Agenda item

The Panel will receive a report on the new governance arrangements introduced in the Homes and Neighbourhoods Service since the transfer of the Housing Management and Maintenance Services from KNH in April 2021.

Eric Hughes – Head of Business Assurance & Transformation

Eric Hughes, the Head of Business Assurance and Transformation presented a report on the new governance arrangements introduced in the Homes and Neighbourhoods Service, since the transfer of the Housing Management and Maintenance Services from KNH in April 2021.

Questions and comments were invited from Panel Members, with the following issues being covered:

·       In respect of wider elected member involvement in the boards, the Council had a Cabinet-led model of governance. It was pointed out that there were other boards within the Council that involved different partners and which had representatives from different groups.

·       Councillor Scott suggested that this issue sat alongside the issues around visibility, access to information and the ability to make a contribution and could be discussed with the Service Director for Legal, Governance and Commissioning. It was recognised that effective communication was crucial, and that Councillors were at the heart of the organisation and could provide a valuable link to tenants.

·       When the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) had been brought back in to the Council there was a clear aim to strengthen the tenants’ voice and to ensure their ability to influence Cabinet, as the decision maker, was supported. The Chair of the Board, as a Cabinet Member was a conduit for this.

·       The creation of a forward plan of key decisions had been discussed to ensure visibility and transparency and it was acknowledged that there was a need to make the plan more broadly visible so that elected members could engage, where they considered it was appropriate.

·       It was noted that the Housing Advisory Board (HAB) advised the Cabinet and that scrutiny played a crucial role in acting as a critical friend.

·       In response to a question about the structure and the element of independence that it was considered would usually be in place for an assurance board, it was explained that the Strategic Director, Environment and Climate Change now chaired the Building Safety Advisory Board (BSAB) and the board included officers from outside the Homes and Neighbourhood Service to provide a level of independent challenge. Its role was a technical advisory group to the HAB. An example was given of an issue where in-house thinking may have limited the challenge provided. In response it was explained that it was considered that Anthony Brown, the independent consultant, did offer that independent challenge and Internal Audit and Mazar’s also added to that scrutiny. However, the point was acknowledged and a conversation could be held with the Board on this issue.

·       Work was currently being undertaken with Internal Audit to scope.an audit on data integrity in the compliance system. This would not be done by anyone on the BSAB and would be reported back to the HAB and also feed into the Council’s Governance and Audit Committee with any recommendations.

·       It was confirmed that there was a three-year audit plan. Policies were currently being re-written and would include frequency of audit. Where necessary, special expertise would be brought in to undertake technical audits on the Council’s behalf.

·       It was anticipated that it may be possible to share the audit plan with the Panel in December, prior to submission to BSAB in early January.

·       An explanation of the ‘patch model’ was given; currently approximately forty patches covered designated estates and/or communities. A four-area model was to be introduced, to allow the more effective deployment of resources, work was ongoing on this and it would be discussed at the HAB in December.

·       The Passivhaus scheme would be developed as part of a development of 100+ homes and the market had been asked for a minimum of 20. The project was still at the design and planning stage. 

·       All tenant places on the HAB and Tenants Advisory and Grants Panel (TGP) had not yet been formally taken up but it was early days and this would be formalised going forward. There was a tenant vacancy on the HAB, due to an appointee not being able to take up the place but a decision had been made to allow the current body to bed-in before recruiting to this position; this would aid in staggering terms of office.

·       It was considered that the composition of the tenant representatives fairly reflected the areas across Kirklees. Profiles were being prepared and would be included on the website in due course.

·       It was proposed that Panel \members take the opportunity to observe meetings of the BSAB, HAB and TGAP.

·       There was an overlap in Terms of Reference between the HAB and the TAGP in respect of overseeing the Consumer Regulatory Standard. If the two bodies took different views then a joint meeting could be facilitated to discuss it. It was considered important that both these bodies had an oversight of this area.

·       Currently the HAB met bi-monthly and the TAGP more often. Each body fed into the other and although the schedules were not quite coordinated at this point, the position was to be reviewed shortly and this would include considering the meeting schedules and linkages to ensure this was working effectively.

It was noted that:

-       The revised three-year audit plan would be shared with the Panel.

-       Details of meetings of the BSAB, HAB and TGAP would be provided so that arrangements could be made for members of the panel to observe.