the existing contract is now proposed since there is a legal requirement to provide housing support services and would enable those currently being supported to have continuity of care whilst a re-tendering exercise is completed. 2.12 A contract modification is permitted via procurement regulation 72(1) C • where the need for modification has been brought about by circumstances that could not have been foreseen. • the modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract; and • any increase in price does not exceed 50% of the initial contract value. Page 313 of 322
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2.13 The contract modification would be for a period of six months for all contracts from 1st February 2025 to 31st July 2025 at a total cost of £567,646 which is 16.67% of the overall contract value and within permitted limits. Re-tendering Housing Support Contracts 2.14 It is proposed to complete a re-tendering exercise beginning in January 2025 with a report on the outcome of the successful tenderers due to be presented to Committee in May 2025. 2.15 The proposed re-tendered services will be re-shaped in line with the outcome and recommendations from the housing support review outlined in 2.6 and 2.7 in this report. 2.16 An implementation and transition phase would be undertaken from May until the new contracts are implemented in August 2025. Scottish Living Wage Financial Implications 2.17 The existing housing support contracts have a fixed value from the outset because there was no available funding to provide any annual uplift. This changed from December 2021, when the Scottish Government included housing support services within the Health and Social Care pay awards as part of their commitment to tackle low pay and implement the Scottish Living Wage. 2.18 The additional funds to pay the SLW to commissioned housing support staff is fully funded by the Scottish Government and has not impacted on the level of funding provided by NLC for the delivery of these services. 2.19 Nevertheless, the additional payments made as a result of the SLW have exceeded the original values stated within the contracts and must therefore be recorded and reported under procurement regulations. 2.20 At the end of the contracts on 31st January 2025, the level of SLW payments that will have been made will total £210.661 and equates to 6.19% of the contract value. 2.21 If the contract modification is agreed, then it is estimated that a further £58,520 in additional SLW payments will be made and equates to 1.72%. This figure is an estimate based on a SLW increase of 6.5%, although the Scottish Government does not set this figure until November of each year for the following financial year. 2.22 In total, if the contract modification is awarded, additional SLW payments of £287,878 will have been estimated to have paid by 31st July 2025 and equates to 8.45% of the contract value. 2.23 In total, taking account of both the additional costs for the contract modification and the SLW, the original contract value will have been exceeded by £855,524 and equates to 25.12% and remains well below the threshold of 50% of the overall contract value within procurement regulations. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Continuation of improved outcomes for homeless people across housing, health and wellbeing, economic activity, education and training. Page 314 of 322
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3.2 Best Value is achieved. 3.3 The six-month contract modification of these services will enable a re-tendering exercise to be completed to ensure our legal requirement to provide housing support is maintained where continuity of care to homeless households is paramount. 4. Supporting documentation N/A. Stephen Llewellyn Chief Officer (Housing) Page 315 of 322
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Housing Support services are already being delivered and positively impacts on those who are homeless who share particular protected characteristics, since homelessness disproportionately impacts on particular groups, for example, younger age groups, women who experience domestic abuse, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people. An EqIA has been completed for the review of housing support services and will continue to be kept under review as the re-tendering of housing support services is progressed. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Assurances have been sought from Finance colleagues that funding will continue to be available to enable the services to be delivered. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Local Authorities have a statutory duty to assess the support needs of homeless people and to provide support as required. Page 316 of 322
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5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Secure processes to share data with support providers are already in place as part of the requirement under public duty. The existing DPIA is currently being reviewed to ensure fit for purpose. Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? The primary risk is failure of the council to comply with its statutory duty to assess the need for housing support and deliver it if it is required. The modification of the contract and re-tendering process to follow ensures the council continue to comply with the statutory duty. The risk is recorded in the service’s risk register and monitored accordingly. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☒ No ☐ Page 317 of 322
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. Armed services personnel are a potentially target group for housing support and is based on an individual assessment of need. The delivery of housing support has a positive impact on this group. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The provision of housing support has a positive impact on children and young people and assists them to learn the independent living skills needed to sustain a home of their own. Housing support is specifically targeted at Care Experienced Young People and young people with support needs more generally. If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? A CRWIA will be completed when the contracts are re-tendered in 2025. Yes ☒ No ☐ Page 318 of 322
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Housing Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref JMcK/CPT Date 06/11/24 Contracts awarded below Committee approval threshold From James McKinstry, Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) E-mail McKinstryJ@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939 281 102 Executive Summary In accordance with the Council’s General Contract Standing Orders (“GCSOs”), GCSO 21.10 requires a summary report be presented to members with details of contracts awarded since last committee, specifically for the spend range: • over £50,000 but below £500,000 for supplies or services; and, • over £500,000 but below £2,000,000 for works. Recommendations It is recommended that Housing Committee: (1) Acknowledge the contract awards made since last committee reporting cycle. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement All ambition statements Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 22 Page 319 of 322
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1. Background 1.1 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 section 81 requires local authorities to “…make standing orders with respect to the making by them or on their behalf of contracts for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works.”. 1.2 The Council’s General Contract Standing Orders (“GCSOs”) set out the council’s specific procurement procedures and responsibilities at all spend levels, and include the reporting requirements of procurement activity, including contracts awards, to committee for either approval or acknowledgement. 2. Report 2.1 In accordance with GCSO 21.10, this report summarises the contract awards since last committee, specifically for the spend range: • over £50,000 but below £500,000 for supplies or services; and, • over £500,000 but below £2,000,000 for works. 2.2 If you require further information regards the contract awards reported, please refer to the lead service area / Chief Officer detailed in the appendix. 3. Measures of success 3.1 All requirements contracted contribute to either the council’s programme of work and/or fulfil a statutory requirement. 3.2 All contract awards secure best value for the council in accordance with their evaluation criteria. 3.3 All necessary diligence has been undertaken in the evaluation and appointment of contractors. 3.4 All contract awards are logged in the council’s contract register. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 – Summary of contracts awarded. James McKinstry Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) 5. Impacts 5.1 Impacts considered as part of the contract award procedures are recorded in the individual contract award reports held by the lead service area. Page 320 of 322
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Appendix 1 – Summary of Contracts Awarded Contract Ref NLC-SLP-24-020 Title Measured Term Contract for Window & Doors Replacement 2024 -2025 Classification Works Lead Service Area / Chief Officer Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing Management) Competition Governance by Value The Framework terms & conditions, with adherence to the council’s GCSO 13 on 3rd party frameworks Procurement Route Call-off following Direct Award using Third Party Framework No. of Framework Contractors 4 Comments This has been procured via Direct Award approach, considering the relevant information on Framework Contractors technical and commercial proposals available through the Scottish Procurement Alliance (“SPA”) Framework Agreement Windows and Doors – PVC-U and Timber (WD2). Award Details Value £2,000,000 Contract Duration 6 months, option for further 3 months Contractor Name Sidey Solutions Limited Contractor Size Large Company Contractor Location Perth & Kinross Status - Payment of Living Wage? Yes Status - Living Wage Accredited? Yes Impacts this section highlights which impacts were considered for this contract award procedure Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty ☐ HR Policy Impact ☐ Data Protection Impact ☐ Environment / Carbon Impact ☒ Risk Impact ☒ Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact ☐ Financial Impact ☒ Legal Impact ☐ Technology / Digital Impact ☐ Communications Impact ☐ Armed Forces Covenant Duty ☐ Further details regarding these impacts can be obtained from the Lead Service Area / Chief Officer Page 321 of 322
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Contract Ref NLC-SLP-23-127 Title Measured Term Contract for Replacement Communal Area Flooring 2024 - 2026 Classification Works Lead Service Area / Chief Officer Stephen Llewellyn, Chief Officer (Housing Management) Competition Governance by Value Non-Regulated; procured in accordance with the council’s General Contract Standing Orders Procurement Route Tender opportunity advertised openly on Public Contracts Scotland Portal No. of Expressions of interest 16 No. of Bids Received 1 Award Criteria Most Economically Advantageous Tender scoring model; 60% Quality, 40% Price Evaluation Scores – Successful 96.01% Comments While only 1 bid received, the tender proposal satisfied the council’s technical requirements. The proposal has been benchmarked against previous projects for commercial comparison and the conclusion is the bid represents best value. Award Details Value £1,000,000 Contract Duration 12 months with options to extend up to a further 12 months Contractor Name Bell Group Limited Contractor Size Large Company Contractor Location North Lanarkshire Council Status - Payment of Living Wage? Yes Status - Living Wage Accredited? Yes Impacts this section highlights which impacts were considered for this contract award procedure Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty ☐ HR Policy Impact ☐ Data Protection Impact ☐ Environment / Carbon Impact ☒ Risk Impact ☒ Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact ☐ Financial Impact ☒ Legal Impact ☒ Technology / Digital Impact ☐ Communications Impact ☐ Armed Forces Covenant Duty ☐ Further details regarding these impacts can be obtained from the Lead Service Area / Chief Officer Page 322 of 322