Issue - meetings

The report presents an update on the recommendations arising from the Service Provision on Estates Task group which were agreed by the Housing Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: That the report, and recommendations detailed therein, of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Service Provision on Estates in Brent, be noted.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, welcomed Councillor Janice Long to the meeting as former Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Long introduced the report providing Cabinet Members with an update on the recommendations arising from the Service Provision on Estates task group which were agreed by the Housing Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Long stated that the report was presented to the Housing Scrutiny

Committee on 25 April 2019 and the recommendations for Cabinet are as outlined in the report.

Councillor Long informed Cabinet that one of the main recommendations relates to a Brent Standard. The task group recommends that the council should establish a Brent Standard so that residents know the level and quality of service they can expect from Registered Providers and Brent Housing and the council’s contractors in terms of the services featured in this report.

Councillor Long stated that the Brent Standard should be supported by a Residents’ Charter setting out how service requests can be made and detailing response times for all key services delivered. This will help ensure that Registered Providers are accountable to and subject to scrutiny from residents. Residents should be able to report on how well their landlord is fulfilling the commitments. The results should be available to the public.

Councillor Ellie Southwood, Cabinet Member for Housing and Welfare Reform, thanked Councillor Long for all her work chairing the Task Group. Furthermore, Councillor Southwood thanked the other members of the Group - Councillor Aden, Councillor Choudhary, Councillor Mitchell Murray, Councillor Stephens and Karin Jaeger (co-optee).

RESOLVED:

      i.        That the report, and recommendations detailed therein, of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Service Provision on Estates in Brent, be noted.