The Charnwood Borough Council Cabinet is scheduled to meet on 9 October 2025 to discuss a new vulnerability policy for the landlord service, and the procurement of a contractor for active fire protection measures. They will also be asked to exclude the public from part of the meeting to discuss business rates.

Vulnerability Policy

The Cabinet will be asked to approve a new vulnerability policy for the landlord service. According to the report pack, the aim is to increase compliance with the council's regulatory obligations and consolidate the council's approach to dealing with its vulnerable tenants in one policy.

The report pack states that the policy sets out the council's commitment to assisting and supporting its vulnerable council tenants and vulnerable people who are to become council tenants, and recognises that tenants with complex or additional needs may need additional support and advice to help them live independently and safely.

The policy defines a vulnerable tenant as:

Someone who has a particular characteristic and/or who has experienced an exceptional life event and who are unable, either temporarily or permanently to cope with managing their tenancy without additional support or service adjustment.

The report pack states that Charnwood Borough Council has agreed that people who are defined as 'vulnerable' are treated, as far as access to services is concerned, as if 'vulnerability' were a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

The policy outlines several ways in which the council aims to support vulnerable tenants, including:

• Identifying tenants at risk of tenancy failure.
• Providing support either in-house or by accessing support from partner agencies.
• Encouraging and promoting partnerships with external agencies to maximise support for vulnerable tenants.
• Following robust safeguarding procedures.
• Providing training to all staff in the landlord service and housing needs team on identifying vulnerability and responding appropriately.
• Improving and updating the information held about the needs and vulnerability of tenants.

The report pack includes an equality impact assessment, which states that the policy is not expected to have any adverse impact or discrimination.

Procurement of Contractor for Active Fire Protection Measures

The Cabinet will be asked to approve the procurement of a contractor to supply, install, service and maintain active fire protection equipment for buildings falling within the housing revenue account¹. The contract is estimated to be worth £165,000 per year.

The equipment covered by the contract includes:

• Fire alarm systems
• Smoke and heat detectors
• Sprinkler systems
• Emergency lighting
• Automatic opening vents

The report pack states that the procurement will be via a framework agreement², which offers benefits such as compliance with procurement legislation, economies of scale, speed, and contract management support.

Business Rates Write Off

The Cabinet will also consider an exempt report relating to a business rates write off. Members of the public may be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of this item because it will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.