6th November 2002

 

Chairman of the Policy and Organisation Board (Councillor Cully) (P) ; Councillors Bone (P), Carter (P), Mrs Cully (P), Farr (P), Friend (P), Mrs Gravell (P), Hayward (P), P Russell (P), Taylor (P) and Mrs Wright (Chairman) (P)

20. MINUTES

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 4 September 2002 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.

PART II

21. ENERGY EFFICIENCY: CAPITAL PROGRAMME VIREMENT PROPOSAL

Consideration was given to a report of the Regulatory Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "A"). The Board was informed that increased energy efficiency grant activity and reduced demand in other areas of the grant programme provided an opportunity to reassess spending priorities and that the approval of a virement of £45,000 from the Renovation Grants - Discretionary budget to the Energy Efficiency budget was sought.

The view was expressed that an increase in the Energy Efficiency budget would be of great benefit to residents in the Borough.

RESOLVED: That-

(i) a virement of £45,000 from cost centre TC02 (Renovation Grants - Discretionary) to cost centre TC07 (Energy Efficiency) be approved in order to meet demand for low cost energy efficiency improvements; and

(ii) this recommendation be referred to the Policy and Organisation Board for approval.

22. REVISING THE COUNCIL'S PRIVATE SECTOR HOMELESSNESS ACCOMMODATION SCHEMES

Consideration was given to a report of the Housing Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "B"), which outlined the Council's growing reliance upon the private sector to provide "staged" accommodation to fulfil its homelessness obligations. New categories of customers for whom the Council had a duty to provide temporary accommodation had emerged following the Homelessness Act 2002. The new categories, coming into force on 31 July 2002, were:
· all 16 and 17 year olds who were not the responsibility of Social Services (for example those children in care)
· long term care leavers under 21 years of age not in further or higher education
· anyone under 25 years of age who was vulnerable due to a lack of support network
· persons who were vulnerable (regardless of age) because they had been in care, imprisoned or served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces
· anyone who was vulnerable due to having fled domestic or other violence

The report also outlined the principles of a scheme to secure additional units of temporary accommodation and proposed changes to the incentives given to landlords to encourage them to join the Council's private lettings portfolio and recommended that the Accreditation Scheme (for private sector landlords) be strengthened.

Following consultation with the Housing Benefit Section, it was recommended that a scheme be explored where:

· the Council would act as rent guarantee agents and limited guarantee agents for the property for as long as the customer remained in occupation and the Council retained a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for the household
· the damage deposit and administration charges already accepted by the Council would apply equally to the new scheme

It was reported that approximately 30% of the Council's homelessness caseload involved young homeless people and a range of initiatives were being employed to assist them, depending on availability at the time. Support provided "in-house" for young homeless people amounted to two to three hours per week although there was a view held by external agencies that seven to eight hours per week would be more appropriate. Efforts were being made to develop new ways of dealing with the problem of providing support and officers would be liaising with Social Services in connection with this. Additional Central Government funding of £26,000 had been made available this year in recognition of the increased workload associated with the provisions of the Homelessness Act 2002.

It was reported that a significant number of existing private lets would have to be replaced in order to achieve a longer-term target of improving the quality of accommodation offered under the private rented sector portfolio. The current Accreditation Scheme was being reviewed to strengthen the requirements upon properties within the portfolio and it was recommended that the Housing Services Manager be authorised to review the Accreditation Scheme in consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Board and Group Housing Spokespersons.

RESOLVED: That-

(i) the Housing Services Manager be given responsibility to review the Accreditation Scheme and amend this in consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Board and Group Housing Spokespersons; and

(ii) authority be delegated to the Housing Services Manager, in consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Board, Group Housing Spokespersons and the Council's Chief Legal Adviser, to expand the provisions of the current private sector accommodation schemes for homeless households based on the principles contained within the report

23. A REVIEW OF THE IN-HOUSE HOMELESS CUSTOMER SUPPORT SCHEME

Consideration was given to a report of the Housing Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "C"), which, as requested by the Housing Board in November 2001, gave details of a review of the homeless In-House Customer Support Team. The scheme was working well and had enabled the Council to continue to maintain significant numbers of homeless households in temporary accommodation. The report also emphasised the importance of the team and the need to recruit an additional administration officer in order to maintain and, in time, expand the current use of the private rented sector as a source of temporary accommodation.

It was reported that two Homelessness Support Officers had previously been appointed on temporary contracts until April 2004 through Transitional Housing Benefit funding. These officers provided low-level tenancy/occupancy support that centred on helping customers to successfully claim housing benefit and avoid rent arrears, which would jeopardise their placement. The team also provided this support to homeless households placed in:

· bed and breakfast
· lodgings
· Barclay House Hostel
· new contractual tenancies (Council permanent stock on a temporary basis)

In addition, these officers provided resettlement support to help customers move on from initial homeless placements. Support was particularly provided to residents moving into the private rented sector.

Since 1997 there had been a sevenfold increase in homeless households that had had to be placed in temporary accommodation to fulfil the Council's legal obligations. Without the establishment of the in-house homeless support team this required increase in placements could not have been sustained.

It was therefore recommended that a "homelessness administrative officer" be appointed on a temporary contract until April 2004, the duties of the post being principally to help customers with Housing Benefit claims, monitor rent accounts, making customers aware of problems and assisting them in resolving those problems.

It was also reported that the two current Homeless Support Officer posts had recently been re-graded from Scale 4 to Scale 5 under the Council's Job Evaluation Scheme. This, together with the 2002 pay award, had resulted in the hourly charge for support being approximately 22% below the actual cost of delivering the service and it was therefore recommended that the hourly rate charged be increased from £12.01 to £15.30. This charge would only apply to new applicants.

RESOLVED: That-

(i) the Housing Services Manager be authorised to recruit an additional homelessness administrative officer on a temporary contract (until April 2004) on the Transitional Housing Benefit funding basis approved by the November 2001 meetings of the Housing Board and Personnel Sub Committee; and

(ii) an increase in the hourly service charge for the provision of support from £12.01 to £15.30, in line with the increase in the costs incurred by the Council in providing this service be approved.

24. A REVIEW OF THE FLOATING SUPPORT SCHEMES OPERATING IN THE GOSPORT AREA

Consideration was given to a report of the Housing Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "D"), which gave an overview of the progress of a variety of floating support schemes that had been recently developed in the district as part of the "Supporting People" agenda. All schemes were reported to be working well and at, or near, capacity. Further expansion was being considered by at least one external scheme. The current and future funding issues and the empowerment role of the Council were outlined in the report.

It was reported that the March 2002 meeting of the Housing Board had considered a report recommending the development of "floating support" initiatives, which, through low-level support, advice and assistance, would greatly increase the chance of vulnerable residents sustaining their tenancy. At the meeting, the Board had approved match funding of £2,500 to pump-prime the Gosport and Fareham Floating Support Scheme operated by Southern Focus Trust. The Board had requested the progress of this initiative be considered at a future Board meeting.

In addition to the Southern Focus Trust operated support scheme there were a number of other schemes in operation, details of which were included in the report.

It was reported that one of the current trends in respect of the Supporting People agenda was the rapid development of close working arrangements between a wide variety of agencies. This had required close inter agency co-operation and the resolution of associated funding issues. An overview of funding arrangements was contained in the report.

The Board was informed that three large scale new schemes had been developed, namely:

· the in-house customer support team
· Gosport and Fareham Floating Support Scheme (Southern Focus Trust)
· Rowner Floating Support Scheme (Stonham Housing Association)

A number of smaller scale specialist organisations were reported to have expanded, or to be in a position to expand to support vulnerable customers. Examples of such organisations were:

· Fareham and Gosport Family Aid (victims of domestic abuse)
· Mental Health Resettlement Team (Southern Focus Trust)
· Accommodation Resource Centre (young people)
· Two Saints (night shelter resettlement)
· Havant Housing Association and its care arm, Signature (substance misuse)

The Board noted that the report was to be amended so that the final three sentences of paragraph 7.1 were to read as follows:

" From April 2003 the support provider will be directly contracted with the Hampshire Supporting People Team and will receive grant monies direct.

This means that this Council will not be responsible for the agencies service reviews and deciding grant monies. Officers will ensure that the relevant contracts ensure that this Council is involved in the reviews and that providers are contracted to deliver a set amount of support to its referred customers".

The Board was informed that the Housing Services Unit and its partners had worked hard at developing the opportunities arising from the Supporting People agenda and it was clear that many customers were now receiving much needed support. In the case of the Southern Focus Trust scheme, a £2,500 grant contribution and innovative Transitional Housing Benefit arrangements had enabled a successful scheme, providing much needed on-going support to (as at September 2002) 28 residents of the Borough, the majority of whom were public sector tenants. However, given the increasing need to provide additional support for large number of the Council's customers, it was vital that the funding arrangements needed to facilitate an appropriate network of floating support schemes be kept under review.

RESOLVED: That -

(i) the contents of the report be noted: and

(ii) the Housing Services Manager, in consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Board and Group Housing Spokespersons, be authorised to continue to explore ways of facilitating the expansion of the network of floating support schemes available in the Borough.

25. SUPPORTING PEOPLE

Consideration was given to a report of the Housing Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "E"), which advised on progress with the development of the Hampshire Supporting People Strategy and sought approval for delegated authority to be given to the Housing Services Manager to sign off this strategy on behalf of Gosport Borough Council.

The Board was informed that the Supporting People Programme, to be implemented from 1st April 2003, devolved responsibility for the funding, planning and monitoring of housing related support services to local authorities. For administrative purposes the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had designated the County Council as the responsible body for delivering this programme.

To take the programme forward into 2003/04, a Hampshire Supporting people strategy had been developed. This high level, countrywide strategy, which was an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister requirement, had been based on in depth local strategies and had set out the overall policy direction for the County.

The Board was informed that it was a requirement of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister that, before the strategy was submitted to them, it was to be agreed and formally signed by all the statutory partners in the Supporting People process. In Hampshire these partners consisted of the County Council, the eleven District Councils and the Probation and Health services.

The main elements that made up the strategy were:

· an identification of the current level of provision with regard to housing related support services across Hampshire
· key objectives to be achieved during the coming year
· the policy framework in which services would be developed
· other strategies and programmes to which the Supporting People programme was linked
· the basis on which schemes would be reviewed in a rolling three year programme
· an identification of priority areas for future developments

RESOLVED: That the Housing Services Manager be given delegated authority to sign the Hampshire Supporting People Strategy on the Council's behalf.

26. CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME PRIORITIES 2003/04 - 2005/06

Consideration was given to a report of the Housing Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "F"), which outlined, subject to funding, a prioritised list of homes that it was anticipated would receive capital improvements during the years 2003/04 - 2005/06.

The Board was informed that the investment approach approved at the September 2002 meeting of the Housing Board aimed to target available resources for capital works at Criteria 4 of the Decent Homes Standard (heating and insulation) whilst still continuing the external improvement programme ethos of replacing windows, guttering and fascias. Additionally, increased resources for the Tenant Led Initiative Kitchen Scheme would be made available during this three-year period whilst developing a similar scheme for bathrooms (both major elements contributing to properties Criteria 3 of the standard - Modern Facilities). The Board was therefore asked to consider a "subject to funding" three year capital programme priority list aimed at targeting available resources at customers' key priorities and at improving two key elements of the Decent Homes Standard.

The Board was informed that, although achieving the Decent Homes Standard had to be a key objective, there were other investment requirements that had to compete for the limited resources available but would not improve Decent Homes Standard compliance levels (e.g. lifts, window replacement, environmental improvements, garage sites and infrastructure works etc). Any investment strategy had also to take into account the priorities of residents. Given the level of resources predicted to be available to the authority up to 2010, there was therefore a need to balance a variety of investment requirements.

The Board was informed that, assuming the overall repairs programme anticipated by the 2002/3 edition of the HRA Business Plan was available to fund works of this nature, this approach would provide the opportunity to:

· Provide every Council home (excluding tower block flats) that did not already have the facility, with the opportunity to have-double glazing, insulation and programmable central heating by the end of the 2006/7 financial year
· Address a minimum of 467 homes that were currently Non Decent or are Potentially Non Decent

· Provide £330,000 to tackle Kitchens and Bathrooms (targeted to residents in whose homes these facilities had been classed as 'Non Decent' first) utilising the Council's successful 'Tenant Led Initiative' (TLI) approach

The Housing Services Manager was requested to circulate Appendices 1 and 2 of the report to Board Members to include details of the ward boundaries within which each approved priority road was located.

RESOLVED: That, subject to funding, the prioritised capital improvement schedule for the period 2003/04 - 2005/06, contained within Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the report be approved.

27. EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the under mentioned item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

28. GOSPORT RESOURCE CENTRE

Consideration was given to an exempt report of the Housing Services Manager in connection with the Gosport Resource Centre. An amendment to the recommendations contained in the report was approved.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations contained in the report, subject to the approved amendment, be approved.

CHAIRMAN