PROTOCOL- ANNEX TO THE DELIVERY PLAN AND ALMO MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Relationship between Salford City Council and New Prospect Housing Ltd.
The relationship between the authority and the arms length company is defined in the
management agreement which sets out the obligations of each party. The detailed document is
based on Government guidance and covers:
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The functions to be carried out by the company
The standards to which they are to be carried out
Arrangements for reporting on and monitoring performance
Requirements for involvement of tenants in decision making
The financial relationship and obligations of each party (including liability for claims from
events before the setting up of the company)
Arrangements for liaison and consultation between the authority and the arms length
company
The role of the company in helping deliver the authority's housing strategy
The length of the agreement (an initial period of 5 years, renewable)
Any warranties to be given to the directors
The actions to be taken where there is non-compliance or failure
Arrangements for termination
This protocol complements the management agreement and identifies practical arrangements
for implementation the ALMO delivery plan and management agreement.
Named Council Officers
The council officer will be Harry Seaton supported by Bob Osborne, Alan Eastwood and John
Spink or their nominees.
Monthly Meetings
The delivery plan refers to officer meetings between the Arms Length Housing Management
Organisation and the Council. The Council will be represented at these meetings by Harry
Seaton as the Council Representative (or his nominee in his absence) and at the discretion of
the Council representative, Bob Osborne, Alan Eastwood and John Spink or their nominee.
New Prospect Housing Ltd. will be represented by John Townsend (or his nominee in his
absence), and, at the Chief Executive's discretion, Keith Pearson, Roger Taylor and Peter
Davidson. Standard agenda items will include:
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Progress against the ALMO delivery plan
Constraints, revisions and updates of the delivery plan
Housing policy issues and contribution to achieving the housing pledge and other Council
pledges
The delivery of services and information from the Council to NPHL
Performance monitoring including:
 NPHL Best value and service improvement plan
 Achievement of those performance indicators identified within the Delivery Plan
 Comprehensive performance assessment
 Feedback on referrals from the Council
 Responses to government. This will include consultation papers or standard returns
required by government
 Practical interface issues between the ALMO and the City Council
 Financial information as defined within the Management Agreement
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Any other business
The meetings will take place on the first Wednesday of each month between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
in the ground floor conference room of Turnpike House. The dates for the meeting are:2nd October 2002
6th November 2002
4th December 2002
8th January 2003
5th February 2003
5th March 2003
2nd April 2003
7th May 2003
4th June 2003
2nd July 2003
6th August 2003
3rd September 2003
1st October 2003
5th November 2003
3rd December 2003
The Council's officer will prepare an agenda based on agenda items submitted to him at least 7
working days in advance of the meeting. He will produce Minutes and action points which will
be circulated to all people attending the meeting within 5 working days. Action points agreed by
both NPHL and the Council will be checked at the subsequent monthly meeting and will be
actioned in accordance with the timescales agreed at the meetings.
Practical Arrangements between the City Council and the Arms Length Housing
Management Organisation
The Arms Length Housing Management Organisation (NPHL) will advise all tenants of the new
arrangements which will commence on 16th September 2002. All tenants should be advised of
the name of the new company and contact arrangements by telephone, fax, e-mail, letters, etc.
All correspondence directed to the Council for the attention of the arms length organisation after
this date will be redirected to the Chief Executive of NPHL. All correspondence and telephone
contacts will be responded to by NPHL in accordance with its customer service standards.
There will be a requirement for precise arrangements to respond to local councillors, local
political executives, enquires from Lead Member and Deputy Lead Members, requests from
Cabinet, Scrutiny and from Members of Parliament. In addition clear arrangements will be
required between the Council's corporate organisation and the NPHL. The following
arrangements have been agreed between the City Council and NPHL.
Enquiries from Ward Councillors and MPs
Direct referrals to Group Managers have worked well and should continue. Ward Councillors
and MPs will be encouraged to contact Group Managers direct and consistent arrangements
should be developed by NPHL to record MPs' and Councillors' enquires, investigate and
respond in accordance with the customer service standards and timescales. The Council's
Officer reserves the right to follow up specific enquiries and monitor responses. Any enquiry
referred to the Director of Housing Services relating to the work of NPHL will be acknowledged
and referred to the Chief Executive of NPHL for a detailed reply.
In the event that the Councillor or MP is unhappy with the service provided by the Group
Manager he should raise this with the Chief Executive of NPHL. If a satisfactory resolution is
not reached then full written details of the nature of the complaint, date referred, date of review
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and reason for dissatisfaction should be submitted by the Councillor to the Council's officer who
will ensure that this is raised as part of the monthly officer meeting and appropriate action and
feedback to the Councillor/MP.
Arrangements with Lead Member
The Lead Member for Housing is responsible for developing the Council's housing policy,
strategy and ensuring that housing activities contribute to the Council's pledges and policy
objectives. Policy issues can arise from national, regional and local issues.
The Lead Member for Housing will also have the direct responsibility at a political level for
ensuring the adequacy of monitoring arrangements and consultation arrangements between
the Council and NPHL. He will have responsibility for achievement of the housing pledge,
implementation of policy and achievement of improvements in performance via arrangements
with NPHL and will report on these issues to Cabinet and Scrutiny Committees.
Any policy revision arising from the Government's national agenda or local priority issues will be
promoted by the Housing Lead Member and included by the Council's representative in the
agenda of the monthly meetings. The Council will consult NPHL on all proposed changes to
housing policy affecting the company and its operations prior to being enacted. Where NPHL
wishes to recommend changes to policy it will refer such matters to the Council's representative
at a monthly meeting.
Ward Councillors and local political executives may raise housing issues of an operational or
policy matter which may require detailed consideration. Issues for inclusion (requiring a policy
decision) should be referred to the Lead Member on the agenda for the monthly officers'
meeting prior to a report to the Lead Member for Housing for formal consideration. Any policy
change will be communicated to the ALMO by the Council's representative and, where
necessary amendment agreed to of the delivery plan.
Items of urgent business of a policy nature should be kept to a minimum and will be
communicated between the Council's officer and the Chief Executive of NPHL by e-mail.
Cabinet
It is likely that the main items of business between the Council (via the Cabinet) and NPHL will
be on performance management and review of pledges (Appendix A lists items planned for
Cabinet discussions between October 2002 and April 2003). NPHL will provide performance
information and comments to facilitate quarterly reports to Scrutiny, Cabinet and the Council.
Reports will normally be presented by the Lead Member for Housing and Council
representative, however, the Council reserve the right to request the attendance of the Chief
Executive of NPHL to explain operational arrangements to deliver service improvements.
Similar arrangements are required for Scrutiny Committee.
Scrutiny Committee
Scrutiny Committee will focus on the delivery and service improvement plans and continuous
improvements in performance indicators as set out in the service improvement plan. It will be
their role to focus on achieving high level outcomes freeing the NPHL Board to concentrate on
delivery of the service. Scrutiny Committee will also monitor progress of projects against the
timescales agreed in the service improvement plan. Reports to Scrutiny will be presented by
the Lead Member for Housing and the Council Officer, although the Council reserve the right to
request the attendance of the Chief Executive of NPHL as set out above.
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Corporate Requirements
Currently many external agencies and partners of the city council refer operational housing
matters with potential corporate implications direct to the Director of Housing Services.
The management agreement provides a clear commitment to partnership working between
Salford City Council and NPHL on corporate initiatives in the delivery plan. In future, in order to
stream line arrangements that agencies will refer all matters of an operational nature direct to
the Chief Executive of NPHL. The Chief Executive of NPHL will ensure that a response is
provided to the appropriate agencies. Where issues have a direct bearing on the Council,
copies of correspondence between NPHL and other agencies will be copied to the Council's
officer. These could include policy issues, consultation documents and statistical returns.
Similarly, issues of a corporate nature will be raised at Directors' meetings. In many cases
these will require input from or will have implications for NPHL. In such cases the Director of
Housing Services will communicate to the Chief Executive by e-mail within 24 hours of the
Directors meeting and will forward any appropriate documents for consideration by NPHL. The
Chief Executive of NPHL will ensure a response to the Council's officer within any reasonable
deadline set.
Where it is not possible for NPHL to reply within the deadline, or where the request does not
accord with the programme and priorities of NPHL then the Chief Executive will discuss and
agree a revised timetable with the Council's Officer and respond to the enquiry direct within the
revised timetable with a copy to the Council's Officer.
Quarterly Meetings
These will focus on the delivery of the delivery plan financial and performance indicator and will
feed into quarterly performance review meetings of Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet.
Housing Policy Objectives
The Council retains responsibility for the development of Housing Policies, these will include
rent setting, homelessness and allocations, achievement of the decent home standards, etc.
Any suggested changes will be the subject of consultation between the Council and NPHL
before implementation. The Council and NPHL will work closely to ensure that the policy
objectives of the City Council are achieved through the procedures and practices of NPHL. The
Council's Officer will be responsible for communicating policy revisions to the Chief Executive of
NPHL so that these can be reflected where appropriate by changes to the delivery plan and/or
procedures and practices. The following are examples where cohesion between policy
objectives, strategic direction and operational delivery will be essential.
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Rents
Allocations
Homelessness
Customer access, service quality, including out of hours provision includes operational
issues where NPHL must have a decision making role
Equality issues
Supporting people
Tenant participation
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APPENDIX A
October/November
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Performance Management
Review of Pledges
Report from Budget Committee
November/December
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Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlement
Performance Management (Quarterly Status Report)
Review of Pledges
Report from Budget Committee
New Government Initiatives/Funding Opportunities (Quarterly Review)
December/January
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Arrangements for Budget Consultation
District Auditor’s Management Letter
Review of Area Plans
Education Development Plan
Quality Protects Plan
Performance Management
Review of Pledges
Report from Budget Committee
January/February
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School Admission Arrangements
Performance Management
Review of Pledges
Report from Budget Committee
February/March
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Treasury Management Policy and Strategy
Performance Management (Quarterly Status Report)
Review of Pledges
Report from Budget Committee
New Government Initiatives/Funding Opportunities (Quarterly Review)
March/April
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Review of Constitution
Review of Policy Framework
Performance Management
Review of Pledges
Report from Budget Committee
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