Purpose

Cabinet is recommended to approve the Housing
Repairs and Maintenance Policy.
 

Content

Cabinet:
 
(1)        
approved the proposed Housing Repairs and Maintenance
Policy attached at Appendix 1 to the report; and

 
(2)        
authorised a delegation to the Strategic Director of Place,
in consultation with the Portfolio Lead Member for Housing
& Regeneration, and the Director of Governance and Law, to
amend the policy in response to new legal requirements, to
enable rapid amendment
to the policy to comply with new legal requirements as they arise
due to the introduction of Awaab’s Law.
 

Options & Alternatives Considered

The options that have been considered
are:

Option 1: Do not publish or delay the introduction
of the new policy (not recommended). The council could continue to
rely on the existing Housing Repairs Policy, or the council could
opt to delay the introduction of the new policy until the
regulations for Awaab’s Law are confirmed. This is not
recommended because the proposed Repairs and Maintenance Policy
addresses a number of gaps in the existing policy, providing
clarity to residents, supporting them to hold the council to
account, and introduces learning from complaint cases and feedback
from residents. 

Option 2: Publish the proposed
policy combined with a delegation from Cabinet to bring the policy
into line with any new legal requirements (recommended
option). This
option would support compliance with current legislation and the
regulatory standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing and
recommendations from the Housing Ombudsman, ensuring that residents
have clarity about the service they should expect to receive and
mitigates financial and reputational risks.