Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Housing and Safety

RESOLVED THAT

1. the Housing Options service (as specified in appendix 2) be transferred to CBH by 1 December 2013 under a contract for services to expire on 31 March 2020.

2. Authority be delegated to the Director of Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safety to finalise the specification and contract for services.

3. it be noted that the Council’s Housing Options staff whose roles fall within the scope of the list of services outlined in appendix 2 will transfer to CBH on the date the services transfer in accordance with the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.

The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety introduced the report and referred to the council’s review of the Housing Options service which was undertaken to ensure that it was fit for purpose and also to consider how the service may be commissioned in the future. A report was presented to Cabinet in December 2012 setting out two potential commissioning options available; in-house provision or, alternatively, to transfer the service to the Council’s Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO), Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH). A systems thinking review followed and then work was undertaken to consider the implications of transferring the service to CBH and to develop a service specification based on the redesigned provision which will deliver the outcomes as set out in the Housing and Homelessness Strategy.

The Cabinet Member highlighted paragraph 2.4 of the report which outlined the rationale for considering transferring the service to CBH. He added that the impact of local authority funding cuts and welfare reform would require resources to lessen the impact and provide support for those affected. The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety commended CBH-it was a nationally recognised three star ALMO, valued by tenants and a housing provider of choice.

The Cabinet Member highlighted that CBC would still remain statutorily responsible and accountable for the discharge of the functions that have been contracted out.

In response to a question regarding the December date for the transfer of the service, the Cabinet Member explained that this was due to the TUPE of staff and the time required for finalising the service specification and contract.

The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety thanked all the CBC and CBH staff who had been involved in the review, and in particular the housing options team.

Cabinet also paid tribute to the hard work undertaken by CBC and CBH officers and believed that the transfer of the service to CBH represented a good and efficient way of providing the housing options service in the future.

RESOLVED THAT

1. the Housing Options service (as specified in appendix 2) be transferred to CBH by 1 December 2013 under a contract for services to expire on 31 March 2020.

2. Authority be delegated to the Director of Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Safety to finalise the specification and contract for services.

3. it be noted that the Council’s Housing Options staff whose roles fall within the scope of the list of services outlined in appendix 2 will transfer to CBH on the date the services transfer in accordance with the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.