Agenda item

A report updating Members on the Intensive Housing Management Service Review, setting out a number of recommendations and updating on the implementation of the revised support arrangements at Gretton Court, the Council’s Extra Care Scheme.

 

Cabinet

 

(1)            NOTED the findings of the review of the Intensive Housing Management

Service (IHMS).

 

(2)            AUTHORISED the removal of the IHMS charge for tenants in dispersed

accommodation who have confirmed during the initial consultation phase that they wish to leave the service.

 

(3)            AUTHORISED the removal of the IHMS charge for tenants in dispersed accommodation for any tenants who wish to opt out of the service.

 

(4)            DELEGATED to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services, authority to make arrangements to remove the IHMS charge and to determine the date from which the charge is removed.

 

(5)            AUTHORISED

(a)           A consultation exercise with the Council’s Sheltered Housing tenants  

which provides tenants with options for assistive technology and future support arrangements and indicative costs, ensuring that any future model operates on a full cost recovery basis and;

(b)           To use the outcome of this consultation exercise to inform recommendations for future support arrangements for sheltered housing tenants, the outcome of which will be considered by Cabinet no later than January 2024.

 

(6)            AUTHORISED

(a)           A consultation exercise with IHMS tenants within the Council’s dispersed housing stock who have expressed a wish to access support or lifeline services, which provides tenants with options for assistive technology and future support arrangements and indicative costs, ensuring that any future model operates on a full cost recovery basis and;

(b)           To use the outcome of this consultation exercise to inform recommendations for future support arrangements for the Council’s dispersed housing tenants, the outcome of which will be considered by Cabinet no later than January 2024.

 

(7)            DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, to de-designate dispersed accommodation units where the IHMS charge is no longer being applied.

 

(8)            DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, authority to develop a local lettings plan to provide clarity on future letting arrangements for de-designated properties across the borough, ensuring alignment with the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy.

 

The Director for Housing and Communities (Deputy Chief Executive) introduced the report the purpose of which was to update Members on the Intensive Housing Management Service Review, which set out a number of recommendations and to update on the implementation of the revised support arrangements at Gretton Court, the Council’s Extra Care Scheme.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance, Property and Resources thanked Officers for their hard work and noted that the option to allow tenants to manage their own budgets was welcome.

 

Cabinet

 

(1)              NOTED the findings of the review of the Intensive Housing Management Service (IHMS).

 

(2)              AUTHORISED the removal of the IHMS charge for tenants in dispersed accommodation who have confirmed during the initial consultation phase that they wish to leave the service.

 

(3)              AUTHORISED the removal of the IHMS charge for tenants in dispersed accommodation for any tenants who wish to opt out of the service.

 

(4)              DELEGATED to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services, authority to make arrangements to remove the IHMS charge and to determine the date from which the charge is removed.

 

(5)              AUTHORISED a consultation exercise with the Council’s Sheltered Housing tenants which provides tenants with options for assistive technology and future support arrangements and indicative costs, ensuring that any future model operates on a full cost recovery basis and;

 

(5.1)    To use the outcome of this consultation exercise to inform recommendations for future support arrangements for sheltered housing tenants, the outcome of which will be considered by Cabinet no later than January 2024.

 

(6)              AUTHORISED a consultation exercise with IHMS tenants within the Council’s dispersed housing stock who have expressed a wish to access support or lifeline services, which provides tenants with options for assistive technology and future support arrangements and indicative costs, ensuring that any future model operates on a full cost recovery basis and;

 

(6.1)          To use the outcome of this consultation exercise to inform recommendations for future support arrangements for the Council’s dispersed housing tenants, the outcome of which will be considered by Cabinet no later than January 2024.

 

(7)              DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, to de-designate dispersed accommodation units where the IHMS charge is no longer being applied.

 

(8)              DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Landlord Services, authority to develop a local lettings plan to provide clarity on future letting arrangements for de-designated properties across the borough, ensuring alignment with the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy.

 

Reasons for the Recommendations

The Council is taking positive action to review its current practises and future service delivery options in relation to the IHMS service, whilst also allowing the autonomy of those who do not wish to have access to lifeline services or support, to be able to opt out.

 

The review of the Intensive Housing Management Service has been a comprehensive and complex exercise. A full review of the service across the Council’s Extra Care, Sheltered and Designated Dispersed Housing stock has been required for some time. It has involved extensive work to fully understand the history, scope and delivery of the service and to consider future options, which best support tenants to retain their independence, but also ensure that the Council is confident it can comprehensively and financially deliver.  

 

Initially the review has focussed on the dispersed properties with an IHMS designation attached. Formal consultation is needed with tenants who live in the council’s sheltered schemes and those tenants in dispersed accommodation who have advised that they may be interested in receiving support in the future. Clarifying options, costs and recommendations is a necessary next step to allow tenants to make an informed choice.

 

The Council is now at a stage to conclude the review and to enable service changes to ensure clarity and effective service delivery, cost recovery and resilience. Careful consideration needs to be given to the most appropriate way to support tenants, ensuring at all times with any revised approach that regulatory requirements and tenants best interests are met.

 

At this point of the review, the Council needs to act on feedback from tenants within the council’s dispersed housing stock who wish to opt out of the service. This needs to be carried out in a planned and managed way whilst progressing these changes quickly to minimise ongoing costs to tenants.

 

Formal consultation with sheltered housing scheme tenants and with those tenants within the council’s designated dispersed housing stock who have expressed that they wish to access support or lifeline services, will enable officers to develop clear recommendations for future for consideration by Cabinet This consultation process will allow officers to determine what support is required by tenants and how this can best be delivered. Affordability, service quality and resilience will be key considerations.

 

Removing the IHMS charge from each individual dispersed tenancy where the tenant has identified that they wish to leave the service will mean that those properties are effectively ‘de-designated’ and will form part of the council’s general needs accommodation rather than restricted accommodation.  However, there is scope, through the use of a Local Lettings Policy (LLP) to restrict the allocation of some properties to applicants with defined characteristics, for example those over a certain age or with health needs or disabilities. The Council will need to balance the requirement to ensure sustainable and balanced communities across the borough with tenant expectations and the council’s statutory obligation to house those in the greatest need via its housing register.