RESIDENTS’ FORUM – 11th February 2015
DRAFT MINUTES
Present: William Crilly (Chair); Sylvia Donaldson; Blossom Shakespeare; Niki
Louca; Jon Hill; Lindsey Malcolm (observer); Robert Page (observer).
Newlon: Bill Henderson, Director Housing Services; Annette Morrison, Quality
Manager; Peter Morina, Housing Contracts Manager; Chris Newport, Fusion
Community Partnership Manager; Barbara Duff, Corporate Services Director; Karen
Orr, Senior Resident Involvement Officer (minute taker)
Apologies: Martin Hughes, Ruth Cadby, Tracy Nisbett
1. PRIZE DRAWS
1.1 Forum members conducted the prize draw for a staff member who had
completed the resident involvement survey. This was followed by the prize draw
for 20 residents who had completed a similar survey.
2. INTRODUCTIONS
2.1 Introductions were given. It was noted that Lindsey and Robert were attending
the Forum as observers. As the Chair, Martin Hughes, had been unable to attend
William Crilly was chairing the meeting in his place.
3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
3.1 The minutes of the meeting on 18 November 2014 were agreed as a true and
accurate record.
4. MATTERS ARISING / OUTSTANDING ACTIONS UPDATE
4.1 The update was tabled at the meeting. The chair went through the actions and
their updates. It was noted that the website portal will be turned on again at the
end of February. It was noted that the pilot to give residents calling the service
centre an estimated call waiting time had started and was being monitored.
5. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI’s)
5.1 Bill presented the report which had been tabled at the meeting. In December,
the target for answering calls had not been met due to staff sickness and it being a
busy month, but prior to this it had been on target.
5.2 The % of repairs completed on target had improved slightly as work had been
done manually to ensure completed jobs are recorded. Year to date completion on
target was now about 90%. Bill said that from 15 April the new software, CRM, will
help Newlon to trace every call about repairs to see if it has been dealt with and
this will be reported.
5.3 Performance on arrears is doing quite well and ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) is
on target. Members then asked questions about performance.
Q: is there a way of tracking how many repairs are completed first time?
A: that was not covered in this report but Newlon does collect that information
which is showing an 80 to 85% first time completion.
Q: does the repairs performance information include defects?
A: yes defects performance is included in the repairs figures.
Q: is there a distinction between communal repairs and individual repairs? Who
chases up communal repairs?
A: yes, although both are included in the performance figures. Communal repairs
are not owned by individual residents and are sometimes reported by different
residents. So it can be confusing for residents and Newlon. There is a team at
Newlon that chases up communal repairs with the contractor.
Q: Do Newlon track and report on outages to residents?
A: this is not specifically monitored.
Q: How does Newlon decide which stock to survey?
A: deciding which stock to survey is determined by the age of the property.
Newlon keeps a track of when things like windows need replacing and plans when
they should happen. We can ask a Property Services Officer to come to a Forum
and explain about stock condition surveys.
Q: is Newlon forgetting about planned maintenance for older properties because
of funding and just concentrating on newer homes?
A: Newlon gets loans and grants for new homes and existing homes are paid for
out of the rent received for them. It does planned maintenance on both.
Q: Does Newlon have a schedule for its planned maintenance?
A: Yes we do, it’s more of a plan than a schedule. Sometimes we may think that
windows in a property have 10 years left but then we go and look and realise its
less.
5.4 There was then a wider discussion about defects and repairs. Robert thought
that if the repairs figures included defects then the average time to complete a
repair would be a lot longer than shown. Bill commented that the repairs
performance includes some figures from the contractor and some from us and that
we are dependent on what the contractor provides. Jon thought it was important
there was a check that defects are completed. Niki commented that a repair could
be raised by contractor as a new repair if it has not been completed the first time.
Blossom gave an example of her experience with repairs that was still ongoing
and where Newlon had been billed for work that had not taken place. Robert &
Lindsey both had outstanding defects that had not been completed.
Action – agreed that for the next Forum on 15 April, the Performance Report will
include the % of repairs completed first time. Bill to organise.
Action – agreed that for the next Forum, information will be provided on whether
defects are included in repairs performance and if they are reported accurately.
Bill to organise.
Action – agreed to request that an officer attends to discuss reporting of defects
at the next Forum.
Action – agreed Bill to check when a member’s home was last surveyed and
when the windows are due for replacement.
Action – agreed to request an officer from Property Services comes to a Forum
meeting to explain how planned maintenance is organised and funded for street
properties and new build. Also to discuss stock condition surveys.
6. FUSION UPDATE
6.1 Chris Newport, Fusion Community Partnership Manager updated the Forum
about the work of Fusion and its future plans. Fusion is the community
development partner of Newlon. Next year’s priorities had been proposed
following meetings with key Fusion staff and feedback from some members of the
Residents’ Forum. They had not been finalised yet. He outlined the headline
proposals:
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more work with vulnerable clients as more younger people are getting
Newlon homes
more employment support and which will be delivered in house
explore neighbourhood plans for areas that have range of issues with
statutory and voluntary partners – to identify issues and solutions
a contingency fund of £18k to pilot new initiatives in boroughs like Enfield.
This will be used as a platform to draw in more funding.
make volunteering opportunities more focussed around work placements
with us. Some will need additional support from us
gardening project where we match up residents who can’t do their own
garden with residents who wish to garden
new enterprise work which will focus on young people
6.2 The plans are still being finalised and will be the main focus of the contract
that Fusion has with Newlon for the next financial year. Chris also informed the
Forum that Fusion have just employed a new fundraiser who will be starting in a
few weeks.
7. ONLINE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS
7.1 Barbara Duff, Corporate Services Director, asked the Forum for their views
about online services for residents. Barbara said she had been looking at how
Newlon could make use of digital opportunities. She wanted to use the Forum as a
focus group - to find out what people might use digital services for. Then what
residents may wish to access through the portal on the Newlon website. Barbara
conducted a quick engagement exercise with the Forum to consult them
individually. She would use this insight to help develop resident services online.
7.2 Robert suggested that Newlon have a moderated Facebook page to post
official information that they wanted to get out to residents. The example he
gave, was the lack of information residents had where he lived about how the
heating system worked. A post on Facebook could provide residents with the
right information. Other comments and suggestions were:
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whatever Newlon put on line had to be user friendly and ideally
residents would not have to register to use it
Newlon had to get the basics done very well rather than provide every
function
it needs to be updated regularly
Newlon should have a strategy that deals with negative comments –
like TfL (Transport for London) does – perhaps talk to a consultant
about getting one
set it up in such a way that Newlon can make the edits itself and
doesn’t need a consultant to do this
it’s not necessary to provide information that is already online
elsewhere e.g. information about neighbourhoods
Action – agreed Barbara to consider comments from the Forum and attend again
to update them on Newlon’s plans for online services.
8. ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR (ASB) UPDATE
8.1 Peter Morina, Housing Contracts Manager, spoke about his paper updating
the Forum about ASB. It set out Newlon’s present position, having achieved and
exceeded the performance indicators on resident satisfaction with ASB. Peter is
recruiting to a new enforcement team. This team will deal with ASB under the
new structure and he is planning how to continue the current performance.
8.2 Peter responded to the suggestion from the last Forum about having a mobile
enforcement team to deal with ASB issues. The ASB team does not have the
capacity to implement this suggestion and does not have the powers to prevent
ASB. A member asked why councils have mobile enforcement teams and Newlon
does not. Peter responded that Newlon does have one enforcement team
contracted in a specific area with certain powers given to them – on the
Barnsbury Estate. Councils however, have special enforcement powers given to
them. Other comments/questions about ASB included:
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what is the concierge teams’ role in ASB?
small incidents can escalate if not dealt with and Newlon does not step in
early enough
mobile patrols could monitor and verify noise nuisance
it’s hard to get the Council’s mobile patrol to come out in Hackney
some information that Newlon publishes about ASB is contradictory e.g.
Newlon’s policy is that laminate flooring cannot be laid, however some
residents have done so.
the Local Authority mobile patrols in Camden went out and witnessed ASB
8.3 Peter clarified the role of the concierge team with ASB. It picks up minor ASB
quicker and can arrange for contractors to come e.g. to clean up fly tipping. It is
not expected that residents will contact the concierge team about ASB.
8.4 Peter noted that if Newlon receives information about laminate flooring in one
of our homes then they will ask the residents to take it out and replace with carpet.
As they are just a team of two they rely on receiving this type of information.
Newlon also have noise recording equipment that could be used.
8.5 Bill noted that Newlon have good relationships with local councils and cooperates with the police, especially in Hackney and Islington. Local Councils have
the over riding responsibility for ASB with statutory powers and money for this
funded from the rates (rather than from the rents). At Newlon ASB work is funded
through the rents paid by residents. Newlon are unable to patrol large areas but
where there are hotspots, such as Barnsbury Estate, then we do have something
in place. Where there are cases of prolonged ASB, Newlon have in the past used
professional witnesses, recording equipment and CCTV.
Action – agreed that Peter would investigate the report of ASB raised by a
member and visit if needed. In addition, if noise recording equipment is required
then it will be installed.
Action – agreed to bring the suggestion about having a mobile enforcement team
to the attention of the next Residents’ Services Committee.
9. SUCCESSION POLICY
9.1 Annette Morrison, Quality Manager, outlined her paper asking the Forum to
look at Newlon’s criteria for agreeing to discretionary succession. She explained
that succession is where the main tenant dies and another person “inherits” the
tenancy. The other person should have already been living in the home to be
able to succeed. There were three types of succession – statutory, by tenancy
agreement & discretionary.
9.2 The discussion focussed on discretionary succession criteria with pros and
cons. Annette informed members that agreeing succession may mean a home
goes to someone not in housing need. So the home could not then be let to
someone who was. Discretionary succession creates a new tenancy and
therefore a new ability to succeed. The Forum were asked to consider whether
discretionary succession was the right allocation of a scarce resource taking into
consideration that Newlon has a social purpose.
9.3 Views expressed by the Forum included:
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Newlon should have a mechanism for determining if the person wishing to
succeed has a residency elsewhere.
Newlon should consider discretionary succession if the person applying has
been a carer to the tenant who died.
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Newlon should be careful about putting a time frame on how long the carer
applying for succession should have lived with the tenant. Because that
person may have given up a job and their home to become a carer even if
for a short time. Even if they were just granted a home for 12 months that
would allow them time to get on their feet.
Agreed: to request that Newlon should take into consideration arrears and ASB
when considering succession.
Agreed: to request that Newlon consider discretionary succession where the
person applying lived with and cared for the tenant who died and that this should
be considered on a case by case basis.
Agreed: to request that Newlon consider checking whether the person applying
for discretionary succession has a home elsewhere.
10. HOUSING SERVICES REVIEW UPDATE
10.1 Bill updated the Forum about progress on the Housing review. He said that
after April 13th residents will not be dealing with their housing officers but
different people and teams. He recognised that some residents were very fond
of their housing officers and want a named person contact. The service centre
will be the first point of contact for residents and they will have more resources.
Most of the new staff have now been recruited. Estates and blocks will have
allocated members of the concierge team visiting at least once a month. There
will be two neighbourhood officers who will be in charge of the concierges. The
concierges will be a visible presence and will wear a uniform. We get good
feedback about the concierges.
The Forum asked questions about the restructuring:
Q: how will Newlon deal with the loss of local knowledge held by housing
officers?
A: agree to a point that some knowledge could be lost. But Newlon are writing
down the knowledge so it is not just in someone’s head
Q: does this mean a single person will be accountable when a resident phones
in?
A: it should mean staff take more responsibility when residents contact us,
including for communal repairs.
11. RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT REVIEW
11.1 Karen presented the report about progress on reviewing the Resident
Involvement Strategy. Surveys of both residents and staff had been conducted.
146 residents had replied and 51 staff. Nearly a third of staff had replied although
it was acknowledged that only about 2% of residents had replied. Residents
across all tenures had replied – general needs, intermediate & affordable renters
and leaseholders. Results from the surveys showed that Newlon needed to
improve promoting resident involvement outcomes. Online involvement was the
most popular way both residents and staff said we could improve resident
involvement. Pop up involvement was another.
11.2 Due to an initial slow response from residents after the survey was
advertised in the Winter newsletter the closing date was extended. Residents
were then directly emailed an invitation to fill in the survey to which many more
replied. This left a tighter timescale for the joint working group to come up with
proposals and then consult the Forum before a paper went to Residents’
Services Committee. The Forum agreed they could be consulted on the
proposals by email.
11.3 Noted there is some informal involvement happening at 3 Queensland Road
with a resident being very pro-active about involving others. Karen said that the
resident involvement team could support this. Residents from 34 Queensland
Road have been looking at using Facebook to organise a get together. Jon
pointed out whatever online methods Newlon considers using will have to work
on different platforms – smart phones, tablets and computers.
Action – agreed to consult the Forum on specific proposals for the new resident
involvement strategy by email.
Action – agreed to make more use of rent statements as a way of
informing/reminding residents about involvement opportunities and future
surveys.
Action – agreed when considering on line methods of involvement that Newlon
should research whether these methods work on smart phones, tablets and
computers.
12. AGREEING MEETING DATES AND TOPICS FOR 2015
The Forum agreed the following meeting dates and topics:
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Wednesday 15 April – Defects; Planned Maintenance; Stock Condition
Surveys; Update Housing Services Review
Wednesday 3 June – Tenancy and Letting Policy
Wednesday 8 July – Complaints; Review of Forum’s Terms of Reference
Wednesday 2 September – the new Repairs Contractor
Wednesday 4 November – to be confirmed
13. ITEMS FOR BOARD
Action – agreed to raise the suggestion about Newlon having a mobile patrol that
could respond to residents reporting ASB.
Action – agreed to raise reported delays in dealing with defects.