Agenda item

To consider the report.

The Chair introduced the report and thanked the outgoing Internal Audit Manager and her team for their contribution to GAP. Other Members echoed this view.

The Leader of the Council gave a summary of the partnership arrangements with Uttlesford Norse Services Limited (UNSL) that had begun in October 2019. She highlighted the Action Plan moving forward.

The Chief Executive said that UDC was a good landlord and that the situation had substantially improved since his previous three reports. He updated Members on the self-referral letter to the Regulator for Social Housing, which had been acknowledged and the focus that had been placed on the six key health and safety areas.

In response to various questions, the Chief Executive said:

·         The contract was for 10 years with a break clause at 5 years (in 2.5 years time).

·         Future options were under consideration. He was aware of instances where services had been brought back “in-house” as well as services being “out-sourced”. He was conscious of managing expectations.

·         The Performance Management system now in place was a “best in class”.

·         An Internal Audit report dated August 2022 had been included in the report papers and that a further Internal Audit process report would be brought back to a future GAP meeting.

·         £300k from the Housing Revenue Account had been allocated for this financial year to put improvements in place specifically at UDC. This represented 3.75% in one year or 0.75%/year over five years.

·         It was not possible to withdraw the self-referral letter despite improvements on-going. It was even odds as to whether UDC would be put in special measures.

·         In respect of comments made about Action Plan H4ii and M2 that all Action Plan items would be for future discussion with the Interim Director of Housing.

·         As the landlord, UDC held an asset register and at any given time would hold definitive details.

·         There was still no definitive information available in respect of asbestos and a request was made to approach the Chief Executive first in future rather than go directly to UNSL as such matters should be dealt with on an officer to officer basis.

·         In response to suggestions that a representative from UNSL should be asked to attend a future GAP meeting to answer questions, he said that he was not looking to manage the contract in that way but would consider the matter in liaison with the Monitoring Officer.

·         In respect of the joint venture he acknowledged the need to continue to improve the understanding of client side management.

Councillor Coote addressed the Committee in his role as Housing Portfolio Holder. He recognised that there had been difficulties between the two parties. He said that the self-referral had been necessary and that all efforts must be taken to make the partnership with UNSL work.

The Leader of the Council said that Operational Board minutes should be available and that the lack of asbestos data was unacceptable.

Councillor Khan suggested that a UNSL representative be invited to a future GAP meeting.

Councillor Emanuel disagreed about addressing UNSL directly as it was for GAP to oversee the governance of UDC.

Councillor Foley said that work could be delegated but not the responsibility and that it was probably best to leave matters with the Chief Executive at the current time.

In response to questions from the Chair, particularly about the need for all Members to be aware of the self-referral to the Regulator for Social Housing and any possible implications, the Chief Executive said that a further update report would come to the next GAP Committee and that Housing Board would receive an updated position report next week. He suggested that reports be made on a two- monthly cycle, with email updates in-between.

The Leader of the Council indicated that the Housing Portfolio Holder would be reporting the self-referral issue to full Council and that information would be cascaded.

Members considered that alongside any report from Housing Board, a report should also be made by GAP to full Council.

The Chair proposed that a short report from GAP be submitted to full Council in respect of the self-referral report to the Regulator for Social Housing and that there then be reports back every two months.

This was seconded by Councillor Foley.

RESOLVED that a short report from GAP be submitted to full Council in respect of the self-referral report to the Regulator for Social Housing and that there then be reports back every two months.

The meeting closed at 8.50 pm.