Document Pack (Bookmarked) HAC (Special) 25 10 23
West Dunbartonshire Council · 25 October 2023
Back to Housing & Communities Committee — 25 October 2023 and its agenda
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Agenda Special Meeting of Housing and Communities Committee Date: Wednesday, 25 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Time: 14:30 ___________________________________________________________________ Format: Hybrid meeting ___________________________________________________________________ Contact: Email: Nicola.moorcroft@west-dunbarton.gov.uk committee.admin@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Dear Member Please attend a Special meeting of the Housing and Communities Committee as detailed above. Members will have the option to attend the meeting remotely or in person at the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton. The business is shown on the attached agenda. Yours faithfully PETER HESSETT Chief Executive Page 1
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Distribution:- Councillor Ian Dickson Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal (Chair) Councillor David McBride Councillor Jonathan McColl Councillor Michelle McGinty Councillor Jim McElhill Councillor John Millar Councillor Lawrence O’Neill Councillor Lauren Oxley Councillor Martin Rooney Councillor Hazel Sorrell (Vice Chair) Councillor Sophie Traynor All other Councillors for information Chief Executive Chief Officer – Housing and Employability Date of Issue: 18 October 2023 Audio Streaming Audio recordings of the meeting (including the attendance or contribution of any party participating or making a contribution) will be published on the Council’s website and the Council’s host’s webcast/audio stream platform. You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the General Data Protection Regulation. Data collected during this audio stream will be retained in accordance with the Council’s Privacy Notice* and Retention Schedules including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site. *http://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/privacy/privacy-notice/ Page 2
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HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2023 AGENDA 1 STATEMENT BY CHAIR – AUDIO STREAMING The Chair will be heard in connection with the above. 2 APOLOGIES 3 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members are invited to declare if they have an interest in the item of business on this agenda and the reasons for such a declaration. 4 RECORDING OF VOTES The Committee is asked to agree that all votes taken during the meeting be done by roll call vote to ensure an accurate record. 5 SCOTTISH SOCIAL HOUSING CHARTER – WEST 5 - 34 DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL ASSURANCE STATEMENT Submit report by Chief Officer – Housing and Employability providing benchmarking information relating to how the Council has performed against the Scottish Social Housing Charter indicators and providing an update into how the Council is meeting the requirements of the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Regulatory Framework including approving the Council’s Annual Assurance Statement. Page 3
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by the Chief Officer, Housing and Employability Housing and Communities Committee: 25 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Scottish Social Housing Charter – West Dunbartonshire Council Annual Assurance Statement 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide members with benchmarking information relating to how the Council has performed against the Scottish Social Housing Charter indicators and to provide an update into how we are meeting the requirements of the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Regulatory Framework including approving the Council’s Annual Assurance Statement. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Housing and Communities Committee: (i) Notes the contents of this report recognising the ongoing legacy impacts the pandemic continued to have on 2022/23 performance; (ii) Approves our Annual Assurance Statement which will be signed by the Housing Convener on behalf of the Housing and Communities Committee and submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator as per our regulatory requirement; (iii) Notes that a Charter Improvement Plan has been developed based on a comprehensive assessment of performance and this has informed the production of our annual Charter Performance Report; and (iv) Notes that a further progress report on the Scottish Social Housing Charter will be submitted to the November 2023 meeting of the Housing and Communities Committee. 3. Background 3.1 The Scottish Government’s first Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC) came into force in April 2012. This was reviewed during 2016 and again in 2021 and the resulting revised SSHC was subsequently approved by the Scottish Parliament and has effect from 1 November 2022. 3.2 The purpose of the SSHC is to help improve the quality and value of the services that social landlords provide by: • Stating clearly what tenants and other customers can expect from social landlords and helping them to hold landlords to account; ITEM 5 Page 5
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• Focusing the efforts of social landlords on achieving outcomes that matter to their customers; and • Providing the basis for the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) to assess and report on how well landlords are performing. 3.3 A revised Regulatory Framework and reporting timetable for the SSHC came into effect on 1st April 2019 is outlined below: When Who What Throughout year Housing Services /Tenants Assess performance against the Charter Outcomes May each year Housing Development Submission of Annual Return on the Charter to Scottish Housing Regulator August each year Scottish Housing Regulator Publishes a report about each social landlord with key data from its ARC on their website October each year Convener of Housing and Communities Committee Submission of Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator October each year Housing Development Publication of annual Charter Performance Report for tenants and other customers by April each year Scottish Housing Regulator Publish an Engagement Plan for each landlord, based on performance against Charter Indicators and outcomes by April each year Scottish Housing Regulator Publish a report on the analysis of the sector’s performance in achieving the Charter outcomes 3.4 The main changes introduced as part of this revised framework were the introduction of the Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) which needs to be submitted to the Regulator by the end of October each year and also the introduction of an Engagement Plan published by the Regulator each year and based on performance against the Charter indicators and outcomes. 3.5 The SHR is reviewing its Regulatory Framework during 2023. An initial discussion paper was published in June 2023 and the Council’s response to this is available as a background paper to this report. The SHR will carry-out more formal consultation later this year on any proposed changes to the Regulatory Framework with the aim of implementing a revised Framework in 2024. 3.6 On 6 August 2014, Members of the Housing and Communities Committee agreed that twice yearly reports be provided as follows: • August Committee - Scottish Social Housing Charter Annual Update Report; and • November Committee - Scottish Social Housing Charter Annual Benchmarking Report and Mid-Year Progress Report – (April-September). 3.7 As our AAS needs to be approved by the Committee and submitted to the SHR by 31 October each year, a special meeting of the Committee has been arranged to ensure that we meet this timescale. A further progress report with a mid-year update will therefore be provided to the November 2023 Committee meeting. Page 6
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4. Main Issues 4.1 The key areas of focus in relation to the SSHC highlighted in this report are as follows: • An assessment of our progress in relation to achieving the Charter Outcomes; • The submission of our AAS to the SHR; • The production and publication of our annual Charter Performance Report for tenants and other customers; and • The continued development of effective tenant scrutiny arrangements in conjunction with tenants and other customers. Assessment of progress achieving the Charter Outcomes 4.2 The SHR now uses 32 Charter Performance Indicators to monitor the performance of all social landlords against the Charter outcomes and standards. 4.3 West Dunbartonshire Council successfully submitted our Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) to the SHR within the timescale outlined in the Regulatory Framework. This process included both internal and external validation processes. The Housing and Homelessness Service engaged with Scotland’s Housing Network (SHN) in terms of a robust external validation of our data. 4.4 An annual report based on 2022/23 performance was reported to the Housing and Communities Committee (HACC) in August 2023. This report included key data from the ARC and other indicators that tenants have said are important to them and compared our performance with that of the previous year and against annual targets set. 4.5 The report outlined the ongoing legacy impacts the pandemic had on 2022/23 performance and how this has impacted service delivery and performance in areas such as repairs/maintenance, void management and the completion of medical adaptations over the recent past and has had knock on effects on depressed levels of tenant satisfaction. 4.6 Of the 30 key indicators outlined in the report, 10 met the annual target set, with another 9 narrowly missing this target. Overall this translates to 63% of these key indicators either meeting or almost achieving target (down slightly from 70% in 2021/22). Benchmarking of key performance indicators 4.7 Our ARC submission, homelessness data submitted to the Scottish Government and our annual submission of performance information to SHN provide opportunities to compare our performance against other landlords (all Scottish local authorities and, where appropriate, Glasgow Housing Association) and to identify areas for improvement. This process is known as “benchmarking”. 4.8 The SHR publishes a Landlord Report for every social landlord in Scotland on their website by the end of August each year. This report contains key data from the ARC (18 key indicators) and compares our performance with a Scottish average figure inclusive of all housing providers. Our most recent Landlord Report is Page 7
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provided as a background paper to this report. 4.9 On 12 September 2023, SHN provided a report and feedback session for the Housing Improvement Board outlining key benchmarking data and key findings are outlined below: Communication 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank Average time in working days to respond to a Stage 1 complaint 10.65 days 11.78 days 10.36 days Average time in working days to respond to a Stage 2 complaint 35.97 days 27.03 days 34.09 days Customer Satisfaction 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank % of tenants satisfied with the overall service 78.5% 78.5% 61.3% % of tenants who feel their landlord is good at keeping them informed about their services 85.7% 85.7% 75.8% % of tenants satisfied with the opportunities given to participate in decision making 83.9% 83.9% 69.2% % of tenants who feel that the rent represents good value for money 77.05% 77.05% 60.5% Quality of Housing 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank % of properties meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard 82.8% 18.2% 32.2% % of existing tenants satisfied with the quality of their home 76.5% 76.5% 62.7% Repairs, Maintenance and Improvements 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank Average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs 6.14 hours 5.81 hours 4.5 hours Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs 6.76 days 10.16 days 9.31 days % of reactive repairs carried out completed right first time 89.8% 86.5% 85.7% How many times in the reporting period did you not complete a gas safety check within 12 months 215 0 0 % of tenants satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service 80.5% 87.7% 83.7% Status Key Peer group compared to is all other local authority landlords, as well as Glasgow Housing Association Top quartile 2nd quartile 3rd quartile 4th quartile New Charter Indicator and previous benchmark data not available Page 8
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*Denotes new indicator and data not available for previous years 4.10 A comprehensive assessment of 2022/23 performance against the Charter has been carried out. This has included the performance information reported to Committee in August 2023, as well as the benchmarking data now available. Neighbourhood and Community 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank % of tenants satisfied with the management of the neighbourhood they live in 78.5% 78.5% 62.7% % of tenancy offers refused 46.6% 49.2% 51.7% % of anti-social behaviour cases resolved 92.8% 98.1% 97.1% % housed who maintained their tenancy for at least 12 months 91.6% 94.6% 94.1% The average time to complete applications for medical adaptations 123.2 days 107.8 days 73.0 days Homeless People 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank % of applications where household has experienced rough sleeping the night before presentation 3.8% 2.9% 3.3% Households assessed as homeless per 10,000 of households* 238 % of all homeless cases re- assessed within 12 months (repeat homeless) 5.4% 5.3% 4.4% Average time in days from application to assessment 13 14 13 Households in temporary accommodation per 10,000 of households* 68 Average total time (days) spent in temporary accommodation for cases that closed 212 191 171 Average time in days from homeless assessment to case closure 233 207 189 % of homeless households referred to RSLs via section 5 referrals 27% 31% 40% Value for Money 2020/21 Value 2021/22 Value 2022/23 Value 2020/21 Rank 2021/22 Rank 2022/23 Rank Average time to re-let properties 56.1 days 45.8 days 33.6 days Void rent loss expressed as a % of the total amount of rent due 1.20% 1.29% 1.28% Rent collected as a % of total rent due 98.88% 98.39% 98.50% Gross rent arrears as % of total rent due 10.35% 9.24% 10.00% Page 9
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4.11 This exercise has informed a Charter Improvement Plan which was agreed by the Housing Improvement Board (HIB) and is being implemented across all areas of the housing service with the objective of continuing to improve services for our tenants and customers. 4.12 Based on this exercise and the content of our most recent Engagement Plan, the HIB is monitoring on a monthly basis key work-streams aimed at driving improvements in the following areas: • Compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS); • Services for people who are homeless; • Tenant satisfaction; • Void management; and • Complaints response times. SHQS Compliance and Tenant and resident safety 4.13 Our low level of compliance with SHQS is primarily due to low numbers of valid Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) that we hold for our properties. This is deemed by the SHR to be a tenant safety issue and has been highlighted in our Engagement Plan. 4.14 Issues around tenant and resident safety are monitored closely by Building Services. This includes areas such as gas safety, electrical safety, fire safety, lift safety and damp and mould. 4.15 We collect data for a suite of performance indicators relating to these areas, which are now reported annually to the Housing and Communities Committee and are outlined in the table below: Tenant Safety Indicators Gas, Electrical and Fire data 2021/22 2022/23 Number of times not met statutory obligation to complete a gas safety check within 12 months 0 0 Number of properties that require a gas safety record 9308 9333 Number of properties which have a current gas safety records 9308 9333 % of properties with a valid EICR certificate 41.33% 50.97% % of properties complying with Satisfactory Fire Detection and Satisfactory Carbon Monoxide Detection standards 94.22% 100% % of periodic fire, heat and CO detection equipment checks completed within recommended timescale 89.69% 99% Lift Safety data 2021/22 2022/23 Total number of communal passenger lifts 43 43 Number of communal passenger lifts with compliant Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) examination records 43 43 Page 10
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4.16 There are currently no cases being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) relating to the safety of our tenants and residents and there have been no cases reported or investigated during the past year. Services for people who are homeless 4.17 In terms of our homelessness duties to provide temporary accommodation, we have consistently been able to offer accommodation to those households who require it. However, whilst we continue to ensure that we meet our statutory duty in this respect, delays in moving households into settled accommodation is having an impact and we have been forced to use bed and breakfast accommodation and we breached the Unsuitable Accommodation Order on 21 occasions during 2022/23. Homelessness duties around temporary accommodation Indicator Description 2021/22 value 2022/23 value 2022/23 target Target met % of households requiring temporary accommodation to who an offer was made 100% 100% 100% Breeches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order 0 21 0 Equalities and Human Rights 4.18 In keeping with the key messages from Scottish Government’s programme for Government, equality and human rights are central to our delivery of our Local Housing Strategy (LHS). The development of the strategy has been underpinned by West Dunbartonshire Council’s commitment to promoting and sustaining equality and inclusion, and equality and diversity principles. 4.19 We have worked closely with the West Dunbartonshire HSCP in piloting a Health Inequalities Impact Assessment Tool (HIIA), with each of the five themes being separately assessed and the assessments contributing to the final version of the LHS. The main actions associated with each theme are listed in the Action Plan and progress on these are being monitored as we move forward. 4.20 An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) is used for any new and developing policies. During 2021/22 we reviewed and updated our approach to collection of Equalities data based on published guidance and continue to monitor that this is being effectively implemented. Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) 4.21 The AAS requires landlords to state they are meeting regulatory requirements and that they are compliant with the legal requirements and statutory guidance relevant to the sector. Any areas of material non-compliance should be highlighted, alongside actions being taken to address these. 4.22 We have carried out a process of reviewing and updating our AAS, taking account of our annual ARC submission and assessment around how well we are achieving the standards and outcomes outlined in the SSHC (including the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic), and how we comply with our legal Page 11
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obligations relating to housing and homelessness, equality and human rights and tenant and safety. 4.23 Based on this, we have highlighted the following areas in our AAS which is attached as Appendix 1: • Low level of compliance with SHQS; • Low levels of tenant satisfaction; and • Reported breeches of the UAO. 4.24 As outlined in the SHR guidance, it is a short, succinct document, in a simple format. It outlines the above areas of material non-compliance and actions being taken to address these. As per a letter from the SHR sent to all social landlords in July 2023, this years’ AAS also includes specific information around equalities and tenant safety. 4.25 A central aspect of the AAS is that the Committee has been provided with the necessary assurance in terms of information and evidence where required, to support the content of the AAS. 4.26 Our updated AAS self-assurance toolkit (attached as a background paper to this report), outlines the wide range of arrangements that are in place to ensure that the HACC have assurance and evidence that we are meeting our regulatory and statutory obligations. This includes providing relevant information and assurance which is proportionate and not overly burdensome, as per the SHR guidance. 4.27 A briefing was provided to the Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council and Convener of the HACC in October 2023 providing an update in terms of the preparation of our AAS and outlining the areas that will be highlighted to the SHR. 4.28 Following the approval by the HACC of the content of our AAS, it will be signed by the Convener on behalf of the Committee and submitted to the SHR as per the regulatory requirement. 4.29 As per the SHR guidance, our AAS will be published to ensure that it is accessible to tenants and other customers. Charter Performance Report 4.30 The SHR requires all social landlords to produce an Annual Charter Performance Report for their tenants and other customers no later than 31 October each year. 4.31 The statutory regulatory framework states that that this report should include: • An assessment of performance in delivering the Charter Outcomes; • Relevant comparisons with previous years, other landlords and national performance; and • How and when the landlord intends to address areas for improvement. Page 12
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4.32 In preparation for our first report in 2014, a working group of tenants and officers was established and successfully: • Agreed how tenants wished to be involved; • Agreed which indicators will feature in the report; and • Agreed the best style and format to ensure that the report is user friendly and easy to understand. 4.33 Further engagement was carried out with tenant representatives during 2019 to review and update this report, in line with the revised Charter coming into effect. This consultation influenced the style, content and format of our Annual Charter Report and also the update of the Service Standards that are in place across housing services and which are reported regularly to tenants and other service users (via the Council website and by a performance insert provided with Housing News). 4.34 This years’ report is attached as Appendix 2 and will be published online within the required timescale. The narrative in the report is based on the annual self-assessment exercise of our performance and a summary of the report will be sent to every tenant with the winter edition of the Housing News. The full report will be sent to all tenants groups, interested tenants, and members of the WDTRO, members of the Scrutiny Panel and also partner organisations and the Scottish Housing Regulator. Tenant Scrutiny Arrangements 4.35 There is a statutory requirement that tenants are involved in scrutinising landlords’ performance against the Charter and requires that: • The form of involvement has been agreed with tenants; • Involvement is effective and meaningful and that tenants have a real say in assessment of performance; • The approach is publicised to tenants; and • Landlords can demonstrate the agreed approach was actually implemented. 4.36 Developing effective tenant scrutiny is therefore a challenging process, however, following support from the Scottish Government’s “Stepping Up to Scrutiny” training programme, in which elected members took part, these requirements were successfully met and in November 2014 the Housing and Communities Committee approved the establishment of our Tenant Scrutiny Panel with clear terms of reference. 4.37 The Scrutiny Panel has subsequently carried out the following scrutiny exercises: • 2014/15 looking at our Anti-Social Behaviour Service; • 2015/16 looking at our Repairs Service; Page 13
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• 2016/17 looking at tenancy sustainment, specifically the new tenant visit process; • 2017/18 looking at SHQS compliance, specifically the number and reasons that properties that are held in abeyance; • 2018/19 looking at the timescales taken to complete medical adaptations; • 2019/20 looking at the timescales taken to respond to complaints; and • 2022/23 looking at the new tenant visit process. 4.38 All of the recommendations made in the Panel’s first 7 reports were approved by the HIB and progress in terms of implementing these are monitored by the HIB. 4.39 The Panel are currently looking at our most recent performance data and considering what the focus of their next scrutiny exercise will be. 4.40 The Scrutiny Panel were successful in being shortlisted for a prestigious Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) excellence award in 2021 and though narrowly missing out, this was national acknowledgement of the work that they do to ensure that tenant scrutiny is a valued part of WDC’s approach to performance management. 4.41 The West Dunbartonshire Tenants and Residents Organisation (WDTRO) also continue to be heavily involved in the scrutiny of the Housing Service and the continuing work of the Joint Rent Group comprising tenants, Council officers and the Convener of the Housing and Communities Committee, looking at the rent setting process and the guidance in relation to the Housing Revenue Account is important in ensuring Housing and Homelessness Services provide best value for current and future tenants. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no people implications as a result of the report. Delivery on the requirements of the SSHC is managed from within existing staffing resources within the Housing Development Team. 6. Financial and Procurement Implications 6.1 There are no direct financial or procurement implications in relation to this report. The improvement plan informed by the Charter self-assessment exercise will be delivered from within existing budgets. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 There is a significant risk that failure to respond appropriately to the requirements of the SSHC would attract an adverse reaction from the SHR and may have wider consequences for the Council in the context of Best Value. 7.2 At the time of writing we expect out next Engagement Plan to be published in March 2024. Page 14
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8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 8.1 Equalities legislation requires that new or significantly changing policies or services and financial decisions should be subject to an assessment of their impact on the wellbeing of certain groups of people. The recommendations within this report do not alter any existing policy or pattern of service delivery and so is not considered to require an equalities impact assessment. 9. Consultation 9.1 The Council has in place a well-established and proactive tenants and residents organisational structure. The WDTRO meet with the Council (chaired by the Convener of the Housing and Communities Committee) on a bi-monthly basis to discuss all issues relating to the Housing Service. 9.2 There remains a strong appetite among tenants and customers to continue to participate actively to improve housing services in West Dunbartonshire. This is reflected in the successful partnership approach adopted to develop the Charter Performance Report and the on-going activities of the WDTRO, the Joint Rent Group and the West Dunbartonshire Scrutiny Panel. 9.3 The Council is committed to ensure effective consultation continues and will support arrangements to increase tenant scrutiny activities and assess our performance in line with the statutory requirements under the SSHC and the SHR’s regulatory framework. Our approach was again commended via an external validation exercise by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) Scotland, which again awarded West Dunbartonshire Council a Gold Accreditation for excellence in tenant participation in early 2023. 10. Strategic Assessment 10.1 Having considered the Council's strategic priorities, this report contributes significantly to all five strategic priorities and specifically to improve local housing and environmentally sustainable infrastructure. Peter Barry Chief Officer, Housing and Employability Date: 11 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Person to Contact: John Kerr – Housing Development and Homelessness Manager, Housing and Employability, telephone: 07793717981, email: john.kerr@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: 1. WDC Annual Assurance Statement October 2023 2. Annual Charter Performance Report Background Papers: WDC response to SHR discussion paper on review of Regulatory Framework June 2023 Page 15
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Scottish Housing Regulator WDC Landlord Report 2022-23 West Dunbartonshire Council | Scottish Housing Regulator AAS Assessment of compliance toolkit 2023, West Dunbartonshire Council, September 2023 EM briefing note Oct 2023 – Annual Assurance Statement Annual Charter Performance Report for Tenants and other Customers 2021/22, West Dunbartonshire Council, October 2022 https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/our- performance/service-performance/housing-services- performance-information/charter-performance-report/ The Scottish Social Housing Charter: Indicators and Context Information, Scottish Housing Regulator http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/sites/default/file s/publications/Charter%20Indicators%20Document%20- %20Final%20Draft%20-%2027%20September_0.pdf West Dunbartonshire Council Scottish Social Housing Charter Self-Assessment Improvement Plan West Dunbartonshire Tenant Participation Strategy 2021-2024 “Involving You” https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans- and-policies/housing/tenant-participation-strategy/ Scottish Social Housing Charter – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland Annual Update, Report by Chief Officer, Housing and Employability, Housing and Communities Committee, 23 August 2023 Wards Affected: All Page 16
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October 2023 West Dunbartonshire Council Annual Assurance Statement We confirm that we have seen appropriate assurance that we comply with the: • All of the relevant regulatory requirements set out in Chapter 3 of the Scottish Housing Regulator's Regulatory Framework; • All of the relevant standards and outcomes in the Scottish Social Housing Charter; and • All relevant legislative duties associated with housing and homelessness services, tenant and resident safety and equality and human rights. A letter from the Scottish Housing Regulator on 3 July 2023 to all social landlords asked that in this years’ Annual Assurance Statement, assurance is provided that we have an effective approach to the collection of equalities information and that we are considering how we can adopt a human rights approach in our work. The letter also requested that a clear statement is provided in relation to compliance with relevant obligations in relation to tenant and resident safety. Equalities In keeping with the key messages from Scottish Government’s programme for Government, equality and human rights are central to our delivery of our Local Housing Strategy. The development of the strategy has been underpinned by West Dunbartonshire Council’s commitment to promoting and sustaining equality and inclusion, and equality and diversity principles. We have worked closely with the West Dunbartonshire HSCP in piloting a Health Inequalities Impact Assessment Tool (HIIA), with each of the five themes being separately assessed and the assessments contributing to the final version of the LHS. The main actions associated with each theme are listed in the Action Plan and progress on these are being monitored as we move forward. During 2021/22 we reviewed and updated our approach to collection of Equalities data based on published guidance and continue to monitor that this is being effectively implemented. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) is used for any new and developing policies and we plan to further review our approach during 2023/24, which will take account of updated guidance published in June 2022. Tenant and resident safety Issues around tenant and resident safety are monitored closely by Building Services. This includes areas such as gas safety, electrical safety, water safety, fire safety, asbestos safety, damp and mould and lift safety. We collect data for a suite of performance indicators relating to tenant safety, which are now reported annually to the Housing and Communities Committee. Following the tragic death of a child in Rochdale, England, a Council motion in December 2022 requested a review of our approach to dampness and mould in Council properties. A subsequent report to the Committee in May 2023 outlined an overview of our approach to the management and future prevention of dampness and mould in council houses, including a technology solution to help identify, tackle, and prevent damp and mould issues proactively, investing an additional £10m over the next 5 years. There are currently no cases being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) relating to ITEM 5 - APPENDIX 1 Page 17
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the safety of our tenants and residents and there have been no cases reported or investigated during the past year. We are therefore assured that we comply with all the relevant safety requirements and duties in relation to tenant and resident safety. Areas of non-compliance We comply with all of the above requirements with the exception of the areas set out below. Compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard Tenant safety within the Councils’ housing stock is one of the main priorities for its Maintenance, Repair and Asset Improvement Services managed by Building Services and significant progress has been made in 2022/23. The main area of concern in 2022/23 remains the number of properties that require a valid EICR and there is an increased focus and various initiatives are underway to ensure improvements are made in 2023/24. We anticipate that this improvement will be evident in 2023/24 and that the Council will be fully compliant within a realistic timeframe. Tenant Satisfaction We carried out a comprehensive tenant satisfaction survey in late 2022 and subsequently reported lower levels of tenant satisfaction for all indicators in our 2022/23 ARC submission. These results were reported to the Housing and Communities Committee in May 2023, which approved an action plan aimed at addressing the drivers of dissatisfaction raised by tenants. This action plan is due to be fully implemented by March 2024. Breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order Whilst we continue to meet our statutory responsibility of offering temporary accommodation to those that need it, we continue to report breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order. Following the 21 breeches of reported in 2022/23, we have seen a further 38 breeches in Q1 of 2023/24. This is largely due to the time being taken to move households experiencing homelessness into settled accommodation and the subsequent pressures which exist in terms of providing temporary accommodation. Our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and the delivery of additional new supply housing highlights the focus we place on ensuring how we will we will ensure we minimise any future UAO breaches. Our Annual Assurance Statement was considered at a meeting of the Housing and Communities Committee on 25 October 2023 and was formally approved and subsequently signed by myself as Convener. Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal, Convener, Housing and Communities Committee Page 18
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL HOUSING SERVICES Annual Charter Performance Report for Tenants and other Customers 2022/23 ITEM 5 - APPENDIX 2 Page 19
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2 Foreword Welcome to our Annual Charter Performance Report, which outlines how we performed during 2022/23 against the Outcomes and Standards set out in the Scottish Social Housing Charter. The content and the style of the report was agreed following a consultation with tenants and covers those areas that tenants have said are important to them and I hope that it is received as positively as previous reports have been. We are rightly proud of our relationship with the many tenant groups that we have and how effective they are in representing their communities and getting involved in decision making. This relationship was recognised earlier in the year when we were again awarded Gold Accreditation for Excellence in Tenant Participation from TPAS Scotland (Tenant Participation Advisory Service). We will continue to take action to improve communication with all tenants and we are committed to continue to strengthen the tenant voice across housing services, increasing opportunities to participate and influence the provision of services. As you would expect, it has been another busy year across housing services as we continued to respond to the legacy impacts of the pandemic and the challenges this posed. Some of our key achievements included a reduction in the average time taken to re-let empty homes, achieving a consistently high rate of tenancy sustainability against the background of a cost of living and energy crisis, the introduction of a mobile app for Housing Officers to enable real-time community based working and the delivery of a more proactive and visible anti-social behavior service. Our Homelessness and Housing Options Service delivered Year 4 of our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan “Home at the Heart”. Key achievements during the year included being able to support over 500 households to prevent the experience of homelessness and delivering continued high rates of tenancy sustainability from our Housing First initiative. New key housing policies were implemented during the year, including our new Local Housing Strategy – More Homes Better Homes West Dunbartonshire, our updated Domestic Abuse Policy and we also implemented our reviewed and updated Housing Allocations Policy. The Council’s ambitious New House Building Programme ‘More Homes West Dunbartonshire’, has now successfully delivered over 500 new affordable homes to date. The Council is now the leading housing developer in the area and we continue to see significant effort invested in the creation and acquisition of new homes of the right type and in the right places. Our latest completion took place at the Queens Quay development in September 2022, delivering 29 new Council homes in a key regeneration area, as part of a wider development which has delivered 146 new social rented homes. These are the first residential properties to be heated from the Council’s Queens Quay District Heating Network. This development has been recognised at recent housing sector awards, winning the Herald Property Award ‘Regeneration Project’ of the Year and Inside Housing National Award for Best Affordable Housing Development in Scotland. We recognise that there are areas where we need to improve and this report sets out some of the actions we will be taking during 2023/24 in order to respond positively to the challenges we face and ensure that we achieve our goal of being a top performing landlord. Peter Barry Chief Officer, Housing and Employability Page 20
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3 Contents Introduction 4 Communication and participation 5 Quality of housing 6 Repairs and maintenance 7 Estate management and anti-social behaviour 8 Access to housing 9 Tenancy sustainment 10 Homeless people 11 Value for money 13 Rents and service charges 14 Tenant involvement 15 Page 21
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4 Introduction The Scottish Social Housing Charter sets out the outcomes and standards that the Scottish Government expects landlords to be delivering for their tenants and other customers. All social landlords are expected to assess their performance against these Charter outcomes on an annual basis and produce a report based on this assessment, which includes actions being taken to address any areas of weakness. This report outlines how Housing Services performed during 2022/23. It focuses on the areas that tenants have said are the most important to them and each outcome includes key measures of performance, whether this performance has improved or not since the previous year and how this performance compares to other landlords. Tenant involvement in this report The Scottish Social Housing Charter expects landlords to fully involve tenants in assessing and reporting their performance. In August and September 2019, tenants were involved in reviewing the content, style and format of this report. Lots of valuable feedback was provided and all of the changes asked for by tenants were made and have been included in subsequent reports. Another key task of the review was to consider the best group of landlords to compare our performance against. There are many “peer groups” that can be used, each with some benefits and drawbacks. In the end, tenants have asked that the report shows how our performance compares with that of all the other local authorities in Scotland that have housing stock. This comparison is shown using symbols, which again have been reviewed, are used consistently throughout the report and are explained below. Comparison with the previous year Better Poorer No change Comparison with other landlords Top quarter Second quarter Third quarter Bottom quarter Page 22
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5 Outcomes 2 & 3 Communication and Participation Aims: Social landlords manage their businesses so that: 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. Tenants and other customers find it easy to participate in and influence their landlord’s decisions at a level they feel comfortable with. To support our key principles of being a listening, accessible, responsive and open Council, we are committed to continue strengthening the tenant voice across housing services, increasing opportunities to participate and influence the provision and improvement of services. “Involving You”, the Council’s Tenant Participation Strategy for the period 2021-2024 was developed in conjunction with tenants and approved in February 2021. It is disappointing that the percentage of tenants who feel we are good at keeping them informed and who are satisfied with the opportunities given to participate in decision making has dropped, however the implementation of this strategy is further improving the opportunities for tenants to get involved and really influence services being provided. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Percentage of tenants who feel their landlord is good at keeping them informed about their services 85.7% 75.8% Percentage of tenants satisfied with the opportunities given to participate in decision making 89.3% 69.2% A key focus for 2021-24 is to encourage more tenants to get involved, promote the personal benefits as well as community benefits of getting involved and ensuring that we can demonstrate the impact tenants have. During 2022/23 we implemented Year 2 of this strategy. Our full Tenant Participation performance report can be accessed here and key achievements included: • Continued good response from tenants in the annual rent setting process • Being awarded Gold Accreditation from the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, a national organization that specialises in participation, for our approach and structures within West Dunbartonshire • Tenant consultation around our Multi Storey Enhanced Living Strategy • Continued tenant involvement in shaping and improving housing services, examples of the variety of opportunities to participate are outlined at Tenant Involvement on page 15. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Average time in working days to respond to a Stage 1 complaint 11.78 days 10.36 days Average time in working days to respond to a Stage 2 complaint 27.03 days 34.09 days What we are doing in 2023/24: • We will review and update our Tenant Communication Strategy • We will explore new methods to provide information tenants and obtain their views Page 23
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6 Outcome 4 Quality of Housing Aims: Social landlords manage their businesses so that: Tenants’ homes, as a minimum, when they are allocated are always clean, tidy and in a good state of repair, meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) and any other building quality standard in place throughout the tenancy; and also meet the relevant Energy Efficiency and Zero Emission Heat Standard. Our “More Homes, Better Homes West Dunbartonshire” approach aims to ensure that our new and existing homes in West Dunbartonshire meet the needs of our tenants and future tenants. The Council’s Better Homes Project Board has been strengthened to ensure all our homes meet the best possible standards, including energy efficiency standards. Some programmes affected by the Covid-19 pandemic have not fully recovered and this has impacted on our level of compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. In terms of future investment plans, we are keen to strengthen the alignment with tenant priorities and we are aware that additional focus is required in terms of planning and developing our approach to meeting climate change targets to deliver our ambition of increased tenant satisfaction with the quality of our homes. Following the decision taken by West Dunbartonshire Council to agree a weekly rent increase of 5% for 2023/24, tenant representatives were consulted and helped to develop an Enhanced Housing Capital Investment Programme which will deliver an additional £30m of investment in Council homes over the next five years, bringing our overall investment to over £151 million over this period to improve tenants homes. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Percentage of existing tenants satisfied with the quality of their home 76.5% 62.7% Percentage of properties meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) 18.2% 32.2% Over the period of 2023/24, we plan to invest around £33 million in existing homes including: • Improving 613 homes with new heating systems; • Improving 435 homes with new external insulated render; • Improving 568 homes with new roof coverings; • Improving 600 homes with window/door renewals; • Improving 272 homes with kitchen renewals; • Improving 190 homes with bathroom renewals; • Improving 190 homes with electrical shower installs; • Carrying out 120 medical adaptations; and • Carrying out 450 path/general environmental upgrades What are we doing in 2023/24: • We will continue to deliver the Council’s New Build Housing Programme • We will deliver our Capital Investment Programme for 2023/24 • We will implement our Multi Storey Enhanced Living Strategy Page 24
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7 Outcome 5 Repairs and Maintenance Aim: Social landlords manage their businesses so that: Tenants’ homes are well maintained, with repairs and improvements carried out when required, and tenants are given reasonable choices about when work is done. Performance in relation to repairs and maintenance during 2022/23 shows some improvements, with a reduction in the average time to complete both emergency and non-emergency repairs and all annual gas safety checks being carried out within the 12 month target date. We recognise there are areas where we can get better and plans are in place aimed at improving the service experienced by tenants. In November 2022, the Council reviewed how we responded to dampness being reported by tenants in their homes and a revised policy was approved by the Housing and Communities Committee in May 2023. This new policy ensures quicker response times to deal with dampness, more cyclical maintenance such as extractor fan cleaning and investment in technology solutions to help identify, tackle, and proactively prevent damp and mould issues. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs 5.8 hours 4.5 hours Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs 10.16 days 9.31 days Percentage of reactive repairs carried out completed right first time 86.5% 85.7% Number of times in the reporting year we did not meet our statutory obligation to complete a gas safety check within 12 months of a gas appliance being fitted or last checked 0 0 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service 87.7% 83.7% What we are doing in 2023/24: • We will take actions to improve satisfaction with the repairs service • We will implement a revised process and monitor performance in addressing dampness and mould in tenants homes Page 25
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8 Outcome 6 Estate Management and Anti-Social Behaviour Aim: Social landlords, working in partnership with other agencies, help to ensure as far as reasonably possible that: Tenants and other customers live in well-maintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe. Ensuring that tenants live in well maintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe is a key objective. Our Anti-Social Behaviour Services operated throughout the pandemic and the number of cases resolved remains high. Whilst reported satisfaction levels have dropped, we have an improvement plan in place aimed at addressing this. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Percentage of tenants satisfied with the management of the neighbourhood they live in 78.5% 62.7% Percentage of anti-social behaviour cases resolved 98.1% 97.1% What are we doing in 2023/24: • We will review and update our Anti-Social Behaviour Policy • We will increase awareness in how to report anti-social behavior and ensure attendance at all community Tenant and Resident Association meetings to provide guidance and updates to tenants • We will continue proactive work in partnership with other agencies to provide a visible presence in our communities and tackle hot spot areas to meet community needs • We will actively promote our estate walkabout programmes to tenants within our communities • We will share our community work and actions we are taking to tackle anti-social behavior with tenants and residents via the Housing News and social media platforms Page 26
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9 Outcome 10 Access to Housing Aim: Social landlords ensure that: People looking for housing find it easy to apply for the widest choice of social housing available and get the information they need on how the landlord allocates homes and their prospects of being housed. We are committed to ensuring that people find it easy to apply for the widest choice of housing available which meets their needs. In addition to being given information about their prospects of being housed by the council, our application process provides information about how homes are allocated and about a range of other housing options. A review of our Allocations Policy has been carried out and following consultation with tenants, housing list applicants and other stakeholders, proposals to make improvements to the policy were approved by the Housing and Communities Committee in February 2022 and implemented during 2022/23. This included a full review of the housing waiting list and the implementation of a rolling review to ensure data remains accurate. During 2023/24 we will continue to improve the information held for our applicants in relation to their housing preferences, ensuring applications are as up to date a possible in order to reduce refusals, waiting times and maximise the chances of being rehoused. This has already resulted in a steady reduction in the number of offers refused and will remain an area of focus during 2023/24. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Percentage of tenancy offers refused 49.2% 51.7% Local performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Average time to assess housing applications 2.4 days 1.3 days Percentage of housing applications suspended 2.1% 2.5% Percentage of medical applications assessed within 28 day target 62% 55% 2021/22 2022/23 Total number of properties 10,377 10,422 Total number of lets in the year 909 797 Total number on waiting list 4737 5635 What we are doing 2023/24: • We will review procedures in place to identify support needs of new tenants • We will improve online access to waiting list and Housing Options information • We will review the process in place for receiving and processing medical applications from applicants Page 27
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10 Outcome 11 Tenancy Sustainment Aim: Social landlords ensure that: Tenants get the information they need on how to obtain support to remain in their home; and ensure suitable support is available, including services provided directly by the landlord and by other organisations. Providing advice and support to those who need it to remain in their homes is a key priority and we will continue to develop initiatives to ensure that tenants are provided with the help they need to maintain their tenancy. Over the recent past we have reviewed and updated our approach to carrying out new tenant visits and we have taken action to increase the number of visits carried out when a tenant submits a tenancy termination notice. The tenancy sustainment rate subsequently increased from 91.5% in 2020/21 to 94.6% in 2021/22 and this improvement was sustained in 2022/23. It is important that those tenants who need their home adapted due to age, disability, or caring responsibilities are provided with a quick and efficient service. Our ability to carry out medical adaptations was impacted by the restrictions that were in place during the Covid-19 pandemic and this resulted in a back-log of work and an increase in the time taken to carry out this work. There was an improvement during 2022/23 with the average time taken reducing from 108 days to 73 days and we aim to further reduce this during 2023/24. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Percentage of all new tenants housed, who were still in their tenancy 12 months later 94.6% 94.1% Average time taken to complete medical adaptations 108 days 73 days What we are doing in 2023/24: • We will continue the increased number of visits carried out with tenants who submit a tenancy termination notice and provide support to those who require it to remain in their home • We will continue to monitor the time taken to carry out medical adaptations with the aim of delivering further improvements Page 28
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11 Outcome 12 Homeless People Aim: Local councils perform their duties on homelessness so that: People who are homeless or at risk of homelessness get prompt and easy access to help, advice and information; are provided with suitable, good-quality temporary or emergency accommodation when this is needed; and are offered continuing support to help them get and keep the home they are entitled to. Our approach to homelessness is outlined in our 5-year Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, aimed at ensuring that people who have experienced homelessness reach a settled housing solution as quickly as possible, rather than spending long periods of time in temporary accommodation. This approach builds on the success of our previous homelessness strategy “More than a Roof” which made a positive impact and sets out a number of key actions and developments that are being taken to ensure that these improvements are sustained and we continue to prevent and alleviate homelessness in West Dunbartonshire. We continue to ensure that decisions on all cases are made promptly and efficiently, with the average time from application to assessment reducing to 13 days in 2022/23. We also continue to ensure that appropriate support is provided to help people access and maintain their own home and that instances of repeat homelessness are reduced. The homeless service continued to operate throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and faced challenges with an increase in the number of homelessness presentations and an increase in demand for temporary accommodation and support services. Whilst we have managed to make an offer of temporary accommodation on all occasions when this was required, the increased pressures on the service means this has not always been in areas where people want and this has impacted on reported satisfaction with the temporary accommodation provided. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Average time from application to assessment 14 days 13 days Percentage of households requiring temporary accommodation to whom an offer was made 100% 100% Percentage of all homeless cases re-assessed within 12 months (repeat homeless) 5.3% 4.4% Average total time spent in temporary accommodation 191 days 171 days Page 29
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12 Outcome 12 Homeless People continued... Local performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Incidences of homelessness in West Dunbartonshire 1,203 1,202 Percentage of all homeless cases given a decision within 28 days 99% 99% Satisfaction with the quality of temporary accommodation 86% 74% Our Housing First initiative forms part of our wider approach to tackling homelessness. It is targeted at those with the most complex needs and a history of low engagement with support services that has not led to successful or sustainable housing outcomes in the past and resulted in repeat homelessness. The initiative is now well established across West Dunbartonshire with 64 Housing First tenancies being created by the end of 2022/23 and high levels of tenancy sustainment being reported. What we are doing in 2023/24: • We will implement Year 5 of our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan • We will carry out a review of the Council’s approach to homelessness prevention • We will continue our Housing First approach and report progress to the Scottish Government and key partners Page 30
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13 Outcome 13 Value for Money Aim: Social landlords manage all aspects of their businesses so that: Tenants, owners and other customers receive services that provide continually improving value for the rent and other charges they pay. Prior to the pandemic our “Every day counts” approach to managing empty homes had delivered good performance in this area. This was adversely affected by the lockdown and period when letting properties was restricted. We developed a comprehensive action plan to drive recovery and have seen improvements in this area during 2022/23, with the average time taken to re-let properties reducing and the rent lost due to properties being empty also reducing. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic also presented significant challenges for rent collection. Processes were streamlined and made more efficient. We reviewed the preferred contact method of tenants and introduced text messaging and emailing for those who prefer to be contacted this way. We also reviewed the processes around Universal Credit and created a direct email contact with DWP for escalation of non-payment cases and improved the processing of Universal Credit payments. It is positive to see that rent collected as a percentage of rent due increased in 2022/23, although the overall level of rent arrears has increased slightly. Performance indicator 2021/22 2022/23 Trend Comparison Average time to re-let properties 45.8 days 33.6 days Rent loss due to voids expressed as a percentage of the total amount of rent due 1.29% 1.28% Rent collected as a percentage of total rent due 98.4% 98.5% Gross rent arrears as a percentage of total rent due 9.24% 10.0% What are we doing in 2023/24: • We will implement a new void re-let standard • We will review the Direct Tenant Support Funding Schemes we have in place • We will continue to review ways to improve rent collection Page 31
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14 Outcomes 14 & 15 Rents and Service Charges Aim: Social landlords set rents and service charges in consultation with their tenants and other customers so that: A balance is struck between the level of services provided, the cost of the services, and how far current and prospective tenants and other customers can afford them. Tenants get clear information on how rent and other money is spent, including any details of individual items of expenditure above thresholds agreed between landlords and tenants. All tenants want to live in good quality, energy efficient homes in well maintained neighbourhoods, where they feel safe. For this reason, we continue to invest heavily in both our housing capital programme and our new council house building programme and employ housing officers to manage estates, promote successful tenancy sustainment and tackle anti-social behaviour. We strive to keep our costs as low as possible and carry out a rent consultation process annually, in conjunction with tenants. Budgeting was made more difficult last year due to the uncertainty around interest rates and 2 options were considered in the public consultation. The Council approved a rent increase of 5% in March 2023, which included an enhanced capital investment programme and also £565,000 of direct financial assistance for those tenants experiencing hardship, to provide support through the cost of living crisis. We have a Joint Rent Group comprising tenants, Council officers and the Convener of the Housing and Communities Committee, who work together to ensure compliance with the guidance in relation to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and their focus is ensuring the Housing and Homelessness Services provide best value for current and future tenants. We are keen to ensure that the involvement and influence of tenants in this process continues and if you would like to become involved contact Jane Mack on 0798 354 2993 or jane.mack@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Staffing: employee costs, administration costs (this also includes payments to other departments for example financial services, computer systems, human resources, corporate communications, architectural services) and property costs. Repairs and Maintenance: the costs for day to day repairs carried out across all properties and costs associated with medical adaptations. Capital Investment: the interest and principal repayments on money we have borrowed to fund the Council’s new build programme and carry out major works and improvements (e.g. cladding, kitchens, bathrooms, roofs). Other expenditure: costs associated with arrears and the collection of rents, bad debt provision (funds required to account for rents and debt accounts which are not paid to the Council) and Council Tax and lost rent on empty homes. What we are doing in 2023/24: • We will carry out robust rent consultation with tenants and future tenants, including review of existing timetable • We will undertake a rent affordability assessment as part of the rent consultation exercise Staffing, 28% Repairs & Maintenance , 31% Capital Investment, 35% Other Expenditure, 6% How your rent was spent in 2022/23 Page 32
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15 Tenant Involvement At West Dunbartonshire Council we have a long history of tenant involvement. Tenant Participation helps you to become directly involved in decision making which will influence housing services now and in the future. Details about the various ways tenants can become involved are available online at http://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/housing/council-housing/tenant-participation/. You can also following us on Facebook, where we post regular information about housing, events and share community information. There are many ways to participate, e.g. via a local Tenants and Residents Association, scrutiny group or the rent setting consultation. We have got back to in person meetings but kept some virtual meetings, where they suit people better. Like many organisations, our tenant group numbers have been affected since lockdown and our current focus is to encourage more involvement and help support tenant groups represent their area and improve neighbourhoods. We produce a quarterly newspaper called Housing News, which is delivered to all West Dunbartonshire tenants. It provides up to date news on housing in West Dunbartonshire, including information on our performance, new housing developments, tenant consultations and information on tenant participation activities. A copy of Housing News is delivered to you and is also available online at http://www.west- dunbarton.gov.uk/housing/housing-news/ If you would like more information about tenant participation or want to see what you could get involved in then please get in touch with Jane Mack on 0798 354 2993 or by email - jane.mack@west-dunbarton.gov.uk. What do you think of this report? We are keen to hear your thoughts on this report and how it could be improved. Please use the link or QR code below to complete 5 very short survey questions. https://arcg.is/1fbSf40 Page 33
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