Housing Service Review Group

What is Housing Service Review Group?

It is a city-wide body of council tenants and leaseholders that provides a regular link between the council and our tenants and leaseholders across the city to make sure the Decent Homes programme is being delivered as agreed.

Annual open meeting

One of the requirements on the group is to hold an Annual Open Meeting where tenants and leaseholders can come and meet the members and hear what has been achieved. Arrangements for the Annual Open Meeting will be announced early in the New Year and we would encourage you to come along ask questions and give us your views.

Performance

A Performance Management Framework for the group is now being drawn up. This will set targets for the group to achieve during the year and will enable performance against these targets to be measured in next year’s Annual Review.

The Review showed that the group had grown in its role during the year, gaining confidence, understanding the challenges facing the housing service and becoming more focused on its core business, i.e. the Decent Homes programme and the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan.

Key priorities for the year ahead include:

• involving the group in planning the forward programme of investment in the council’s housing stock

• developing the group’s role in monitoring service improvements

• improving communications between the city council and its tenants and leaseholders

• adopting a performance management framework for the group

• reviewing the training programme for members of Housing Service Review Group.

All of these priorities – and a great many more – have been incorporated into our work plan for the coming year.

Review of Membership

The Housing Service Review Group has places for one tenant from each of the twenty electoral wards in the city, plus a member of the city’s Leaseholder Group and a member of the Tenant Equality Panel. Meetings are monthly and are attended by officers from the Council’s Directorate of Community and Adult Services.

There are presently vacancies in five wards Burslem North, Hartshill and Penkhull, Fenton, Longton North, Weston and Meir North.

As part of the Review it was agreed that if vacancies remained unfilled it would be possible for tenants who are interested in being on the Housing Service Review Group, but whose ward place is already taken, to occupy one of the vacant places as an ‘interested tenant’.

The last twelve months have been hard work but very enjoyable.  It is very important that you get involved and influence the management of your homes. After all you live there and pay for the specific services the council provide for council tenants and leaseholders.

If you are interested and want more information please call 236300.

Why were we set up?

The group grew out of the Options Appraisal Steering Group, which was set up to help the council decide the best route to achieve the Decent Homes Standard in our own housing. Early in 2005 the Council decided, on the recommendation of Option Appraisal Steering Group, that it could reach the Decent Homes Standard using its own resources.

It was agreed that Council tenants and leaseholders should be involved in monitoring the Decent Homes programme, just as they had been involved in the decision about the best way to achieve Decent Homes. So at the Housing Service Review Group we receive regular reports on the programme and discuss a range of issues about the housing service provided through the Council’s Housing Revenue Account.

This September, having been in existence for almost a year, the Housing Service Review Group held its first annual review. The Review involved looking at the Housing Service Review Group membership and whether as a group we had done everything expected of us during the year. The other purpose of the Review was to look at the year ahead and agree priorities.

Carol Beardsall – Chair, Housing Services Review Group