Decisions

To consider the research undertaken by the Housing Quality network (HQN) into the future delivery of affordable housing in the District.

(A)         that the report into Affordable Housing produced by the Housing Quality Network be used to inform the identification of options for further enhancing the supply of affordable housing informed by local needs

(B)          that the Head of Housing and Health, acting in       consultation with the Executive Member for     Neighbourhoods, draws on the HQN report’s findings when revising the council’s Housing and Health Strategy     and Tenancy Strategy for consideration by Council in due           course in 2021/22

(C)          the Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee’s           recommendations, presented in section 3, for enhancing           the council’s working arrangements with registered           providers be approved.

The proposal is to trial the contracting out of the determination and issuing of homelessness reviews requested by those subject to homelessness decision made by the council up to 31^st March 2022

(A)          that work to determine and issue, in accordance with the relevant legislation, the outcome of reviews requested by those subject to homelessness decisions made by the council up to 31^st March 2022 be    contracted out to a suitably qualified and experienced independent contractor

(B)          authority be delegated to the Head of Housing and Health to appoint a contractor, in accordance with the council’s Contract Procurement Rules, from the Hertfordshire Framework Agreement for Homelessness Reviews Contracts developed by Three Rivers and Watford Councils

(C)          authority be delegated to the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, acting in consultation with the Head of Housing and Health, to review the outcome of the trial of the contracted out service and determine whether or not to contract out this function beyond the trial period.

To note a decision taken by the Chief Executive on 1^st December 2020 to approve the Local Authority Discretionary Grant funding scheme under the urgency provisions contained at Part 3C paragraph 9.2(g) of the Constitution

(A)           That the decision to approve the scheme taken by the Chief Executive be noted.

(B)           That delegated authority is granted to the Head of Revenues & Benefit service in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Financial

Sustainability to revise the scheme where appropriate.

Councillor G Cutting, the Executive Member for Corporate Services, submitted a report in respect of the Unreasonable and Persistent Behaviour Policy. He said that the draft policy was designed to replace the current vexatious complainant policy and provide more flexibility in dealing with customers.

Councillor Cutting said that customers who had been through the former procedures and were still not happy with the outcome had on occasion been labelled as vexatious and were told not to contact the Council. He said that this approach was something of a blunt tool and the reaction to receiving a letter like this was not positive and, in cases where customers had complex needs and lifestyles, this approach had not helped.

Councillor Cutting said that what was needed was a policy which allowed customers to feedback concerns in a way where Officers did not use the language of vexatious. He said that the policy set out a series of actions and interventions that were proportionate to the customer’s behaviour and there were also a whole range of steps that could be taken to help the Council manage better manage its resources, protect staff and not stigmatise customers.

Councillor Cutting concluded that the policy had been considered by Overview and Scrutiny Committee and was now recommended to Council and he hoped that it could be endorsed. Councillor Cutting proposed and Councillor Alder seconded, a motion that the proposals be supported.

Councillor Alder said that the proposals were eminently sensible and she thanked the Officers who had drawn up this policy. Councillor Goldspink said that the Liberal Democrat group were very happy to support this proposal. Councillor Stowe asked whether mental health issues had been taken into account as he knew of residents in his ward who struggled to communicate with people who were not listening to them and could appear aggressive but were not really aggressive.

The Leader said that she totally supported this revision of the policy as Officers had been subjected to some very rude and aggressive emails and this was totally unacceptable behaviour that was not good for the mental health of Officers.

Councillor Cutting said that the policy was intended to cater for the wide ranging needs of residents and he hoped that the policy would not impact any further on the lifestyles or possible health issues of residents.

A motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded, was put to the meeting and a vote taken. The motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the new Unreasonable and Persistent Behaviour Policy, be approved.