Agenda and minutes

To issue a welcome to those present, and to confirm if there are any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors O’Neill and Waddington. Cllr Greg was absent.

Members will be asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed.

The Chair asked members of the commission to declare any interests for which there were none. 

The minutes of the Housing Scrutiny Commission meeting held on 18 March 2025 have been circulated, and Members will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Chair highlighted that the minutes for the meeting on 18 March 2025 were included within the papers and asked members for comments.

          AGREED:

·       It was agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 March 2025 were a true and accurate record.

The Chair is invited to make any announcements as they see fit.

There were no announcements.

Any questions, representations and statements of case submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures will be reported.

It was noted that none had been received.

Any petitions received in accordance with Council procedures will be reported.

It was noted that none had been received.

The report seeks to assess the current and projected need for supported housing within Leicester for LCC tenants with substance, alcohol dependencies and/or mental health needs. It also examines the legislation introduced by central government to regulate Supported Housing.

The Deputy City Mayor for Housing, Economy and Neighbourhoods introduced the report. They noted that it was a very important piece of work, with unique challenges that focused on the best practice nationally. 

The Head of Service for Housing delivered the report, and it was noted that:

·       Previous reports had been brought to the Commission, which highlighted how the tenant population had changed in recent years.

·       There was an increasing number of tenants with complex health and support needs who were unable to sustain independent tenancies. The purpose of the report was to propose the development of further options for supported housing for Leicester City Council tenants and to assess the projected needs of tenants.

·       In the past, the council had supported housing available for tenants. However, the schemes had now closed, leaving limited options available for Leicester City Council tenants.

·       The STAR Service had bridged the gap by offering floating support. Following this, the service had received excellent feedback, with users describing the support received as life changing. However, there were still some tenants that the service was unable to support effectively. This was due to a variety of factors, such as: substance abuse, mental illness, domestic abuse, being prison leavers or a combination of all these factors. These factors could result in antisocial behaviour, cuckooing, rent arrears and homelessness.

·       The impact of these pressures on local services and residents could be quite substantial. Similarly, the impact on individuals was very harmful as they were often placed in tenancies that they were unable to sustain with the Leicester City Council.

·       To alleviate this, a Help Beyond Housing Team had been formed with funding awarded from the Department of Health. The team had worked with the most complex tenants and had been successful in stabilising tenancies. This had significantly reduced instances of rough sleeping among council tenants.

·       Currently in Leicester, there were three (3) council-funded housing options for residents:

o   Homelessness Provision (Temporary Accommodation)

o   General Needs

o   Supported Living and Extra Care (Provided by Adult Social Care)

·       There were currently no suitable accommodations to place tenants who had failed their tenancies a few times as a result of substance use and alcohol dependency, particularly within the Council’s funded housing options.

·       Leicester also had a significant amount of unmapped and unregulated supported housing. Under new legislation, local authorities were now required to oversee and regulate these services, which would be undertaken as an additional project.

·       The supported exempt accommodation was being proposed to target tenants who were currently unable to sustain successive tenancies. The proposal for this specialised housing option was driven by the following:

1.    It had been identified that managing such tenancies required significant resources, and the associated impact on other residents led to numerous complaints, enquiries, and incidents of crime and disorder on Council estates.

2.    Temporary accommodation presented a significant cost, particularly due to the need to move not only individuals, but sometimes neighbouring households affected by tenants' behaviour.

3.    In some cases, tenants had to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

This report provides an update on the current position of the Repairs and Maintenance Team and its performance throughout 2024-25.

The Housing Heads of Service provided an update on the Repairs and Maintenance team’s performance. The following key points were noted:

·       The report was written in February 2025, and the presentation would highlight areas of concern and the progress recorded to date.

·       The council managed 19,500 properties and 1,700 leaseholders across the city. The repairs team were responsible for repairs, compliance works (gas, fire, electrical, lifts), maintenance, and renovation works across the property stock. These were categorised under responsive repairs, emergency out-of-hours repairs, compliance work, planned maintenance, and renovation of void properties.

·       Repairs generally fell into three categories:

- Priority 1 (emergency repairs): Response time within 24 hours.

- Priority 2(routine repairs): Response time within 10 working days

- Priority 3 (programmed repairs): Response time between 8 – 52 weeks.

·       The team were working on improving current performance timescales in the coming months and adopting a new approach to ensure consistent data reporting and alignment with the requirements of the Social Housing Regulator.

·       A major challenge faced by the team was resourcing, which was a national issue, particularly within the construction industry. However, there had been some recent improvements given the collaboration with the recruitment team through the apprenticeship programme.

·       Another concern was job cancellations, with around 20,000 jobs cancelled this financial year, representing about 16% of all repairs. It was noteworthy that the repairs trend showed an increase in repairs reported, completed and cancelled in 2024/25.

·       There had been improvements in the repair KPIs since the report was written. An example given was that outstanding repairs had now reduced to less than 10,000, while out-of-category repairs were now about 4000. The team, however, recognised that the overall performance was below target on the percentage of repairs for general repairs, and efforts were underway to close this gap.

·       The out-of-category repairs primarily involved external works, which were relatively low risk. Over 60% of the outstanding repairs had had an initial visit, which helped to evaluate vulnerabilities and expedite the repairs (if necessary), based on findings.

·       The reduction of out-of-category repairs was, however, a priority, and the HRA Safety Oversight Board had been set up to receive a monthly progress report on the set targets. The Board had also agreed on a set of options to increase capacity and reduce the number of outstanding jobs, including additional contractor support, overtime support for operatives, implementing increased performance targets, and changing the process of how jobs are dealt with.

·       Most properties had annual visits (eg/ Annual Gas Safety check), which allowed tenants to raise concerns. Tenants could also report repairs through other available channels, and staff were trained to proactively identify repair needs during their visits.

·       The team was on track to meet the current projections for improvements over the next months, and steps had been taken to achieve this. Some of these were moving forward with a dedicated repairs contractor that meets the scope of requirements. The team also ensured that the right types of contractors were doing the required work, additional  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

This report provides an update to the Housing Scrutiny Commission on the delivery of the Women in Construction programme and the craft apprentice recruitment for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

The Head of Service presented the report, and it was noted that:

·       The report provided an update on Women in Construction and Apprenticeship Programmes within the Housing Division, delivered by Leicester City Council.

·       The Women in Construction initiative had been run in partnership with Leicester College for over 20 years and took place annually in February.

·       In 2024, for the first time, an additional Women in Construction Week was held at the Council's Construction Training Centre of Excellence (CTCE) to increase uptake by delivering the programme across two weeks and two venues.

The programme aimed to:

o   Challenge outdated stereotypes that trades were only suitable for men.

• Showcase the Council’s qualified tradeswomen, many of whom had progressed through the apprenticeship route.
• Demonstrate the Council’s leadership in diversity and inclusion within its trade’s workforce, which had received national recognition.
• Provide a supportive environment for women of all ages to try different trades, build confidence, and develop skills for use at home and in work.
• Promote and encourage applications for trade apprenticeships.

·       The Council had historically offered 30 apprenticeship posts but increased this to 40 last year and then to 50 for the current year, starting in September, which was ahead of many similarly sized local authorities.

·       The Council expanded its partnerships beyond Leicester College, now also working with:

o   Stephenson College

o   Smart Gas (gas apprenticeships)

o   Langley’s (roofing apprenticeships, addressing a key skills gap)

·       The Women in Construction initiative had traditionally been held during February half term, but recognising the challenges this posed for caregivers, an additional term-time session was delivered in March at CTCE.

·       The additional session proved very popular, with positive feedback received, and plans were in place to continue offering multiple sessions in future years.

·       130 women attended over the two-week programme, participating in sessions focused on carpentry, plumbing, tiling, and painting and decorating.

·       Most sessions were led by female operatives, although some male staff also participated to reflect the mixed-gender nature of the workforce.

·       Feedback highlighted increased confidence in practical skills and improved awareness of job opportunities within the Council.

·       Promotional work had been carried out via colleges, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), social media, and other local media outlets.

·       The Council had also begun engaging more with faith groups to better promote opportunities among women and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, with plans to expand this approach.

·       In the previous year, the Council received 326 applications for its advertised apprenticeship vacancies. Of the successful applicants:

o   3 were BME candidates

o   3 were female

o   2 were LAC/Leaving Care candidates (LACs)

o   2 declared a disability

o   1 was from Leicester to Work

o   1 was from the Armed Forces community

·       All apprentices remained in employment, which was considered a significant achievement, particularly for care leavers who often faced personal challenges.

·       The Council continued to work closely with Children’s Services to both promote apprenticeship opportunities and ensure care leavers received sustained support.

·       Some care leavers had successfully progressed into permanent operative roles  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Members of the Commission will be asked to consider the work programme and make suggestions for additional items as it considers necessary.

The Chair informed members that they were welcome to recommend items that they wished to be included in the work programme for the new municipal year.

The chair thanked members for their contributions throughout the municipal year. There being no further business, the Chair declared the meeting closed at 19:37.