The Director of Housing submitted a report to request that Cabinet recommend that Council approve the following policies: complaints, lifting equipment and lifting operations, voids.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Complaints Policy

2.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Lifting Equipment and Lifting Operations Policy

3.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Voids Policy

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Complaints Policy

2.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Lifting Equipment and Lifting Operations Policy

3.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Voids Policy

The Director of Housing submitted a report to request that Cabinet recommend that Council approve the following policies: complaints, lifting equipment and lifting operations, voids.

Councillor Smith said the policies formed part of a wider governance framework approved to ensure compliance with expectations and strengthen transparency and accountability. The policies set out what tenants, leaseholders and shared owners could expect from the landlord and provided a basis for holding the service to account.

James Watkins, Housing Policy and Projects Officer, thanked the members of the resident’s policy review group and introduced the three policies in the report. The Complaints Policy was designed to ensure complaints were welcomed positively, managed without a defensive approach and used to identify lessons learned to improve services. Developed in partnerships with the Housing Ombudsman Service, it set response targets of 10 working days for stage 1 complaints and 20 working days for stage 2 complaints, with arrangements for monitoring service improvements arising from complaints. The second policy was the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Policy, which covered passenger lifts and lift adaptions for those with mobility issues. It committed to rescuing anyone trapped in a lift within one hour and responding to lift breakdowns within four hours, subject to parts availability. The policy also set out requirements for qualified, competent and regularly trained staff. The final policy was the Voids Policy which aimed to minimise the time properties remained empty to help meet housing demand. Target response times for contractors were 5 working days for minor voids, 15 working days for standard voids and 25 working days for major voids, exceeding industry standards. The policy also ensured properties were upgraded, including insulation improvements, where possible to support net zero ambitions before reletting.

Councillor Arshad asked whether 15 working days was the maximum timeframe for a standard void. James confirmed it was the target for properties requiring moderate works, such as basic rewiring and noted it was more ambitious than the standards typically adopted by other registered social landlords.

Councillor Chapman clarified that the contractor targets related only to the time taken to complete works, rather than the full period from a property becoming vacant to being re-let but welcomed the publication of transparent performance target.

Councillor Smith was pleased with the significant reduction in void times achieved during the year through work with ODS and the council, expressing hope that performance would continue to improve to meet or exceed new targets.

Councillor Railton proposed.

Councillor Chapman seconded.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Complaints Policy

2.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Lifting Equipment and Lifting Operations Policy

3.    Recommend full Council to approve the draft Voids Policy