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PEEPs and EEIS
On 18th May 2022 the Government published its formal response to the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS) consultation for high rise residential buildings. This consultation involved proposals to implement the recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Enquiry Report to make it a legal requirement for Responsible Persons to prepare evacuation plans for all residents unable to vacate the building independently in an emergency. Despite most responses being in favour of the PEEPs proposals, significant concerns were flagged up in three areas – practicality, proportionality and safety.
The Government has therefore published revised proposals in the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing (EEIS) consultation which revert to reliance on ‘staying put’ where the building is considered safe to do so. Where buildings are known to have fire safety problems, the fire service would have access to relevant information about vulnerable residents requiring evacuation assistance. The EEIS consultation closed on 10th August 2022.
Excellence in Partnership and Management – CWAG / NFA Report – October 2021
This joint CWAG / NFA report is based on a year long examination of council-ALMO structures and relationships. It reviews the range of models of management, partnership and assurance that have evolved between parent councils and ALMOs and aims to inform conversations between local authorities and their ALMOs on the key areas of performance, assurance and compliance.
The report also includes a governance and assurance toolkit to help councils track their compliance with key landlord responsibilities and regulatory requirements. It includes a 34-point checklist which address key issues including good governance, tenant engagement and the tenant voice.
Excellence in Partnership and Management – CWAG / NFA Report – Updated Oct /Nov 2022
This joint CWAG / NFA report which discusses good practice in the management of the landlord / tenant relationship has been updated to take account of developments in housing policy and regulation. A policy briefing has also been added along with a briefing and toolkit for residents.
Excellence in Partnership and Management – CWAG / NFA Report – October 2021
This joint CWAG / NFA report is based on a year long examination of council-ALMO structures and relationships. It reviews the range of models of management, partnership and assurance that have evolved between parent councils and ALMOs and aims to inform conversations between local authorities and their ALMOs on the key areas of performance, assurance and compliance.
The report also includes a governance and assurance toolkit which aims to help councils track their compliance with key landlord responsibilities and regulatory requirements. It includes a 34-point checklist which address key issues including good governance, tenant engagement and the tenant voice.
The role of Councils in ensuring quality and effective Tenant Engagement by their ALMOs – TPAS Report Commissioned by CWAG – June 2020
This CWAG commissioned report and its associated toolkit provide good practice guidance with case study examples on the council’s role in relation to tenant engagement where the direct engagement with tenants is being undertaken by the ALMO.
Councils need assurance that their ALMOs are complying with management agreements, regulatory and legislative standards and have meaningful tenant engagement embedded into the organisational culture.
The report discusses key roles and responsibilities around the delivery of engagement as part of a wider approach to improve performance and ensure compliance with management agreements, regulatory and legislative standards. The focus is on effective partnership working between the council and its ALMO alongside a robust framework providing strategic oversight and monitoring.
CWAG Tenant Engagement Good Practice Toolkit – June 2020
This extended version of the CWAG Tenant Engagement Good Practice Toolkit is designed provide a toolkit /checklist for councils to ensure that tenant engagement is sufficiently covered in contractual arrangements with their ALMO and ensure ALMOs are complying with management agreements, regulatory and legislative standards and have meaningful tenant engagement embedded into the organisational culture.
Engaging and empowering tenants in council owned housing – TPAS Report Commissioned by the Local Government Association – January 2019
This report sets out good practice principles underpinning effective tenant engagement alongside case studies, demonstrating how councils are working to involve and empower tenants of council owned housing. The report explores what “good” involvement looks like from both a council and tenant perspective, and highlights the importance of local leadership in developing a culture of tenant involvement.
NFA Members Briefing – Disrepair – November 2022
This NFA Members Guide includes the following:
- Advice on prevention including staff training, accurate record keeping and good process.
- Managing claims effectively
- Taking action against unfounded cases
- Complaints against complaints handling companies
https://councilswithalmos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LibraryDocuments/SharingGoodPractice/NFA-Disrepair-briefing-disrepair-forum.pdf
Presentation – Tackling Disrepair Claims in South Tyneside – May 2022
This presentation was part of the CWAG General Meeting in May 2022.
A combination of the removal of the legal aid cap, the ending of PPI and the measures in the Homes Act 2018 (implemented 2020) have shifted the focus of no win no fee solicitors onto disrepair issues and compensation in the social sector.
Currently the social housing sector is facing a deluge of disrepair claims and councils are spending £millions defending cases. However, there is little public debate around the issue as landlords worry speaking out will only increase the volume of claims.
South Tyneside has a robust approach strongly contesting every claim and therefore potentially making the council a less attractive target to the so called ‘claims farmers.’
Residents often get drawn into making a claim without fully understanding the context and the difficulties extricating themselves once a particular point has been reached and their case has generated costs. It is a major problem if the claim letter is the first knowledge the landlord has of a problem. The priority for the council / ALMO is to respond quickly and rectify the problem removing the basis of the claim.
Information is key in tackling disrepair claims upstream. All South Tyneside ALMO and technical staff have received training to raise awareness and ensure staff respond appropriately to information from a range of sources, and act at speed and respond to and document all issues and actions.
The legal process draws a distinction between ‘no evidence of disrepair’ and ‘no disrepair’ therefore the ALMO uses every opportunity to check and document property condition issues e.g. those visiting a tenant will ask ‘are you happy with your property?’ this will either highlight problem issues or confirm ‘no evidence of disrepair’ which can be documented and used to counter later disrepair claims.
The council uses a private legal firm to fight cases and employs a specialist cost lawyer to negotiate costs – whilst this is expensive it sends the message to claims firms that they may not achieve the settlements they hope and adds to the disincentive to target the area.
The ALMO employs specialist surveyors in-house and would not recommend agreeing to an independent surveyor to assess the claim preferring instead a joint survey using their own in-house experts.
The ALMO is also planning to undertake a full stock condition survey to identify problems in the stock and improve their information base.