Agenda and draft minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Cabinet Member referred to agenda item 1, as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting and Members noted this information.

There were no items of urgent business put forward.

There were no declarations of interest put forward.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning noted that report has been compiled following notification of the outcome of a complaint made to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (the Ombudsman) by Ms X, a former homeless applicant placed into temporary accommodation by Homes for Haringey in discharge of the Council’s statutory duties owed to her.

The complaint centred on the suitability of the temporary accommodation provided, which had a lack of cold water supply to the kitchen, as well as other defects.

The Ombudsman found fault on the part of the Council, which had caused injustice to Ms X. He also made a number of recommendations which were attached to the report (appendix one) as well as the main report.

The purpose of this report was to bring the matter to the Council’s attention, and to seek authority to implement proposed action to be taken in response to the non-compensatory parts of the recommendations made by the Ombudsman in his report.

The Cabinet Member was informed that Ms X and her family had been moved from this property to better accommodation, in June 2017.

The Cabinet Member noted that the Corporate Committee had considered the attached report at their meeting, last night, [22 March] and agreed the compensation payments in line with their  terms of reference. The Committee had further asked for ex gratia payments to be granted to Ms X given the intolerable conditions that she had been forced to preside in. The Committee had been advised that this request would be considered, outside of the meeting, by the Council and Homes for Haringey. The Cabinet Member followed up on this request and was advised that Homes for Haringey  and the  Council Housing Team would consider whether the total payments made, were in line with Homes for Haringey compensation policy or  Council compensation Policy  and if there were any further additional payments required. The outcome would be reported back to the Corporate Committee at their next meeting in June 2018.

The Corporate Committee had also commented on the failure of the complaints process to progress the complaint from stage one to stage two, and asked the Cabinet Member to take a view on whether a review of the process should be undertaken. The Cabinet Member agreed to write to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources to ask for a review of the co-ordination of this complaint between the Council complaints team and Homes for Haringey team, to understand if there were any lessons to be learnt and new practices that would  need to be applied for dealing with Homes for Haringey related housing complaints.

The Cabinet Member was assured that the LGO findings had been fully considered and lessons learnt. In particular, the management of Housing Reviews and monitoring of water supply in blocks throughout the borough.

The Cabinet Member asked if there was a systemic issue with the water tanks on the Love Lane Estate, where his block had been located. It was noted that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

As per item 2

None