Tameside Housing Partnership

Minutes of Meeting

Date:  Friday 5th March 2010

Venue:  Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, OL6 6DL.

Present

• Councillor Warrington - TMBC Cabinet and Chair
• Councillor Holland - TMBC Cabinet Member
• Andrew Leah - TMBC Housing Services Manager
• John Hughes - TMBC Housing Strategy
• Kay Mistry - TMBC Housing Strategy
• Tony Berry - Ashton Pioneer Homes
• Steve Moss - New Charter Housing Trust
• Dave Berry - TMBC Policy Section
• Gill Cook - Adullam Homes
• Simon Hopes - Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
• Mike Leaver - Manchester and District Housing Association
• Emma Thompson - TMBC Policy Section
• Claire Bibby - TMBC Services for Children and Young People
• Alan Franco - TMBC Welfare Rights
• Richard Scarborough - TMBC Joint Commissioning
• Kate James - TMBC Supporting People Team
• Lisa Lees - TMBC Community Safety Unit
• Shaun Lowthian - TMBC Policy and Partnerships

Apologies

• Andrei Szatkowski - Regenda
• Alex Morrish - Regenda
• Andy Heywood - Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
• Huw Davies - TMBC Assistant Executive Director Housing & Community Regeneration
• Ilys Cookson - TMBC Exchequer Services
• Mark Whitehead - TMBC Adult Care
• Angela Raftery - Irwell Valley Housing
• Diane Barkley - TMBC Supporting People Team
• Ian Munro - New Charter Housing Trust

1.  Welcome and Introduction

Councillor Warrington welcomed everyone to the meeting.  Councillor Warrington informed those present that this was the first meeting of the Supporting People Joint Commissioning Group & Housing Partnership.  Item 4 and 6 on the agenda will be merged.

2.  Apologies for Absence

Apologies were noted

3.  Minutes of the last meeting - 11th December 2009.

Minutes accepted as an accurate record of the meeting.

3b.  Matters Arising

None raised.

Items 5 and 6 - Annual Partnership Report and Audit Commission Inspection of the Strategic Housing Service:  Presented by Andrew Leah

• The Annual partnership Report was tabled at the meeting.
• Information was received and noted

The following points were raised:

Housing Inspection

• Senior Managers from the Council have met with the Lead Housing Inspector from the Audit Commission. It is confirmed that a Housing Inspection will take place between September and December 2010
• Initial preparations are now underway and the council intends to undertake a mock inspection in May.
• All partners have been contacted and asked to contribute to the Self Assessment

Andrew mentioned that the Inspection will also focus on the following areas

• Looking at links to the CAA and in particular partnership working.
• Looking at the performance of key housing partners
• Ensure the vision of the strategy is shared by partners.

5. Tameside Housing Partnership Terms of Reference 2010 - 2011.  Presented by Andrew Leah

• The Terms of reference for the new Housing Partnership Structure were distributed in advance of the meeting· Information received and noted
• Terms of Reference were agreed and the new governance arrangements will begin from the next meeting in May
• The Partnership will now meet Bi Monthly

7. Sub Group Updates Strategic Homelessness Group

• Report from Tameside Housing Advice (THA) was distributed with the agenda
• Information was received and noted

The following points were noted

• Number of decisions made during the quarter had reduced due to increased prevention work being carried out.
• The continued effectiveness of the housing register services was noted
• During the quarter, 39 households were re-housed through the housing register and 8 through the disability register.

Mortgage Rescue & Preventing Repossessions.  Update by Alan Franco

The following points were noted:

• The Council has received notification of 98 summonses to court via the new Civic Procedures arrangement
• All households threatened with repossessions are contacted by the Council offering advice and support
• 14 households have contacted the TMBC after receiving the information and all been supported to stay in their homes
• 60 people have been supported with debt problems as a result of mortgage arrears during quarter three.
• Good work being done through MINT
• Shelter & CAB have established a National Debt Helpline which is being launched in Tameside after this meeting
• The local campaign around repossessions is still in place and regular articles are being targeted at the local press
• Welfare Rights website is also linked to the housing pages

Supported Housing Forum Presented by Gill Cook – Chair of Supported Housing Forum

• Report was distributed with the agenda
• Information was received and noted.
• Gill reported the excellent work around NI 141 to the Housing Partnership

8.  Any Other Business

• The Council’s Tameside Work First initiative has been named the winner of a Local Innovation Award for its response to promoting economic resilience during the downturn.
• Tameside is the only Local Authority in the country to win this award

National Affordable Housing Programme

• AL reported that £30 million has been made available for affordable housing in an innovative partnership between the Homes & Communities Agency and AGMA.
•  £3 million will be ringfenced for schemes that have the ability to start on site before June 2010
• RSL Partners will be asked to place Expressions of Interest for schemes by April 1st
• Tameside is in a good position to bid for the funding as several schemes have already been identified
• AL to arrange a meeting with interested RSL’s and to set up a project group with Planning

Immigration Impact Funding Update

• The University Of Salford has now started the research that will focus on the impact of economic migration on public services such as health, education and housing. It will also explore how Eastern European migrants have adapted to living in Tameside
• A separate study of the future requirements of Tameside as dispersal area for asylum seekers is also been carried out by Salford as part of the same research programme.
• Housing & Economic Development have also expressed an interest in participating in a European Union funded bid with cities in Spain, Italy & Greece on promoting European citizenship for third country nationals.
• A decision on whether this has been successful will be known in July

9.  Date of next meeting

14th May 2010 – Council Offices – Committee Room 2