Issue - meetings

That the comments/observations of the Committee are fedback to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee who are responsible for the overview and monitoring of improvement targets.

                        The Head of Housing Services introduced a report for Committee to note and consider the 2011/12 Quarter 4 (January to March 2012)/Year End service performance reports, note the draft year end position of the Strategic Assessment of Risks and Challenges (SARC) and note the progress made against the Improvement Targets contained within the performance reports. 

                        The Head of Housing Services gave a short presentation on the performance, outlining work which had been undertaken to improve performance and areas where improvement was needed, as outlined within the report. 

                        Councillor A.M. Halford congratulated the Director of Community Services, the Head of Housing Services and their teams for the document.  She highlighted page 81 and raised concern that the development of a Gypsy Traveller Strategy for Flintshire had been delayed.  She also explained that the previous Chairman of Audit Committee had indicated that the red/amber/green status did not reflect whether the data provided was improving or worsening.  This was highlighted on page 67 which showed the data for non-urgent repairs as ‘red’ even though there had been an improvement in the average days taken to carry out the non-urgent repairs.  The Head of Housing Services welcomed the comments made on the red/amber/green designation.  The Housing Strategy Manager said that the needs assessment had been completed and that the new Gypsy Traveller strategy had been rescheduled for delivery in September 2012.

            In response to a series of questions from Councillor G. Hardcastle, the Head of Housing Services said that three teams were undertaking agile working and these included the Asset Management Team,  Housing Renewal Team and the Housing Strategy Team.  Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) was to be discussed at the Forward Work Programme workshop but she added that the aim was to have additional resources for the ASB service to fulfil the commitment to tenants.  Councillor Hardcastle had also felt that the outcomes for current tenant rent arrears (page 59) and non-urgent repairs (page 67) should be amber and not red; the Head of Housing Service agreed with this.  Councillor P. Curtis felt that it was important to leave the status as red where improvement had been made but not sufficiently to warrant changing the status to amber; he felt that this applied to sickness levels which he highlighted as a concern.   

            Councillor A. Bragg queried how well the Welfare Rights service was publicised.  In response the Team Manager Advice & Homeless Services said that it was advertised widely but that the areas that were deemed to be the highest priority were targeted.  The Director of Community Services said that considerations were being given as to whether an ‘invest to save’ bid could be submitted to expand the team.

RESOLVED:

That the comments/observations of the Committee are fedback to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee who are responsible for the overview and monitoring of improvement targets.