Tenancy Visits Guidance

Policy Statement

This policy is designed to provide our customers with the opportunity to have a

regular visit from Six Town Housing (STH) to ensure that their needs and the needs of their family are being addressed.

STH is committed to delivering services that meet the expectations of our

customer base and through these visits we will gather tenancy data from our customers to enable us to tailor our services to meet those needs.

Each customer has a signed tenancy agreement with a number of stated

obligations to which the customer agrees to comply with in order to maintain the

tenancy to agreed standards. Through a proactive management service and the enforcement of tenancy conditions, we will also use tenancy visits to identify customers in need of advice, support or assistance and to update our customer profiling information;as well as confirm on an regular basis that each of the properties we manage is occupied by the customer (and has not been sublet) and also that properties are not being damaged, neglected or otherwise used in an obviously criminal or inappropriate manner either internally or externally.

Scope

This policy applies only to properties managed by Six Town Housing.

Aims / Objectives

The key objectives of the Tenancy Visit are to:

  • Improve customer relationships;
  • Ensure that we hold accurate customer information and uses this for business planning purposes and to meet specific customer needs;
  • Ensure tenants are complying with the terms of their tenancy agreement;
  • Identify unmet housing or support needs, including under occupancy or overcrowding;
  • Prevent tenancy fraud and identify properties that have been abandoned;
  • Resolve customer enquiries by offering advice or signposting, as appropriate;
  • Minimise income loss as a result of illegal occupation or fraud; and
  • Promote personal responsibility ad reduce the dependency culture.

It is also proposed to introduce more frequent, targeted tenancy checks in the following circumstances:

  • Where there is an ongoing tenancy breach relating to ASB.
  • Where it has not been proved possible to gain access for gas servicing.
  • Where the tenant has had no contact with STH during the previous 12 months.
  • Where consent to assign, succeed, sublet or exchange properties have been previously refused.
  • Where damage has been caused to a property previously.

A multi-tier approach to tenancy visits is proposed involving better utilisation of the visits already undertaken by STH during their day to day activities and our contractors and introducing a 3 year rolling programme of more intensive tenancy visitsby the Neighbourhood Community Advisors.

All of this links into our Eyes Wide Open initiative, where staff and contractors who identify concerns during other scheduled visits, report their concerns in a structured way through a variety of mechanisms including a dedicated hotline. Future plans will also include a roll out of this initiative to Tenants, Councillors and other partners.We will

Service Standards

Visits will take place as a minimum every three years.Visits will last approximately 30 minutes.

Timescales from first visit to third visit will be within a 6 to 8 week period.

Responsibilities

Every member of the organisation carries the responsibility of ensuring we maintain a strong and effective customer management relationship including knowing and understanding the make up of our customers. This is essential if the organisation is to continue to be successful and meet customer needs and expectations. All staff also need to ensure that properties we manage are being looked after and used appropriately by those living in them and reporting any issues or concerns they encounter during their working day to the appropriate internal or external department.

However, the staff below hold the following responsibilities:

The Business Manager for Neighbourhoods will have overall responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy; performance and will be accountable for the delivery as a whole.

The Neighbourhood Co-ordinators will beresponsible for:

Monitoring the implementation of the policy.

Co-ordinating investigations into cases referred by visiting officers and

ensuring appropriate action is taken.

The Neighbourhood Community Advisors will be responsible for:

Carrying out tenancy visits to all properties in their respective areas over a maximum period of three years;

Completing a tenancy visit check formin respect of each property and

ensuring all information is appropriately recorded on the customer's file;

Gathering any support needs information, such as languages spoken by

the household or details of disabilities which are not already held on the

Libra system;

Updating with the appropriate visit code and scanning the visit form on the Libra system after each visit;

Referring to their Neighbourhood Co-ordinator, cases where the customer is not at home for three visits or has inadequate identification; and

Undertaking additional investigation into suspected cases of subletting or

breach of tenancy as directed by existing policy and procedures.

The teams below will also deliver the following:

The Neighbourhood Team will be responsible for carrying out all processes relating to the tenancy visits and will make all the necessary referrals and update the Libra system.

The Sustainability & Investment Team will ensure all referrals made to them areinvestigated and if appropriate arrange for future works to be carried out.

TheTenancy Management and Enforcement Team will action all referrals made to them by arranging any follow up appointments and undertake benefit assessments if appropriate.

Tenancy data

A tenancy visit will consist of a check on identity and residence and a brief

inspection of the property.This will enable us to clarify that:

  • the information we have on ourcomputerised housing management system is correct; and/or
  • any changes thatmay have occurred within the household (e.g. a new member of thehousehold, change in economic status, new telephone number) can beaccurately recorded.

The information collated will include:

Rent account number;

Number of and name of permanent occupants and their;

Surname;

Forename;

Middle name(s);

Home telephone numbers;

Next of kin details;

Email address;

Date of birth;

National Insurance number;

Housing Benefit reference;

Tenancy start date;

Preferred way of communication;

Right to buy application details;

Access to internet;

Access to a bank account; and

Any support needed or agency engaged with.

The tenant has a legal right to refuse this information, however it is important that it is established who is living at the address.

It is now standard practice to take a photograph of the tenant at sign up. During the visit , the NCA will take an up to date picture for our records. Again, tenants have a legal right to refuse this request.

These visits will also be used to resolve tenant queries or signpost as required.

Property data

An inspection of the property will also be conducted to establish the internal condition of the rooms as well as the front, back garden and boundaries. Customers will be provided with contact details of the Repairs Team where necessary. Adaptations will also be recorded and photographed where appropriate.

Satisfaction data.

The visit will enable us to have a conversation with the tenant to

discuss how they feel about us as an organisation and how satisfied they are with their home and their neighbourhood. This will provide a temperature check on how well the organisation is doing and gauge how the services we are delivering are meeting the customers’ needs and expectations.

Actions following visit

The actions required following the tenancy visit whether it is

updating our computerised housing management system, a referral to other departments, commencing tenancy breach action or a referral to an

external agency is set out in the attached procedure.

Failure to allow STH staff access will be considered a breach of the tenancy

agreement and the Tenancy Enforcement Team will commence action to end the

tenancy.

Relevant legislation

In line with the Housing Act 1985 Section 81, a tenant must occupy the property astheir only or principle home; or where the tenancy is a joint tenancy, that each of the joint tenants is an individual and at least one of them occupies the property as his only or principle home.

Tenancy Agreement

The current tenancy agreement states:

‘You must live in the property as your only or main home. If you do not, you will no longer be a secure tenant and we may be entitled to take back your home’.

‘You have the right to sublet part of your property, but you must get our written permission first. You cannot sublet the whole property’.

National Fraud Initiative

STHwork with Bury Council and undertake investigations directed by the National Fraud Authority to detect tenancy fraud. NFA recommend the following:

  • Local Authorities should consider photographing tenants at allocation and existing tenants at tenancy audits;
  • Data is matched to other tenancy data to identify individuals that potentially have more than one property in their name;
  • Data is matched to Immigration and UK Visa data to highlight individuals with no right to reside in the UK and forms of identification such as: national insurance number (to get a National Insurance number you must have the right to work or study in the UK); passport/identity card; residence permit;birth/adoption certificate;marriage/civil partnership certificate;driving licence should be checked thoroughly;
  • Data is matched to housing benefit data to ensure that tenants are only resident at one address, and are not claiming housing benefit for a different property; and
  • Right to buy claimants will also be matched to housing benefit to ensure that they are not claiming right to buy when they do not qualify.

Powers of Entry

The current tenancy conditions also require a tenant to give us access if appropriate and reasonable written notice ofthis request has been given.

Tenants are also obliged to inform us of any changes to their household.

If we suspect a tenant has breached their tenancy but the tenant refuses access or to co-operate, then we will take appropriate legal action to enforce this.

In the Housing Act 1985 Section 197 "Powers of entry"

1. A person authorised by the local housing authority or the secretary of state may atany reasonable time on giving 24 hours notice of his intention to the occupier andto the owner if the owner is known, enter the premises for the purpose of surveyand examination.

(a) Where it appears to the authority that survey examination is necessary in order todetermine whether any powers under this part should be exercised in respect ofthe premises;

(b) Where a repair notice has been served in respect of the premises; or

(c) In the case of premises which the authority are authorised by part to purchase

compulsorily.

2. Authorisation, for the purposes of this section, shall be forwarded, in writing to the tenant, stating theparticular purpose or purposes for which the entry is

authorised.

3. In all cases, a court order is required to gain access.

Tenancy visit procedure

Stage 1-

Customers will generally not be given notice prior to visit being carried out. Community Neighbourhood Advisor (NCA) can choose which properties to visit on the basis of a range of factors.

Note – NCA can choose to take forward access issues or defer the visit until next cycle of planned visits in the area on the basis of information already available.

Stage 2 -

NCA arrange a tenancy visit by letter (this may be as a result of concerns or referral from external agencies or issues noted at stage 1).

NCA will advise Assistant Neighbourhood Worker (ANW) of appointment date and time ANW will produce and send letter, these should be scanned to Libra as a copy on the tenancy file.

Visit to take place (calling card left if unsuccessful).

Questionnaire to be completed in line withguidance.

On completion of visit, refer to “After the visit” below.

Stage 3 – (None access)

NCA to arrange second visit within 7 days of original visit

NCA to contact tenant to discuss refusal and to complete desktop investigation (see below).

NCA will advise ANW of appointment date and time ANW will produce and send letter, these should be scanned to Libra as a copy on the tenancy file.

Visit to take place (calling card left if unsuccessful).

Questionnaire to be completed in line with guidance.

On completion of visit, refer to “After the visit” below.

Desk top investigation –

This is likely to involve some or all of the following ‘desk top’ measures:

• cross-referencing electronic data with other departments to highlight discrepancies

• examining rent accounts for unusual and extraordinary transactions and

payment patterns including checking accounts in credits

• analysing data from gas safety and programmed works visits.

• analysing the frequency and types of interaction between STH and the

tenant over the preceding two years such as the repairs history

• cross-checking information received and access issues via the annual gas

safety check programme

• examining the validity of documents and photographs held on our electronic files

• cross-referencing data in relation to Right to Buy applications

• requiring tenants to produce up to date personal details and proof of identity

when requesting a service e.g., when as new key fob/licence agreement is

requested

• telephone calls to the resident on the registered landline

• comparing signatures on recent documents against signatures on tenancy

agreements and application forms

• checking on line profiles on sites such as ‘Facebook’ or ‘twitter’.

Stage 4 – None access

NA to arrange third visit within 7 days of last visit

NA will advise ANW of appointment date and time ANW will produce and send letter, these should be scanned to Libra as a copy on the tenancy file.

Visit to take place (calling card left if unsuccessful).

Questionnaire to be completed in line with guidance.

On completion of visit, refer to “After the visit” below.

After the visit

Tenancy updates are input into database by the Assistant Neighbourhood Workers, within 14 working days following the tenancy visit using guidance.

If actions are required following a tenancy visit, these must commence within 14 days after the initial home visit by relevant officer.

Supporting our Staff

On occasions, working with our residents can be very emotive and residents can become very upset to the point where their behaviour becomesunacceptable.

We will not tolerate threats or violence against a member of staff or our partners.

We will, if necessary, use all available enforcement remedies against any person

using or threatening violence.

We will also ensure that our staff:

  • understand our policies;
  • are kept up to date with any changes in policy or procedure; and
  • are given suitable supervision to address issues.

Monitoring and Reporting

The Business Manager for Neighbourhoods will produce performance indicators for the tenancy visits and report these via the Business Information Booklets (BIBs) on a monthly basis.

Equality and Diversity

STH is dedicated to achieving equality of opportunity for all and is wholly opposed to all forms of discrimination. It is our policy to treat everyone fairly, regardless of age, disability, race, national origin, ethnicity or nationality, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment status, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity and sexual identity.

We take a serious approach to our obligations under the Equality Act (2010) and, to this end; we aim to make our services accessible to all residents and will take steps to overcome barriers to accessing services. For example, this may mean making special arrangements for visits where residents have specific needs such as a language, cultural or other barriers. We will provide document translation and interpretation services, where appropriate, as well as large print or Braille. Staff are expected to be sensitive to the needs of residents who cannot read due to illiteracy problems.

On occasion, the tenancy visits are unannounced but tenants are

afforded the opportunity to tell us of any special requirements they may have.

An equalities impact assessment as been undertaken and this will be reviewed as part of our ongoing commitment to fulfil our duty under legislative requirements.

Information obtained following a tenancy visit is confidential and subject to our data protection policy.

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