Management Executive South Hackney (MESH)

RESIDENTS LIAISON GROUP.

Minutes of Meeting.
Present
Rupert Tyson (Joint Chair)
Muriel Gordon
Terry Edwards (Part)
Tony Osborne (Part)
Danny Neeson
George McGee
Tony Goodchild (Part)
Wally Hare
Housing Partner Representatives
David Saxon

Officers
Charlotte Graves
Neil Isaac
Clive Taber
Judith Morrison
Jim Paterson (Part)
Malcolm Brewer
Curtis Taylor (Part)
Chrys Edwards
Balavant Barber
Neehara Wijeyesekera

Item
Open to the Public

Action

Date 29th April 2010

1.Welcome & Introduction
Rupert Tyson welcomed everyone to the meeting. As various members had to leave the meeting early, the Group agreed to re-order the Agenda.

2. • Apologies
• Declarations of interest

Apologies were received from:
• Mavis McGee
• Tom Price
• Elliot Brooks
• John Ferman

Rupert Tyson declared he was a Board Member of Hackney Homes.

3(a)Minutes of 3 March 2010

3 (a)Matters arising
3(b) Rolling Register
There was one correction to the minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2010. In the update from the Stamford Hill Panel (minute 8) this should read

The Panel had conducted a survey of TRAs rather than the TRA had conducted a survey.
With this correction the minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2010 were agreed as a true record and signed accordingly.

6.EIB/Planned Maintenance
The Group queried how the works had been allocated to the available £100k which had been identified. Jim Paterson said that this had been allocated to works which the panels had previously identified and he would circulate a list of these works area by area.
The Group asked that Estate Walkabouts be included again on the Rolling Register.
Clive Taber said he would re-circulate the RLG paper in respect of the Tenants’ Levy.
T Merrett
C Taber

4. What’s happening at Hackney Homes

11. Update on Garages Review

9. 184 Communal Repairs Budget and EIB Update

Charlotte Graves said that Hackney Homes had achieved the Positive about Disability Two Ticks accreditation. The Resident Participation Team had been nominated for an award at the Housing Heroes lunch to be held on 14 May and the Travellers Team had won second prize at the TPAS awards. The results from the Tenants’ Satisfaction Survey had maintained the same level of satisfaction as for the previous year and the Leaseholders’ Satisfaction levels had slightly increased. Hackney Homes had achieved this whilst making £4.5m of savings over the last two years. Considerable savings still needed to be found over the next two years. There had also been a 9% increase in ways for residents to participate.

Letters would be sent shortly to TRAs and Panels about who does what at Hackney Homes following recent staff changes.

The Group congratulated Hackney Homes on the Two Ticks accreditation.

Curtis Taylor introduced the report. The Group asked for clarification on the S20 implications i.e. only leaseholders who rented the garages would be affected. Curtis Taylor confirmed this was the case. The Group asked where the rental income from garages went. Curtis Taylor said that the rental income went back into the HRA. The Group suggested that the rental income was spent on maintaining the garages rather than taking monies for repairs and maintenance from the EIB as the garages only benefited a few members of the community. Curtis Taylor said that the upkeep of the garages benefited the whole community as void and vandalised garages attracted ASB. Concerns were expressed about particular garages in particular neighbourhoods. Curtis Taylor asked that specific issues be sent to him or Bob Snowshill.

The Group noted the report.

The Group asked whether there would be a 184 budget for this financial year and said that the Neighbourhood Panels were very disappointed about the outcome last year and the withdrawal of the budget at the end of the financial year had left residents despondent. Charlotte Graves explained that there was a changing situation year on year in respect of funding. The position with the repairs and maintenance budgets only started to become clear six months into the financial year. This budget was closely monitored and if measures needed to be put in place, the decisions were taken in September. Hackney Homes was heavily constrained by legal obligations but would be working hard to ensure that EIB and 184 budgets were spent this year. Jim Paterson said that some neighbourhoods had drawn up a two year programme which had enabled officers to start very early on these programmes this financial year.

The Group expressed concern about the poor communication regarding this. Clive Taber said that a schedule of rates guidance note would be circulated to the panels shortly.

The Group noted the report.

8. RLG – the Way Forward
Neehara Wijeyesekera gave a short presentation about the RLG which set out the background as to how Hackney Homes had arrived at the present format for the group. He also stressed that it was important for Hackney Homes to ensure that all groups in the community were consulted and involved and Hackney Homes had to be able to evidence this consultation. He also highlighted that Hackney Homes now had to meet the TSA requirements in respect of a tenants; scrutiny panel.

The Group made it clear that it was dissatisfied with the proposals which had been set out although the Chair made it clear that the proposals were only a starting point for a discussion. It was acknowledged that the Group had previously expressed the view that the Group as currently convened did not work very effectively. It was also acknowledged that 40% of Hackney Homes’ residents were BME yet they were not represented at the RLG.

The Group agreed that a further meeting of the RLG should be convened in May which would only discuss its future composition and other ideas surrounding the TSA requirements and the involvement of other community groups which were currently under represented.

Dates for a meeting to be held mid to late May would be circulated.

Terry Edwards, Tony Osborne and Tony Goodchild then left the meeting.

5. TSA Standards
The Group agreed that the presentation on the TSA Standards should be circulated and comments sent directly to Chrys Edwards. Chrys Edwards said that the presentation gave a summary of what Hackney Homes needed to deliver by October 2010 to meet the TSA standards. She also stressed that the Council was the registered provider for the TSAs purposes. More information would be communicated in due course.

7. Management Contracts Update. The Group agreed to email any comments on this to Malcolm Brewer.

6. What’s happening in the Neighbourhoods.

Central Panel Danny Neeson said that
• the refurbishment of the Rose Lipman Community Centre had now been completed and meetings were once more being held there.
• On two occasions, Hackney Homes officers had failed to attend meetings when they said they would. The Chief Executive asked that Panels reported non-attendance by officers when they said they would attend and it would be dealt with accordingly.

Stamford Hill Muriel Gordon said that
• the Panel had been surveying residents in the area to find out the issues of most concern.
• She asked that more information be provided on re-chargeable gas safety checks for leaseholders.
• Board meetings be publicised more
• Repairs/cleaning/grounds maintenance were good
• The Panel was arranging a coffee morning to try and find out why residents didn’t attend their local TRAs.
• Communal/planned maintenance was still an issue and she asked that dates were provided for Estate Inspections.

Clapton Panel George McGee said that
• A training meeting had been held on ASB with particular reference to level ASB
• Start on site had been achieved for the social housing new build in Clapton
• The Clapton Panel met regularly with Stamford Hill to discuss common issues of concern.

The Chair suggested that Officers identified people from estates who could attend training days which may encourage greater participation.

Muriel Gordon suggested that it would be helpful if individual skills could be captured from survey data so that particular expertise could be utilised by the Neighbourhood Panels in such events as fun days.

10. Review of Communal Heating Charges
Neil Isaac introduced the report. The Group asked whether the review had included communal electric systems. Neil Isaac said that he would check this. The Group was surprised that Tenants were not charged for the entire amount of energy they used. It was acknowledged that there was an historic problem with reading the meters. Neil Isaac said that officers were still working on these difficulties and a report would be taken to the Audit & Finance Committee in the next couple of months.

The Group noted the report.

11. AOB
The Group brought up a concern with Hackney Homes’ Out of Hours Repairs service. Rupert Tyson said that he would discuss this with Charlotte Graves and Jim Paterson.


Date of Next meeting Thursday 3 June 2010 at 6.00 pm



Signed as a true record of this meeting ___________________________Chair

Dated ________________