Decision

Decision:

1. Approve the contracting out of the Council’s statutory homelessness review function under section 202 of the Housing Act 1996, to suitably qualified external providers, where required, until 31 March 2027; and
2. Delegate authority to the Director of Housing Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Housing and Corporate Services, to enter and manage arrangements for the contracting out of the Council's statutory homelessness review function under section 202 of the Housing Act 1996 until 31 March 2027.

Reason(s):

1. Contracting out the homelessness review function will provide operational resilience and reduce the risk of delays in determining statutory reviews during periods of staff absence, vacancies or increased demand.
2. Independent review providers can offer specialist expertise and objective feedback which can support service development, consistency of decision-making and continuous improvement.
3. The proposal is permitted by legislation and will help ensure the Council continues to meet its statutory duties and review timescales under homelessness legislation.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

Option 2: Continue with existing in-house arrangements:

This option would retain the current arrangement whereby reviews are undertaken solely by Council officers and would avoid any additional external costs. However, it provides less resilience during periods of staff absence, vacancies or increased demand, increasing the risk of delays and limiting access to independent specialist expertise.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.