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/ SHEFFIELD HOMES
South EastArea Board
REPORT FOR DECISION / DATE OF MEETING
18 April 2012

AGENDA ITEM 1

PAPER A

SUBJECT

/ Draft Minutes of the South East Area Board Meeting held on Wednesday 8 February 2012, at Crystal Peaks Office – Art Space, Sheffield.

SUMMARY:

These are the minutes from the South East Area Board meeting held on Wednesday 8 February 2012

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:

That the Area Board adopts the minutes as a true and accurate record of the South East Area Board meeting.

PAPERS:

Minutes of the South East Area Board meeting held on 8 February 2012.

CATEGORY OF REPORT: / OPEN
REPORT BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BY: / Margaret Goodall
CLEARED BY: / Brian Wrigley

Sheffield Homes Area Board – South East Area

Attendance Record Meeting No 43
Date of Meeting: Wednesday 11 April 2011
Venue: Art Space, CrystalPeaks
Name / Present / Apologies
Brian Wrigley / √
Howard Constable / √
Kath Davis / √
Roy Coles / √
KimberleyHutchinson / √
Sandra Cavill-Wibberley / √
Norman Sellars / √
Rita Fox / √
Councillor Denise Fox / √
Councillor Chris Rosling - Josephs / √
Staff
Paul Voyse – Area Manager / √
Helen Scott – Assistant Area Manager / √
Margaret Goodall – Governance Team / √
Scott Ford – Senior Housing Officer / √
Steve Howard – Vacants Management Unit / √
Dean Butterworth – Assistant Director / √
Carl Mullooly – Assistant Manager / √
Gerry Barrett – Senior Housing Officer / √
Guests
David Dean- Kier / √

MINUTES - AREA BOARD MEETING

Agenda Item Meeting Number 43 / Action By / Due Date
Apologies
Apologies were received from Councillor Denise Fox, Rita Fox and Kath Davis
Declarationsof interest
There were no declarations of interest.
A welcome from the Chair was given to Sandra Cavill-Wibberley and Kimberley Hutchinson.
Carl Mullooly was introduced to the board as the Assistant Area Manager from April 2012
43.1 / Agenda Item 1 Paper A
Minutes of the Meeting held December 2011 and Matters Arising
The Area Board received the minutes of the December meeting.
The following amendments were requested:-
Page 6 –Margaret Wilson was an Independent member of South East Board not a Tenant Member as is stated.
42.8.2 – RC advised that the Treasurer of Mosborough Tara and Community Association had stated the accounts were up to date.
With these amendments the minutes were agreed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Matters Arising
42.3.5 – A breakdown of vacant properties into areas was circulated to Board members.
42.8.1 – The books from Mosborough TARA have been returned and audited by an independent auditor. A meeting is to be held to recover the equipment and any money from the levy will be held in suspense account.
43.2 / Agenda Item 6 Paper E
Sheffield Homes Governors Response to the Council’s Future of Council Housing Consultation.
The Area Board received a report from the Area Manager giving the Area Board the opportunity to comment and consider the draft report from the Board of Directors on the Future of Council Housing to take back to the Board workshop on 21 February 2012. The report uses the outcomes of Governors and Managers workshops to summarise the feedback Sheffield Homes should contribute to the Councils Future of Council Housing consultation.
In discussion the following issues were raised:-
  • The Area Manager briefed the Board on the points raised to put forward to the Council on this report. Any comments will go to the Board of Directors meeting on 21 February 2012
  • The Chair of South East Board has spoken with The Cabinet Member and Advisor for Housing and Regeneration and Planning and the previous Chair of Sheffield Homes on this matter. Previously the Cabinet Member stated Price Waterhouse Coopers would be brought in to verify the £1.3 million potential saving and publicise the result, this will now not take place as the timescale for this is too short.
  • The view of the Board is that the process has been structured in favour of the Council; there has been a lack of information from Sheffield Homes who have had no opportunity to put forward a general view on the advantages of an ALMO.
  • Whatever the outcome of the Ballot and subsequent decision by the Council, the Board recognised the need to work together with the Council to not only maintain the high level of service currently provided by Sheffield Homes, but to build on this success as well.
  • The Board felt the ALMO had been a great success story and that Tenants had been at the heart of this and questioned if this would continue under any new arrangements
  • The Area Board expressed concerns that tenant representation could diminish in future management arrangements and felt that this commitment should not be reduced.
  • Any future management arrangements must make sure that consideration is given to the Welfare Reform legislation and the impact on Income Management.
  • Praise was given on the achievements of Sheffield Homes from conception. It is hoped that the excellent service will continue to be delivered in the future and improved upon where possible.
  • The Area Board were concerned at the low turn out of tenants at the meetings on the future of Council housing and questioned the need to hurry these meetings. The Area Board felt the process could have been fairer and open with views from both Council and ALMO as this process appeared to have been rushed.
With the above comments the Area Board noted the report and supported the Board of Directors in taking this forward to the Council and working positively on the development of a future model for service delivery.
43.3 / Agenda Item 2 Verbal
Responses from the Last Board of Directors Meeting to Matters Referred from Area Board Meetings and any Matters to be Referred to the next Board Meeting.
88.4.3/4 - The Area Board requested the guidance on Area Consultativebudget be taken to the Local Housing Forum.
The Area Board noted the information report. / Area Manager
43.4 / Agenda Item 3 Paper B
South East Area Investment Report.
The Area Board received a paper from the Environment and Property Services Directorate on investment in the South East Area.
In discussion the following issues were raised:-
  • The Area Board were briefed on the award achievements by Kier.
  • More events and workshops are planned by Kier.
  • Rent loss figures were above target due to the impact of SWAn regeneration scheme. Empty properties will be held until a decision was made to clear them. It was anticipated that this would be in late April.
  • Amber figures showing on non urgent repairs is an ongoing citywide issue.
  • Work on door entry schemes will commence next year with Kier being the contractor. A door entry feasibility study is to be conducted in Westfield and a report brought back in late spring.
  • Area Investment Working Group minutes were requested for future meetings.
  • The Area Board agreed to Roy Coles taking the post of Vice Chair at Area Investment Working Group meetings.
  • The Area Board requested Appendix 2 2013/14 Environmental Programme be brought back to the Board for approval at a further meeting.
  • Tenants missing a call from Kier has an impact on service delivery. The Board were asked for assistance. An article in the tenant’s magazine was suggested.
  • Kier now have an emergency adverse weather plan in place.
  • A handout was given on satisfaction with property at accompanied viewings.
The Area Board resolved to note the content of the report.
Kier representatives left the meeting at 15.30pm. / Investment
Investment
Investment
Investment
43.5 / Agenda Item 4Paper C
Area Performance/Profiling Report
The Area Board received a summary from the Assistant Area Manager on area performance on Anti social behaviour, customer services, vacants, rent income and maintenance.
In discussion the following issues were raised:-
  • Tenant satisfaction with the neighbourhood is to be looked at but dissatisfaction can often be due to factors outside of Sheffield Homes’ control such as potholes, street lighting etc.
  • Westfield has the highest percentage of people giving notice, the high figures for Woodhouse could be due to the large number of flats as these often have a high turnover.
  • Rent free weeks have helped reduce the number of tenants in arrears by 34%
  • Changes have been introduced to evictions in the South East Area; staff from the Income Management Unit will now not be attending these.
  • Welfare reform is being addressed and discussions are being held with tenants to ensure they understand how the changes will affect them.
  • Noise nuisance continues to be the highest recorded reason for reporting ASB in the South East Area.
The Area Board resolved to note the report.
43.6 / Agenda Item 5 Paper D
Your Community Your Choice (YCYC)
The Area Board received a report from the Area Manager summarising TARA activity and spending within the Area Board route and participatory budget elements of YCYC for 2010/11.
In discussion the following issues were raised:-
  • Area Board route - There has been no response from Beighton TARA on funding for two burglar alarms, the laser printer and computer games, confirmation will be requested and will be brought back to the Board.
  • Participatory Budget route - HC advised that confirmation in writing of the Badger TARA project to expand on existing IT training will be submitted.
The Area Board resolved to agree the report. / Area Manager
43.7 / Agenda Item 7 Paper F
Community Engagement Monitoring Report
The Area Board received a paper from the Area Manager on TARA activity and spending within delegated budgets and Area Board budgets.
In discussion the following issues were raised:-
  • The TARA compliance page had been omitted from the report and was tabled.
  • Hackenthorpe TARA have yet to have an AGM, a report will be brought to the April meeting.
  • GB advised the Area Board that walkabouts are for Sheffield Homes matters as this avoids duplication with other services, though Council matters will be passed on to the appropriate service.
  • The Area Board agreed that the Chair and Area Manager had authority to approve further bids to the consultative budget before the financial year end. Details of any approved bids will be reported to the April Area Board.
  • The Going Local budget will need to be spent by the year end. The Area Manager is to keep the Chair informed of any further spend.
  • The following was approved from the Consultative Budget:
  • £58.08 Stradbroke – part funding for gazebo
  • £180.57 Handsworth for a portable notice board
  • £650.00 Westfield for a bench
  • £900.00 Waterthorpe for two bins
  • £65 to be used for shrubs at Hackenthorpe TACA
The Area Board resolved to note the report.
43.8 / Agenda Item 8 Paper G
Scowerdons Social Centre
The Area Board received a report from the Area Manager and Senior Housing Officer from the Community Engagement Team.
In discussion the following issues were raised:-
  • A briefing on Scowerdons Community Centre was given, it is a major well used community centre, with previous state of the art shutters that are now broken. The centre has no caretaker and responsibilities would lay with whoever holds meetings.
  • Following a discussion the Area Board agreed the £2585 spend from funding from 2010/11 YCYC budget to be allocated to the Community Rooms budget, to be used specifically for improvements to the shutters and to assist in paying for electrical installation of spur units.
The Area Board resolved to note the report.
Next meeting
A discussion was held around the next Area Board meeting which will now be held on Wednesday 18 April at 13.30 – 2.00 pmin the Art Space, CrystalPeaks.
The meeting closed at 4.40 pm

Matters arising from the South East Area Board meeting held 8 February 2012

43.3All Tenants and Residents Associations were issued with the guidance for the use of the consultative budget on 9 February 2012 in letter that requested suggestions for use of the remaining budget by the end of the financial year. This means that all Tenants and Residents Associations will have the guidance well before the next Local Housing Forum as originally requested at the Area Board.