Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning.  To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Corporate Services]

The Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Corporate Services introduced the report which set out the proposal to insource Homes For Haringey, provided the results of an 8-week resident consultation process, and sought approval to delegate detailed implementation to Council officers. 

The Cabinet Member responded to questions from the Cabinet:

-           There was a cross-party working group which had met twice, with engagement from both parties.  A meeting had also been held with a residents group to seek residents opinions on how the insourcing would take place and how future tenant and leaseholder involvement would look post-insourcing.

-           If approved, there would be a systematic project plan with informal and formal legal processes in terms of contracts and staff transfer.

The Cabinet Member responded to questions from Councillor Cawley-Harrison:

-           It was not possible to confirm whether the residents’ scrutiny panel or housing board would continue in the current form as discussions were taking place on what the resident’s voice would look like in the future.  Different models were being reviewed to look at the best way to engage with residents.

-           Bringing services together should enable better service delivery and ensure that delivery is streamlined.  This would achieve savings however it was not yet quantified what those savings would be.  There would be costs involved with the transfer and it was hoped over time that savings would be achieved to cover those costs and provide re-investment into services in the future.

-           One of the reasons for the transfer was to strengthen the Council’s ability to respond to the regulations coming forward from the Government 2020 White Paper, and the Council will need to make sure that performance and value for money information was made available to the Regulator and residents.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet

1.         Note and consider the results of the consultation with tenants and leaseholders on the proposal to insource services from Homes for Haringey (see Appendix A), as well as the submission from the Board of Homes for Haringey (see Appendix B).

2.         Approve the insourcing of services from Homes for Haringey, based on the rationales set out in the report, with the detailed implementation process delegated to Council officers, including service of a notice to terminate the Management Agreement, finalising the organisational structure for incoming staff and services, staff consultation and transfer under TUPE regulations, transferring budgets and financial processes, and resolving legal issues such as contract novation, ongoing management of leases, support to the Haringey Community Benefit Society, etc. as set out in section 6.7 of the report.

3.         Approve co-design and co-production of new resident engagement arrangements, including involvement in policy, operational oversight and scrutiny, with detailed proposals to be brought back for final approval during 2022, as set out in section 6.6 of the report.

4.         Approve a virement of £565,000 for the year 2021/22 and note  an additional sum of £550,000 required next year, 2022/23, to meet the one-off expenditure needed to complete the transfer processes, as set out in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 678