The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Wednesday, 8 November 2023. The committee received an update on the current status of fly-tipping in the borough and an update on the Housing for Vulnerable People programme.

Fly-Tipping Status Update

The committee received an update on the environmental challenge of fly-tipping, which is a crime with considerable financial and environmental costs. Rebecca Johnson, Director of Public Realm, and Julia Kanji, Head of Regulatory Services, presented the report, highlighting that fly-tipping is a major concern for local authorities nationwide. The Council had endorsed the formation of the Cleaner Communities approach, a collaborative strategy involving multiple services including Public Realm, Enforcement, Landlord Services, Highways, Communications, and Participation & Engagement. This initiative aims to tackle fly-tipping through a multi-faceted, intelligence-led strategy that emphasises preventative actions and addresses the root causes of the issue.

Councillor Andrew Achilleos, Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, noted the council's commitment to a cleaner borough, aligning with the council's priority to ensure residents live in safer, cleaner, and greener neighbourhoods.

Key points discussed included:

• Data and Performance: In 2022/23, there was a 42% increase in reported fly-tipping incidents compared to the previous year, with a significant rise in collected tonnage. While street cleansing performance remains high, with 91% of reported fly-tips cleared within two working days, the overall data on fly-tipping is complex and not always fully reflective of the true picture due to various reporting methods and the one-pass cleansing model.
• Challenges: The report identified operational process and policy issues, data quality challenges, and behavioural change and engagement as key obstacles. Fly-tipping in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) was highlighted as a particular problem, though the council's licensing scheme for landlords and tenants aims to address this.
• Cleaner Communities Approach: This new strategy focuses on creating a multi-agency approach, fostering a change in attitude within the council and the community, developing a framework for operational clarity and preventative actions, and adopting an intelligence-led approach.
• Preventative Measures: The council employs CCTV cameras, with an annual operating cost of approximately £273,000, and has a wall of shame to deter offenders. Behavioural change campaigns are also underway to educate residents on proper waste management.
• Recycling Centre Accessibility: Concerns were raised about the accessibility of the Frizlands Lane recycling centre, with opening times not aligning with typical working schedules. While operated by Renewi, the council is to feed back concerns regarding opening times and accessibility to the East London Waste Authority (ELWA).
• Enforcement: The Environmental Enforcement team investigates fly-tipping complaints and can issue Community Protection Notices, with consequences ranging from fixed penalties to prosecution for breaches. The council also works with housing associations and landlords to ensure compliance with waste management conditions.
• HRA Land: Fly-tipping on Housing Revenue Account (HRA) land is managed by the Caretaking Service, and the council is reviewing its operating model to ensure a more consistent approach across all council-responsible land.

The committee noted the report.

Housing for Vulnerable People: Update Report

Elaine Allegretti, Strategic Director for Children's and Adults' Services, and Catherine Gilchrist, Head of Support Lifecycle, presented an update on the Housing for Vulnerable People programme. This programme, initiated in September 2019, aims to understand demand, align it with supply, and improve processes for providing accommodation to vulnerable cohorts, including those with mental health difficulties, disabilities, older people, care leavers, households with vulnerable children, and homeless 16-17 year olds.

Key achievements and ongoing work include:

• Care Leavers: A significant reduction of over 51% in care leavers in paid-for accommodation has been achieved, with 201 care leavers moved into social housing or other options in the last two and a half years. This has resulted in a cost avoidance of nearly £1.6 million. Electronic rent accounts have been established for care leavers, treating them similarly to other council tenants.
• Demand Modelling: The OneView system is being used to forecast demand in children's and adult social care, informing strategic planning and resource allocation.
• Process and Operational Improvements: Structured accommodation panels have been established for vulnerable children, accessible housing, and mental health services. Improvements have been made in addressing mental health supported step-downs, inconsistent recording of joint assessments for homeless 16-17 year olds, and the matching and prioritisation of households requiring accessible accommodation. Processes are also in place for problem-solving cases involving households with vulnerable children and for addressing vulnerable perpetrators of anti-social behaviour.
• Ratification and Monitoring of Housing Pathways: The council's allocations policy allows for direct offers of accommodation to vulnerable groups through accommodation panels. A case study highlighted how the Vulnerable Children's Panel facilitated a direct offer of accommodation to a mother, enabling her to care for her children and saving the council significant placement costs.
• Future Work: Priorities include improving processes for adaptations to accessible units, enhancing the recording of joint assessments for homeless 16-17 year olds, addressing mental health cohort step-downs and rent accounts, and clarifying governance for accommodation panels.
• Rent Guarantor Scheme: A scheme has been agreed for care leavers to act as guarantors for private rental agreements, though uptake has been limited, and efforts are being made to publicise it better.
• Habitat House Project: This project refurbishes dilapidated flats above shops to provide affordable rented homes for vulnerable people, including care leavers, and offers construction skills training. The project is proposed for expansion.
• Support for Vulnerable Individuals: The council is committed to a no expiration date approach for care leavers, offering support up to the age of 25 and beyond. Independence training, budgeting support, and a rent guarantor scheme are in place. The council also works with external institutions and companies to support vulnerable individuals placed within the borough, though this remains a national challenge.

The committee noted the report.

The committee also discussed the work programme for the upcoming year, noting a significant meeting scheduled for 5 December 2023 concerning the Metropolitan Police and the Baroness Casey Review.