Agenda item

The Chair introduced the item as being a slightly different format with the Registered Providers of Housing invited to present.  This had been raised at the last meeting due to the issues around damp and mould that had been highlighted by the Committee in previous meetings.  The Registered Providers would present and then a period for Member questions would be held.

The presentations had been circulated to Members as a supplement prior to the meeting.

The first presentation was given for Home Group by Karen Yearly, the Head of Service Delivery for London and South East.  Members questioned how the change of emphasis from blaming tenants to engaging had been received.  The presenter stated that they had consulted first and had had positive feedback.  They had changed the fundamental way that they considered both physical aspects and other things such as overcrowding.  Looking at staff attitudes as well as technical solutions and costs, (such as heated rails) and looking to engage with residents.  When they did a sweeping check, they had identified two residents with long term damp and mould issues who had never raised them.

Where necessary they were looking at flats which were difficult to heat and insulate and considering operations to demolish and rebuild.  This would help to deal with issues around things like internal bathrooms and poor ventilation.  They were also looking at the other tools available and running costs, for example around the use of dehumidifiers vs a heated clothes horse. There  was not a singular or simple solution and they continued to monitor customer satisfaction.

In response to Member questions they could not answer how many were proactive vs reactive cases but they did have a Service Level Agreement in place to respond within a given time frame and this was monitored.  Members noted that not all residents were able to advocate for themselves and many would not consider themselves “customers” but tenants. Members queried how tenants could make contact.  The presenter responded that they had a service centre for national enquiries with a dedicated complaints team, however they also had a local office.  Feedback had resulted in the reinstatement of housing managers which gave people a named contact.  The previous manager had been in post for four years, providing stability, and they were currently recruiting a replacement.  The presenter was happy to provide more data after the meeting.

The second presentation was given for Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing by Jules Bickers, Director of Property, Experience.  They highlighted how they had worked to change attitudes so that problems were seen as cases with individuals assigned to look at how repairs were done and whether further work following up was needed.  They were also looking at what could be shared with contractors as they collected a lot of information from tenants on issues such as cultural issues and language barriers.  They were keen to be judged not on that they happened, but on how they responded to cases of damp and mould.

Members queried the causes of dampness and whether overcrowding was a significant issue.  They responded that the minority appeared to be overcrowding.  Half were from leaks or minor issues which were easily rectified.  The majority were from normal living, which could be linked to the number of people in the property.  There were always going to be issues but they were changing the attitude from “Do it and Walk away” to ameliorate the problem and then monitor.

Members asked about the response timescales. The presenter noted that there was potential legislation coming that would set minimum standards.  As a provider they published their standards and aimed to do urgent visits within 48 hours and general surveys within a week and works booked in within a month.  It did vary depending on the nature of the issues.  They actively encouraged tenants to take out contents insurance when taking on tenancies but would pursue if there was evidence that they had wilfully caused the issue.

Members queried the issues around “go slow”.  The presenter reported that in some cases tenants had engaged solicitors who encouraged the tenant to use delaying tactics which could cause issues in getting access.  This had been an issue with “claims farmers” and was partly due to a misunderstanding of what was possible. Protracted proceedings primarily benefitted the solicitor.

A question was raised around the level of responsibility for leaseholders and shared owners.  The presenter stated that it would depend on the property although in many cases the Registered Provider owned the fabric of the building and would be responsible.  They did get contact from sub tenants but the responsibility in some cases was with the owner of the property.

The next presentation was given for Network Homes by Elizabeth Lill, Service Quality Manager.  They reported that although they had already placed a spotlight on mould and had a process in place, they were always looking to improve.

Members noted that with repeated cases of damp across different buildings which had similar designs in housing association properties, was work being undertaken to ensure that it was not an issue in future builds.  The presenter confirmed that they were aware of the damp issues, especially around those built in the 1960s and this is part of why they had looked to redevelop and build a different type of structure.  The development team could provide more information on this if required.

The final presentation was given for Peabody by Annemarie Fenlon, Managing Director North West London.  Further to the responses from other presenters they reported that they were moving to a regional system so that residents had a named contact.  They had also moved to a case management process to help residents and reduce the need to escalate issues.  This included looking at how many different touch points that they had with them and how this experience could be improved.  So for example while the annual gas safety check was completed, they would look out for signs of mould and damp.

Members of the Committee thanked the presenters for attending.  The Chair noted that Notting Hill Genesis Housing Association would be attending the March meeting of the Housing and Growth Committee.