Agenda item
Brent based Registered Providers (RP) delivery of social housing
Housing Scrutiny Committee seeks to have an oversight of service delivery in
the borough as housing is increasingly delivered by a number of landlords, including the Council, Registered Providers (RP), private landlords and rent schemes such as Shared Ownership. The Committee has requested that Registered Providers active in the borough report on the level and quality of services they deliver to local residents.
Minutes:
The meeting was joined by Yvonne Anderson (Head of Housing, Catalyst), Mushtaq Osmani, (Head of Customer Experience, Catalyst), Ian Cann, (Gateway Area Manager, Catalyst), Wayne Davies, (Director of Asset Management, Catalyst) and John Kehoe (resident Forum representative), who jointly presented the item and answered members’ questions. Members heard that as one of the leading housing associations in London and the South East, Catalyst managed in excess of 21 000 units, ranging from social rented homes to shared ownership properties. Albeit having relatively small – scale presence its presence within Brent compared to other areas, the housing association had undertaken steps towards expansion, following a merge in 2012.
Referencing the information in the report, members noted the disproportionate split in customer satisfaction between general and shared ownership tenants following the latest Catalyst Survey for Tenants and Residents (STaR). In response, representatives explained that Brent accounted for only 12% of its overall stock thus producing a low random sample rate which was not representative of the overall situation. Members were asked to note that survey results included in the report only covered the period January 2018 to date, and that further information could be provided to cover a longer period if required. Catalyst representatives stressed that customer satisfaction was paramount for them, especially as it was heavily driven by repairs. The housing association was in the process of conducting a procurement exercise to modernise the repairs service across all properties and bring the service charges in line with the rest of the industry, which was expected to be completed in the next 6 to 8 months.
Responding to members enquiries on investment and improvement works, Catalyst representatives explained that grants were allocated based on a two way approach targeting both performance and community needs, with particular onus on community and volunteering projects. With regards to the accumulated surplus of £69.9 million, members heard that any remaining funds after project delivery would be reinvested back into the community mostly through the development of new homes as well as into various regeneration projects. Furthermore, the committee was informed that approximately £35 million a year had already been reinvested in repairs and proactive planned maintenance, with a wider piece of work to revise repairs and maintenance contract to ensure it delivered value for money. Finally, members were also asked to note the Customer Experience Strategy – an ongoing Catalyst community initiative focused on the customer, which included the development of a new app and modernising the Catalyst website making it easier to access services.
When asked about addressing existing issues with resident engagement, Catalyst representatives acknowledged that whilst this was an area that still required improvement, the housing association valued resident involvement and had shown continuous commitment to engage with customers at all levels. Members’ attention was drawn to the wide range of residents and tenures as well as high level involvement in order to drive positive change. As part of the wider improvement programme, potential changes to asset management contracts were being reviewed which also included customer engagement and developing a new governance structure. A tier system, using a combination of local forums and senior management was also being used to address any day to day issues. Feeding into the ongoing Customer Experience Strategy, the representatives explained that there was a growing interest from residents who were actively encouraged to take part, with any feedback received being relayed into the main board and used to influence and improve the strategy. This was heavily supported by the resident representative. Various methods and platforms were being used such as workshops on service standards, key performance indicators (KPIs), local neighbourhood plans and resident associations which were all deemed beneficial for developing a stronger and more comprehensive strategy.
Engagement with councillors was also discussed, with the committee seeking more information on ways for councillors to contact Catalyst. In response, representatives stated that whilst contact through the main contact centre was the preferred communication channel, there was also a designated executive enquiry email in existence since November 2017 which was specifically for councillors and MPs. In addition, members were reassured that a specific communication plan was also being drafted.
In relation to public realm, the committee queried the state of the roads in the Church End Estate and stressed the urgent need for resurfacing. Catalyst explained that they had not been made aware of any issues within that area and asked members to consider overarching issues with road ownership which were often the cause of delays and were a limiting factor in what the housing association could do. As part of alleviating this going forward, Catalyst was reviewing the land titles, which would have important implications for any future development opportunities within Brent.
In terms of fire safety members queried the current smoke alarm availability in tenanted homes in Catalyst properties and the level of information given to residents, about maintaining fully functioning fire alarms. Catalyst representatives explained that smoke alarms and heat detectors were reviewed annually as part of checks. As a standard all properties were fitted with hard wired smoke detectors. Committee was reassured that all stock would be renewed and refreshed over the next three years, as part of an ongoing improvement programme. Furthermore, residents were being encouraged to regularly check their smoke alarms and awareness was kept through information published on website and various other channels such as leaflets and noticeboards, giving residents information on how to test it and where to report any issues. Whilst it was not obligatory for fire drills to be carried out on Catalyst properties, representatives assured the committee of the robustness of their fire evacuation strategy for each building and clear signage, with fire escapes being kept clear of any obstacles. In addition, a designated team of caretakers was in place to carry out regular checks in communal areas and ensure residents adhered to the guidance.
RESOLVED that:
- the contents of the report be noted
- copy of customer experience strategy be shared with the committee upon completion
iii. detailed information on customer satisfaction over a more extensive survey sample be provided by Catalyst Housing Association
iv. Catalyst Customer Service Strategy be shared with the committee upon completion.
v. information on methods of reporting parking issues by residents during out of office hours be provided by Catalyst Housing Association
Supporting documents:
- 07. Oversight of RPs - Catalyst, item 7. PDF 271 KB
- 07a. Appendix 1: Additional Catalyst Information for Scrutiny Committee on 21st March 2018, item 7. PDF 407 KB
- 07b. Appendix 2: Catalyst_Brent_StockTypes_Tenure, item 7. PDF 37 KB