Homes in Sedgemoor Board
The purpose of Board meetings is to make decisions, to set and evaluate strategy, to review the company’s performance and to direct its affairs
Board minutes of the in-person Board Meeting held in the Sedgemoor Room in Bridgwater House, Bridgwater on Tuesday 29 November 2022 at 1.30pm
Present: Cllr Janet Keen
Cllr Lane Duddridge
Karen Wilce
Marie Hide
Paul Stephenson (Chair)
In Attendance: Ben Lane, Director of Finance and Performance
Claire Tough, Director or Communities and Customer Services
Naomi Macey, Director of Asset Management and Safety
Pauline Kelly, Executive Assistant (minutes)
Peter Hatch, Chief Executive
Guests: Julia Paling, Head of People and Communications (Items 13, 15 and 19)
Katy Barry, Investment & Retrofit Lead (Item 14)
Pauline Hayes, STAC
Teresa Harvey, Assistant Director, SDC
1. Welcome Guests and Note Apologies
PS welcomed Board members, attendees, and guests to the meeting.
PS informed members that Cllr Bill Revans has been diagnosed with cancer, which has hopefully been caught early. PS wanted to recognise the very generous time Bill give us at the Away Day in October.
Apologies received from Paul Hackett, Jen Vernon, and Kathy Pearce.
2. Declarations of Interest
There were no further declarations other than those previously recorded on Board Members’ Declaration of Interests Forms.
3. Minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2022
It was agreed that minutes recorded on 27 September 2022 are a true record.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED and APPROVED the minutes of the meeting recorded on 27 September 2022.
3. Matters Arising of the meeting held on 27 September 2022
Members noted the matters arising from the Board meeting held on 27 September 2022.
PMH gave an update on the LGR Joint Tenants Steering Group, where Duncan Sharkey gave a brief overview of the new structure. PMH has invited Duncan to join the April Board Away Day and to meet HiS colleagues when next in Bridgwater House (ideally between now and Christmas). If a date becomes available, the invitation to meet Duncan at Bridgwater House will be extended to Board and STAC.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED and APPROVED the minutes of the meeting recorded on 27 September 2022.
Chair Initials
5. DRAFT Minutes of the AGM meeting held on 27 September 2022 (for review)
No questions were raised.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the AGM minutes recorded on 27 September 2022, which will be formally approved at the 2023 AGM.
6. Chair’s Update Report
PS raised the issue of damp, mould, and condensation (DMC) within the sector and referenced the coroner’s findings into the tragic death of Awaab Ishak. PS noted that he had been in regular communication with PMH and had requested a prompt position statement which PMH had subsequently sent to the Board on 28 November. (Position Statement attached to these minutes for reference)
PS noted a response from JV around ARC conducting a deep dive or should this be for STAC to carry out? PS felt STAC could be involved in this and to be invited to join ARC when the item is on an agenda.
JK noted tenants feed information into STAC and there could be an information gap if STAC were not involved. PS acknowledged this is correct for every issue we deal with, and we need to ensure we have the communication mechanisms in place to reach out to as many tenants as we can.
PMH noted that we have been looking at DMC-related complaints over the last two years to see how the issue is being dealt with. We reviewed our process 2 years ago and whilst we are confident that we have a robust system in place, there is always an opportunity to improve further. Further work is underway.
PMH advised that the Regulator has sent a survey to all Landlords which needs to be completed and returned by 19 December. The process has started, and we are compiling the answers for this in conjunction with SDC. Final responses will be shared with SDC and Duncan Sharkey. The response will then be sent off by TH on behalf of SDC.
JK asked if we are doing this alongside Somerset West and Taunton. PMH confirmed we are working closely with them; however, each authority needs to complete the survey separately - we will be sharing and comparing notes. MH suggested keeping a copy of the survey as it would be interesting to look at what we said we are doing when ARC conduct the deep dive. PMH suggested it might be good practice to speak to tenants who have experienced damp, mould and condensation issues and include their experiences within the deep dive.
KW suggested looking at the possibility for STAC to go back to the involved tenant groups and include them. PS suggested ARC taking the lead is the best way forward for this deep dive, noting that after the survey is submitted, we can continue to open doors and improve our information gathering processes.
KW noted that when she previously reported a mould issue (prior to her joining the Board) the response was brilliant.
BL asked if the ARC meeting planned for 21 March was the right time to include the deep dive on the agenda. MH suggested to perhaps have a standalone meeting to deal with this issue. BL will look at date options in February. PS requested that an update be given at the January Board and following the standalone ARC meeting in February, feedback be given to members at March Board.
ACTION
Following the Regulators’ survey, PMH to bring an update report on damp, mould and condensation back to January Board.
BL to look at date options in February for a standalone ARC meeting specifically focussing on DMC.
BL to agree the scope of the deep dive with ARC and STAC.
PMH to bring a final report to come back to March Board following the damp, mould and condensation deep dive by ARC and STAC.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
7. Chief Executive’s Update Report
PMH noted that he has raised the issue of Councillor nominees to the HiS Board with the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Project Team. PH and PS also raised this matter with Cllr Bill Revans at the October away days and Bill was very keen to help. BL is leading on this to ensure we are quorate from our first Board meeting post vesting day. LD noted that he and KP would be very happy to continue in their posts on the HiS Board and this was reciprocated by PS
The recent rent outcome was also noted, where the Government agreed to raise rents by 7%. This was a good result and best balance for all. The Government have also inflated benefits in this tight fiscal environment.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
8. Chair of Audit and Risk update (verbal)
In JV’s absence MH gave a brief update, noting that ARC will be meeting on 13 December. Internal audits are on track as planned and ARC are awaiting an internal audit on housing from SWAP, commissioned by SDC.
BL advised that ARC is to consider a refreshed Business Continuity Plan, using the learnings from the single platform move
BL also noted that SWAP are the internal auditors for each of the other authorities, under a partnership arrangement and we would look to join under this umbrella to continue with SWAP for at least another year. RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the verbal update.
9.
STAC Update
CT noted that committee members met on 16 November and have been very busy reviewing areas of the business, including sheltered housing, creation of our new website and procurement scrutiny which had 14 tenants join the session. Members have also received insight into responsive repairs and the compliance report which have been well received.
STAC have also received an overview of the developing new corporate strategy, with CT and PH planning an exercise in the new year around this.
Next step is the recruitment of a Chair of STAC.
MH suggested that the Board LGR champion could also be the member who sits on STAC as they would have more contact with SWT councillors and tenants. PS will take this away and speak with LD and KP in terms of their nominations.
Chair Initials
PS asked PPH to take the Board’s thanks and gratitude back to STAC for covering a huge area of business.
ACTION
PS to consider Board champion role for LGR and whether it should be a Board member who is also a member of STAC.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
10. Proposal to permanently manage SDC Development and Enabling Team Function
TH noted that the outcome has been positive following the six-month pilot. Development function will move into and be managed by HiS, with the Enabling function staying within the Development team on a secondment basis, however the structure of this has yet to be finalised. The decision paper is going to Executive on 30 November for approval and once approved, staff will go through a formal TUPE process. SLAs will be put in place to ensure all parties are happy and tighten up lines of communication. SDC Leader and Chief Executive are very supportive of this move.
MH raised the question how this would work when SDC becomes Somerset County Council. TH advised there would be no difference as it would continue to work as two entities under one HRA.
PS raised the question if we take direct management of the service will the risks identified be incorporated in the Risk Register? BL confirmed he would reference this on the Risk Register and review Matters Reserved for Board, Scheme of Delegations and Articles of Association.
PS asked if we needed to create a separate SLA. TH confirmed there would be no alterations to the management agreement, however due to governance some narrative will be required to show who is covering what. An SLA will be agreed in due course.
BL to detail which lines are relevant and update the Scheme of Delegation. BL will pull together a draft Matters Reserved for Board showing the additions and circulate to the Governance Working Group for review. A refreshed copy will come to January Board. Variations will also be included in the Articles of Association.
NM stated she had no concerns about the function coming into the HiS team and could see only positives especially on the regeneration side. The team also bring experience when dealing with properties that are expensive to relet and look at alternative options for items such as large gardens and best use of current stock.
PS asked NM to pass the Board’s thanks to the team.
ACTION
BL to pull together a draft Matters Reserved for Board showing the additions and circulate to the Governance working group. A summary of any necessary changes to our corporate governance framework documentation will be presented to the January Board.
BL to include any necessary changes in review of the Articles of Association which is currently underway.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the report and APPROVED the recommendations.
11. Proposed Dates for Various Board Member Attended Meetings in 2023/24
PMH thanked PK for all her hard work pulling this document together. No questions were raised.
ACTION
PK to circulate meeting invitations.
RESOLVED
• Board APPROVED the proposed dates and times for the various meetings.
12. Governance Framework: Board, Committee and Chair Effectiveness Questionnaire Action Plan
This Plan identified those areas that scored less well and had the potential for improvement. These are important elements for the overall professionalism of the Board.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the proposed actions and APPROVED the drafting of an action plan.
13.
Compliance Report – October 2022
NM gave an update. PS had also shared his comments and questions with Members yesterday and these were discussed as follows
• Lifts: PS noted that the item has been amber for some time and is aware that NM and her team are having difficulty in trying to get Zurich to engage. NM confirmed it is still a struggle to try and organise regular meetings, noting that Alan Turner has stated this is happening across the sector.
MH raised a concern around SLAs. TH confirmed Geri O’Loughlin has this covered. PMH reiterated that we are tied to Zurich via the current corporate insurance contract and if anything were to go wrong Zurich are liable under their policy. Current issues are being aggravated by the loss of staff following lock down.
Members requested that NM do everything possible to catch up this work, including considering alternative contractors. Members also requested a detailed update at January Board.
• Asbestos: PS noted the management surveys are amber at 85% and asked what it would take to turn this red. NM confirmed 75% would turn the action to red, with 100% being green. Some properties are still restricting access and the team have a plan to gain access to these through the fire servicing planned programme.
• Sickness: JP joined the meeting and confirmed at this time of year it is usual for stats to climb – this is in addition to some colleagues suffering reactions to booster jabs or Covid as well the usual coughs and colds. MH noted there were no stress related sickness which is a fantastic result.
• Legionella: PS noted that high priority is at 90% still leaving 10% overdue. NM confirmed the stats are high due to the new risk assessments being conducted and the team are working their way through them. The December compliance report should show levels back to their usual percentage.
• Gas: PS noted that 57 properties are currently isolated, which he feels is still too high. NM confirmed the isolations are not necessarily capped and she will be bringing a more detailed report to January Board which will show which properties have been capped but not without heating. The team will be targeting the properties with no heating or meter
• Fire Doors: Amber but great progress being made
• Policies, Procedures & Risk Assessments: All green which is a massive positive as members understand the complexity of the process.
• Damp, Mould and Condensation: Monitored from June 2021 with 38 cases reported YTD.
• e-learning: MH asked if a different route could be looked at for staff who appear to be struggling to complete their training. It was also noted that Board are behind in their training and PMH confirmed he is looking into other options. KW noted that members required the correct IT equipment to complete these sessions.
ET will liaise with their teams to ensure no issues are getting in the way of staff completing their training.
JP will include some narrative to show the reasoning why colleagues fall behind with completing their e-learning.
• Communal Halls: JK asked if we know how many halls where below sea level as this will affect their use in a flooding emergency/climate change. CT confirmed we have no halls on The Levels.
Action to draft a report for JK and Anna Meares to detailing communal halls and what the environmental impact would be.
ACTION
NM to bring specific detailed reports on lift servicing and gas capping to January Board
PMH to look at alternative options for Board to complete their e-learning sessions.
ET to ensure that colleagues complete any outstanding e-learning modules.
CT to consider the resilience of our communal halls should a flooding event occur. CT to share findings with JK and Anna Meares at SDC.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
14. Sustainability Strategy Update
Katy Barry joined the meeting.
PS raised the question is the future government funding secure? Katy confirmed she has not seen anything to suggest the funding would not be available.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
15. People Plan (six monthly review)
The following questions and highlights were noted.
• Vacancies: PS noted it was refreshing to see that so many appointments had been made from internal candidates in a competitive external process.
PS queried the four temporary posts for short term roles. JP confirmed they related to specific pieces of work that includes La Ciotat House, Customer Liaison Officer for Retrofit and backfilling of a customer services role due to a move within the organisation.
• Clarity 4D: PS asked how this is working through the business to date and how would that affect the Board?
JP confirmed there had been some nervousness at the start however feedback has been very positive, with individual coaching sessions being organised. SLT are looking at ‘personality colours’ when projects are being organised, they will ensure skills from each of the colour sections are included but not at the determent of the knowledge needed. JP noted we have a good mix of colours in ET and SLT
LT will go through something like that of ET/SLT and a lighter touch session will be arranged for colleagues going forward. PMH and JP will be meeting with the trainer to roll Clarity 4D out to Board members, ideally at the April Board Away Days.
• IIP: JP confirmed our next steps is to get Platinum accreditation by Autumn 2023.
PS asked JP to pass the Board’s thanks to the team.
RESOLVED
Sustainability Strategy Update
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
16.
A lot of progress has been made on the current strategy. The colleague working group considering the new strategy will be looking at key areas in this current assessment.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
17.
BL and PS will be modifying the form (reducing the number of questions) to improve Board and keep going forward.
ACTION
PK to look at date/time options for a meeting.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
18. Customer Focus Review (six monthly)
The following questions and highlights were noted.
• STAR Survey: PS had suggested in his pre-meeting questions that it would be useful in the table of 9 indicators to have EOY figures for last year to compare. CT provided these at the start of the meeting and comparisons were mostly favourable.
Chair Initials
• Quality of homes: JK asked the question is there a pattern to the answers why we have a red mark? CT stated there is a lot of links to repairs and how these are managed.
• Cost of Living: PS noted this is a huge societal challenge and as one of the key organisations in the district it was our challenge to work with others to find ways to relieve these issues
JK thanked HIS and SDC staff, when volunteers are called on for assistance, they always come out to give help and put themselves on the front line. JK noted some of our officers are worth their weight in gold.
Regarding servicing of solid fuel heating systems, MH suggested that as solid fuel appliances had to be switched off for at least 24 hours to ensure they are cold prior to servicing, could the servicing of these be moved to the summer when most are not in use. Otherwise, customers must incur more cost to re-heat post service. NM happy to pick this up and take offline.
ACTION
NM to review service process for solid fuel heating and discuss with MH.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
19. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Report (Annual)
PS noted the workforce demographics which was in the 21 – 60 age group, which is quite common. It is also interesting that the gender mix is a positive one and SLT are younger which is good to see.
JP noted the gender pay gap for females in leadership roles and ET being 50/50, average pay rate is Grade F. JP is hoping that with internal promotions, this will change our gender pay gap in an even more positive way next year.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the contents of the report.
20. Management Accounts – October 2022
A full set of accounts will go to the ARC in December. Position at the end of October is a projected year end overspend of £86k. BL working with ET/SLT/LT to reiterate the importance of bringing the projected overspend down.
This year’s capital programme required additional funds of £1.3m and with the pressures on the HRA this is unaffordable for SDC in the current year. ET identified how we will allocate funds to the current priorities to ensure no overspend.
BL gave a reserves update noting there will be some need to carry forward funds around ICT and underspend on the Development Officer role due to the late appointment. ARC will look at the accounts in detail to give assurances to Board.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the Management Accounts for the seven months ended 31 October 2022 (Mth 7) and the key variances identified in the body of the report
21. Write-offs (Six Monthly Report) – up until 30 September 2022
BL reiterated that there had been no requests of Board to approve any write offs above £5K at this meeting and none during the year to this point. This is a standard report to Board for information.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the report.
22. Corporate Risk Register – September 2022
BL highlighted recent reviews of the Risk Register by ET and where key risks had been reduced or increased. No questions were raised.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the summary report following a full review of the refreshed risk register at the ARC.
23.
Performance Report for October 2022
A full set of KPIs will go to ARC on 13 December. Proposed KPIs for 23/24 including TSMs will go to January Board – we currently have 49 and looking to reduce these by combining or giving options to Board.
As an assurance to Board, Housemark are reviewing our KPI suite to ensure we have the right coverage. Their feedback so far is that we have no blind spots in our KPI coverage. Their final comments will be incorporated into the report for January Board.
Performance on arrears is on the decline however still above the sector target. This is not surprising due to the current climate.
We are being stricter around voids and looking at housing over 55s in sheltered schemes who have no support needs but could benefit from sheltered housing.
MH questioned why there had been a drop in the STAR survey results in July 2022. CT suggested that this could be due to the wider economic environment in July and/or a change in survey collection methodology that month. BL will compare results with July last year and circulate any significant findings to Board.
ACTION
BL to compare STAR Survey results between July 2021 and July 2022 and share results with Board only if there is a major finding to report.
RESOLVED
• Board NOTED the performance for month seven (April to October) of 2022/23.
24.
AOB: ICT Stability
BL informed members that all authorities are moving towards a single platform with SDC and HiS switch over happening between 5pm on Thursday 1 December and 9am on Monday 5 December.
All systems will be closed off, website down, emails off and no work mobiles will be accessible. Any issues that arise on Monday will be done on a priority basis. Communications are going out to colleagues, customers, suppliers, and third parties to give heads up.