Agenda and draft minutes

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:

   No exempt items have been identified.

None.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

None.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Stanley Burton (SBu), Mary Farish, Peter Middleton.

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on the 16^th of July 2021

RESOLVED – The minutes of the previous meeting held on 16^th July 2021 were approved as a true record.

To receive an update from the Chair on scrutiny activity, not specifically included on this agenda, since the previous Board meeting.

Since the previous meeting in July, JG along with PG gave evidence to an

intern from Manchester University who was compiling a report about Tenant Scrutiny for Camden council in north London.

JG met for the first time with Councillor Rafique, the new Executive Member for Environment, Housing and Communities, to give an update of the present

review. Councillor Rafique is keen to introduce himself to the board and agreed to attend a meeting before the end of the year.

JG is unable to attend the Environment, Housing, and Communities Board next

Thursday due to a requirement to self-isolate, however JG will arrange a meeting with Councillor Barry Anderson to update him on the board's work.

Tenant Engagement Team response

JG reminded board members of the recommendations that had previously been put forward to Tenant Engagement, and thanked IM, PG, and MS for the thorough responses that had been given. JG informed the panel that they would decide upon the board’s position for each response, from six options in line with previous reviews conducted by the board.

The options determining the position are as follows:

1.  Stop monitoring or determine whether any further action is required

2.  Achieved

3.  Not fully implemented (Obstacle)

4.  Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

5.  Not fully implemented (Progress made not acceptable. Continue monitoring)

6.  Not for review this session

Recommendation 1 – The Board support an increased use of digital engagement and recommend an online tenant forum is set up but are concerned that tenants not online are not engaged with, therefore a digital forum should be an additional form of engagement not a replacement.

Response – Recommendation accepted

IM explained that the service has shared with the Board an outline of what a new single online tenant panel could look like, and more details will be shared during phase 2 of the boards’ review. The service is keen for input from involved tenants in Leeds, examples from other landlords and input from sector professionals such as TPAS to help design an effective online tenant panel.

The board agreed on position 4 - Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

Recommendation 2 – Housing Leeds need to ensure tenants not online have a means to being involved and engaged with. Combine digital with face to face for tenant engagement and scrutiny.

Response – Recommendation accepted

IM agreed that engagement activity is strengthened when in-person and digital methods are used in combination.  The engagement framework now takes a more mixed approach so that a broader range of tenants and residents can engage.

The board agreed on position 4 - Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

Recommendation 3 – The Board recommend the introduction of online Question and Answer sessions with senior housing managers.

Response – Recommendation accepted

The service is able to trial this type of engagement, with the initial suggestion to include senior officers in a webinar style panel meeting. This can be included as part of the forward plan of the new Tenant Voice Panel and at key points when consulting on the Housing Leeds Service Plan for the year ahead. The service would like to evaluate this activity and any lessons learned from other landlords that might help us develop further.

The board agreed on position 4 - Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

Recommendation 4 – Single issue discussion groups would be a useful way of gaining tenant opinion on any particular topic. Doing this online would allow many different voices to be heard and could lead into a larger consultation.

Response – Recommendation accepted

IM confirmed that the service supports single issue discussion groups, and it is considered a good way  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

Tenant Voice Panel presentation followed by discussion and initial thoughts of TSB

JG recalled the previous discussions surrounding the new Tenant Voice Panel, and the reasons shared previously by the service in order to create a sustainable and effective way to involve tenants.  The new panel seeks to create a more streamlined way of working, promote and increase membership, and provide a direct link to the Tenant Scrutiny Board. The opinions of the current citywide group members will invited at the next meeting, and there will be invitations to speak with TPAS representatives who will be asked to provide expert insight. 

IM gave a presentation with more detail about the Tenant Voice Panel, for example, outlining its proposed position to support the Strategic Housing Board, to provide editorial input into wider tenant communications, and to participate in consultations across a variety of topics. Members will be invited to attend and participate in regional and national forums held by TPAS and other relevant forums.

Membership of the new panel will be open to all of the existing citywide forum members including the TSB, Housing Advisory Panels, and Tenants and Residents Associations. Members may also be leaseholders as they also receive services from Housing Leeds. Two members from the panel will be asked to sit as tenant representatives on the strategic housing board.

Initial membership is proposed for up to one hundred individuals so that all members have a chance to be involved, but this number will be under review as the panel grows over time. There will be a focus on recruiting a diverse membership including geographically. Members who are inactive will be consulted on an annual basis to be asked if they still wish to be a member.

There will be no chair or vice chair of the panel, instead the panel will be supported by Tenant Engagement and led by an appropriate officer or expert depending on the topic. Activity will mostly take place digitally using Your Voice Leeds, with meetings largely held via Zoom, but there will be some opportunities for face-to-face meetings. Members will also have a space to communicate and share ideas with each other using the platform.

Customer satisfaction will be a key driver of debate, with six-monthly STAR surveys carried out and the results shared with the panel. The survey results can be used to encourage debate and generate ideas over several weeks, with a conclusion meeting arranged to share service feedback and responses taken. The outcomes will also be shared more widely via social media, internal and external email bulletins, and in annual reports.

The Tenant Scrutiny Board will remain a separate board with a standing chair. The proposal is to retain six regular TSB members, with up to ten members invited from the Tenant Voice Panel for individual reviews, all of whom will have equal voting rights as TSB members. Proposed reviews will take a more bite-sized approach with a mixture of formal and informal methods which will allow for more dynamic and engaging work and faster overall outcomes. The Tenant Engagement Framework has  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

JG informed the board of the intention to invite the current members of the citywide forums to provide their feedback at Novembers TSB meeting. The members will be provided with the minutes and presentation from the present meeting so they are fully informed. IM confirmed that discussions will be held with YD to decide on the best way to reach out and invite as many opinions as possible.

1.00pm Friday 19th November 2021, venue to be confirmed or Zoom.

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday 19^th of November at 12:45 for a 1.00pm start, venue to be confirmed or Zoom