Tenant Scrutiny Panel - previous Meeting Minutes
Tenant Scrutiny Panel Meeting Minutes 4 February 2025.
Present:
- Julie Hood, Housing Equalities and Engagement Facilitator
- D. McLaren, tenant
- J. Wormald, tenant
- M. Flintoft, tenant
- E. Middleton, tenant
Apologies:
- M. Hartman, tenant
Julie opened the meeting and welcomed everybody. Introductions were made.
- Minutes and matters arising
- Increasing membership of Tenant Scrutiny Panel and the Performance Panel
- Mystery shopping
- Engagement Strategy Action Plan
- Governing documents
- HEIP update
- Action Plan
- Any other business
- Next meeting details
Minutes and matters arising
The minutes were agreed as a true record of the meeting.
The following were actions at the last meeting:
- email not being received. Julie to lead the investigation. This has been investigated and has not happened again. If the problem should reoccur further investigations will be done
- Mystery Shopping is on the agenda
- Engagement Strategy Action Plan on the website - Not quite yet. It's hoped that this will be on the website very soon
- Domestic Abuse Policy, suggestion of places to leaflet and put posters to raise awareness of domestic abuse were passed to Tiana Brown
- repairs
- do repairs contractors send texts reminders about repairs and to let the tenant know they are on their way? There is doubt on this, it's still being investigated
- is the contractor code of conduct in the contract - yes, we believe so
Increasing membership of Tenant Scrutiny Panel and the Performance Panel
The information regarding tenants who indicated that they would like to give feedback (in the Tenant Satisfaction Survey) was made available a few weeks ago.
All have been sent information about how to join the Tenant Engagement Community.
This direct contact alongside the article in Open Door has resulted in several tenants making contact. Some have shown interest in the Tenant Scrutiny and Performance Panel. Tenant Voice has received new members.
Mystery shopping
The forms with a change of column heading were sent with the papers for this meeting.
Julie asked if this real mystery shopping exercise could be put on hold for a month or so. Currently Tenant Voice members are being consulted on the revised Antisocial Behaviour Policy. This closes on Friday 21 February 2025.
The revised Repairs Policy has been drafted and the consultation process is being worked through. It is anticipated that the consultation will be live at the end of February.
It was agreed that to make sure Tenant Voice members can focus on the areas that are important to them postponing the mystery shop until April may provide better feedback.
Senior Management Team have not suggested a topic as yet. Julie will chase them
Action - Julie to chase Fiona to raise this at Senior Management Team meeting.
Engagement Strategy Action Plan
Should be on the website very soon.
Action - Julie to chase.
Governing documents
The following documents were reviewed.
Terms of Reference
Item no 7, Equality and Diversity.
This item was discussed in depth. The number of engaged tenants has grown over recent years. Engaged tenants means members of the Tenant Scrutiny Panel, the Performance Panel and Tenant Voice. Whether these tenants represent all the diverse groups of City of York Council Housing tenants is not known.
The following questions were raised:
- what is the profile of City of York Council tenants?
- what is the profile of engaged tenants?
- what groups of tenants are not represented in the engagement community?
The Whistle Blowing Policy needs explaining.
Actions:
- Julie to produce a plan to identify where the profile of engaged tenants is not representative of the City of York Council Housing tenants
- Julie to send the Whistle Blowing Policy with the papers for the next meeting
Code of Conduct
2 areas of change were identified:
- Never being under the influence of drink or drugs – this should say non prescribed drugs.
- Giving open and honest feedback, based on evidence should be changed to based on evidence and experience.
However, after further scrutiny and discussion it was agreed that the whole document needs to be updated.
Action - Julie to send a draft new document with the papers for the next meeting for discussion.
Virtual meeting protocols
These are used for all virtual engagement meetings. For example, the Leasehold Forum and Focus Groups.
They were agreed with the addition of ‘please turn your camera off if you need to’ within the ‘Do not do private things in a meeting section.’
Action - Julie to make the changes.
Health Check
This includes a similar diversity and representation section to the Terms of Reference.
There are also several updates to be made.
The Tenant Satisfaction Survey
Identified in the ‘looking at high level long term service planning’.
The 2024 data will be available at the next meeting.
Actions:
- Julie to draft an update and send with the papers for the next meeting for discussion
- Julie to invite Ian Cunningham, Head of the Business Intelligence Hub to the next meeting to present the data
- Local Offers to be reviewed in April meeting
- the Chair of this meeting to be elected at the March meeting
As these governing documents should all be on the website, the formats will need to be changed to meet accessibility standards.
HEIP update
Work is ongoing to identify a contractor with capacity to undertake work to improve drying areas.
Action Plan
To be updated and put on the website.
Any other business
Ian Cunningham, Head of Business Intelligence Hub has requested to come to the next meeting. He will bring the data collected from the recent Tenant Satisfaction Survey.
All agreed.
Action - Julie to invite Ian to the next meeting.
Length of meetings
It was agreed to have a short (5 minute) comfort break in the middle of meetings. 2 hours is a long time to be in the same position. This will give the opportunity to, for example, change position or grab a drink.
Action - Julie to include this on the agenda.
Some individual issues were discussed.
There was no other business.
Next meeting details
Date: Tuesday 4 March 2025. 6.30pm via Microsoft Teams.
Agenda items:
- Mystery shopping
- Governing Documents
- HEIP update
- Increasing the number of panel members
- Election of a Chair for the coming year
Previous meeting minutes are available by contacting the Housing Equalities and Engagement Facilitator.
Also see