Decision details

Matter for Decision

The decision to implement a 2 year improvement plan for the responsive repairs and voids service was approved at the meeting of Housing Management Board on 28 September 2010. The Executive Councillor subsequently agreed to extend the period by a further 1 year to enable further investigation into the procurement of alternative I.T. solutions and to implement the most appropriate option. The 3 year period had now concluded, and the report presented the outcomes of the improvement plan, which would enable the Executive Councillor to consider retaining the service provision in-house.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

 

i.       Noted the progress and improvements made in service delivery over the past 3 years.

 

ii.       Agreed to retain the service delivery in house subject to the following requirements:

 

-      That a report be presented to Housing Management Board in June 2014 detailing the performance of the service following the introduction of mobile working.

 

-      That an annual review takes place which establishes whether performance is being maintained and the decision to retain the service in house is still valid.

 

   iii.        Approved that the contract review date for all products supplied by Orchard Information Systems and their operational partners, is timetabled to be 5 years from the point of implementation of the Direct Works and SVS applications, to ensure that any anticipated cost savings are achieved and that the housing service is able to maintain rational service delivery across all aspects of the service.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Property Services Officer.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

 

(i)           Welcomed the progress and improvements highlighted in the report and congratulated the entire workforce and Officers involved.

(ii)         Made reference to the Responsive Repair Service Delivery table that figures should be produced to show what the percentage figures were a total of.

(iii)        Questioned why the “5 point promise” needed to be reviewed again.

(iv)       Expressed disappointment that the data regarding the Completed Repair’s did not separate information to show communal areas.

(v)         Noted that that cross departmental working would continue to be embedded within the repairs and maintenance service. 

(vi)       Disappointed to note that an annual review would take place to establish whether performance was being maintained and the decision to retain the service in house was still valid.

 

The Committee:

 

Terry Sweeny (Tenant Representative) proposed the following amendment to recommendation 2.1 of the Officer’s report (replacement underlined and original struck through):

 

·         To note welcome the progress and improvements made in service delivery over the past 3 years.

 

Resolved unanimously to agree this amendment.

 

Terry Sweeny (Tenant Representative) then requested the inclusion of an additional recommendation to 2.2 of the Officer’s report.

 

·        C. If the annual report to the Housing Management Board continues to show that services are improved consideration be given to retention of the service ‘in house’ on a more permanent and business like basis.

 

Resolved unanimously to agree to this additional recommendation.

 

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the amendment and additional recommendation.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.