Agenda item

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting information requested by the Tenant Scrutiny Board at its informal meeting held on 26 June 2014. 

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which presented information requested by the Tenant Scrutiny Board at its informal meeting held on 26 June 2014.

The following information was appended to the report:

-  Quarter 4 performance relevant to the Board within the Best Council Plan

-  Housing Performance Information Quarter 4, 2013/14

-  Overview of Arena Partnerships Tracker

-  STAR survey 2014/15 – Method & Approach – Report of Housing Advisory Board on 20 March 2014.

The following were in attendance for this item:

-  Peter Marrington, Head of Scrutiny and Member Development

The main areas of discussion were:

• Review of tenancy visits, how to make best use of collating information and whether the information collated could be used to help inform other council services.
• The provision of ward based data and other relevant information.  The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development, undertook to liaise with Information colleagues, regarding the availability of the Neighbourhood Index, a useful tool that provided information about wards and communities.
• Clarification sought regarding the Council’s use of the Arena Partnership / TP Tracker database, particularly what checks and balances existed to ensure that the data could not be tweaked or manipulated, whether the current username/password system offered sufficient security and whether any of the data could be sold on.  The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development undertook to request a written response on this and that any outstanding issues be brought back to the September Board meeting for further discussion.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted

(b)  That in relation to tenancy visits, the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development be requested to draw up draft terms of reference, in conjunction with Board Members, in anticipation that Scrutiny on this matter commences at the September Board meeting.

(c)  That the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development, liaises with colleagues regarding the availability of the Neighbourhood Index, to provide the Board with relevant information about wards and communities.

(d)  That the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development requests a written response regarding the Council’s use of the Arena Partnership / TP Tracker database, and that any outstanding issues be brought back to the September Board meeting for further discussion.