Issue - meetings

The Council had before it the recommendation of the Executive in respect of Councillor Aziz’s motion seeking an investigation into New Vision Homes.  It was noted that following discussions with Officers, an amended form of wording has been agreed with Councillor Aziz which had addressed the concerns of Officers.

The Council welcomed the motion as amended and resolved nem con to agree the motion as follows:

“Over the past few years, New Vision Homes has repeatedly shown itself to be unable to deal with housing issues in the properties they manage.

Recently the Housing Ombudsman judgement criticizes severe Maladministration in a case where an elderly resident was left without heating or hot water for 3 years and council failed to take any appropriate action to resolve the situation and council has been fined £6000.

Thus, in light of these failures in maintaining council properties, this motion calls for the Council to learn from such cases as it plans its Housing Services for the period after the NVH contract ends in 2022.  The lessons learnt, along with an improvement plan, should be reported to, and progress monitored through, the Housing Task Group to ensure that residents benefit from an improved service going forward.”

RESOLVED

That the motion, as amended, be supported.

Reporting Person – Corporate Leadership Team

At its meeting on 8 April 2021, the Council referred the following Notice of Motion to the Executive.

Councillor T Aziz

“Over the past few years, New Vision Homes has repeatedly shown itself to be unable to deal with housing issues in the properties they manage.

We all know of the NVH tenant who tragically took her own life in 2016 after battling mental and physical health issues exacerbated by the regular flooding of her home over 13 years,

In recently The Housing Ombudsman judgement criticizes severe Maladministration in case case where an elderly resident is left without heating or hot water for 3 years and council failed to take any appropriate action to resolve the situation and council has been fined £6000.

Thus, in light of some of the unacceptable failures in maintaining council properties, this motion calls for a thorough investigation into the causes of the failures, conducted by the chair of the O&S committee and a select cross-party panel appointed by the chair of O&S. This investigation will:

I. Analyze the root causes of the failures.

II. Hear from officers and portfolio holders, and

III. Recommend steps going forward to ensure such events do not occur again.”

Following discussions between Councillor Aziz and Officers, attention was drawn to a supplementary report which set out an amended form of wording which addressed concerns of Officers.  The revised wording of the Motion reads as follows:

“Over the past few years, New Vision Homes has repeatedly shown itself to be unable to deal with housing issues in the properties they manage.

Recently the Housing Ombudsman judgement criticizes severe Maladministration in a case where an elderly resident was left without heating or hot water for 3 years and council failed to take any appropriate action to resolve the situation and council has been fined £6000.

Thus, in light of these failures in maintaining council properties, this motion calls for the Council to learn from such cases as it plans its Housing Services for the period after the NVH contract ends in 2022. The lessons learnt, along with an improvement plan, should be reported to, and progress monitored through, the Housing Task Group to ensure that residents benefit from an improved service going forward.”

Councillor Aziz spoke in support of the amended Motion.  The Executive supported the amended Motion and noted that an update would be received by the Housing Task Group in July 2021.

RECOMMENDED to Council

That the Motion, as amended, be supported.