Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Acting Director of Public Health

Simon Kimberley, Deputy Chief Executive and Richard Osborne, Director of Property Services, Whitefriars Housing have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item 

The Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Acting Director of Public Health which highlighted how housing could impact on the health and wellbeing of Coventry residents; provided information on work undertaken to improve housing conditions to date; and suggested further areas of work to improve the quality of housing and therefore improve the health and wellbeing of Coventry residents. Simon Kimberley and Richard Osborne, Whifefriars Housing attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The briefing note indicated that the right home environment was essential to health and wellbeing throughout life. Key features of a healthy home included warm and affordable heat; free from hazards, enabled movement around the home and was accessible; promoted a sense of security and stability; support was available if needed; and a healthy neighbourhood community. Disrepair and cold homes could cause immediate health issues to residents and also affect children’s educational attainment, emotional wellbeing and resilience and put adolescents at five times more risk of suffering from multiple mental health problems.

The Board noted that 17% of homes in England were socially rented and these were often the healthiest and most accessible type of homes. 19% of homes in England were privately rented. This type of tenure was expected to continue to grow and could have the highest prevalence of unhealthy homes.

Current work to improve housing in Coventry included:

·  Public Health contributing to the Selective Licensing proposal and were exploring the possibility for Housing Enforcement officers to identify tenants who might benefit from a Safe and Well visit run by the Fire Service

·  Whitefriars extensive programme to improve energy efficiency of homes with external insulation and improvements to tower blocks. New heating systems have been installed and energy advice was available to customers.

·  Whitefriars undertook home checks to support vulnerable customers in their homes

·  Midland Heart provided care and support services for tenants who needed support at different times in their lives

·  Orbit provided a Care and Repair service to people aged 60 and over and to those who has who had a disability.

·  Public Health worked with the Affordable Warmth team who gave advice and information to residents on how to stay warm and well and save money on energy bills.

·  There was a Memorandum of Understanding to support joint action on improving health through the home from 2014 which set out the shared commitment to joint action across government, health, social care and Housing sectors in England.

·  The Council worked with organisations to empower communities to become and stay connected, using and growing the strengths and assets of communities.

·  The Council was a member of the West Midlands Housing Officer Group which aimed to achieve a long term preventative strategy through strategic housing. The Council was also a member of the West Midlands Best Use of Stock Group which was a partnership working together to explore innovative ways of making the best use of stock to maximise the opportunity for people to move when they need to.

It was proposed to set up a Scrutiny Task and Finish Group to:

i) Identify and map work programmes already being carried out by Housing Associations in Coventry City Council

ii) Identify and map current work programmes already being carried out for tenants of privately rented properties in Coventry

iii) Identify future areas for improvement and actions for Housing Associations and other partners.

The Board questioned the representatives and officers present on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Concerns about the problems for over 55s securing suitable accommodation in the city and the difficulties facing residents who wanted to downsize

·  A request for information about the housing and support that was available for the elderly

·  Concerns about the difficulties being faced when supporting communities to stay connected, for example by developing libraries or health centres as community hubs, with the suggestion that this was appropriate for the Task and Finish Group to consider

·  The use of public health funding and whether this could be used to support libraries in the city

·  Could Section 106 funding be used to fund insulation improvements to existing properties in the relevant area

·  Concerns about the high costs for improvements works faced by owner occupiers compared to the works undertaken by the Housing Associations to socially rented properties

·  Concerns about the expensive legal costs incurred by Housing Associations when making a charge on properties to be able to undertake insulation works

·  Further information about the selective licensing proposals

·  The building regulation standards for new properties being built by Housing Associations

·  What could the Council do to improve housing standards in the private rental sector

·  Details about a heating monitoring project involving new properties at Manor Farm

·  Clarification about the purpose of considering the item at the Board meeting

·  Clarification about the views of tenants who had been forced to move out of outdated blocks of flats into suitable accommodation and the support that was provided to enable them to move

·  Further information about sheltered housing with care

·  Partnership working between Whitefriars Housing and Public Health

·  Details about any properties with damp and condensation issues

·  Clarification that any contractors/ sub-contractors used by Whitefriars and the Council received Safeguarding training

·  Information about a Welcome pack being provided to new tenants and an assurance that the information was available in a number of languages

·  Details of the partnership working between Whitefriars and the Fire Service.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The progress made to date on improving health outcomes through housing be endorsed.

(2) Approval be given for a Scrutiny Task and Finish Group to be set up to consider areas of work to improve the quality of housing and the health and wellbeing of Coventry residents.

(3) The Task and Finish Group to consider how the Council works with organisations to empower communities to become and stay connected using and growing the strengths and assets in the community, for example by developing libraries as community hubs.

(4) The Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership be recommended to ensure that any contractors used by the Council are required to ensure that their employees undertake safeguarding training.

(5) Councillor Caan, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, be asked to consider the appointment of a representative from Whitefriars Housing as a member of the Board.

(6) Representations be made to the Local Government Association regarding the expensive legal costs that are incurred by Housing Associations when making a charge on properties to be able to undertake insulation works which are unaffordable for the home owners.

(7) The representatives from Whitefriars Housing be requested to provide members with:

(i) A newsletter providing information on housing and support for the elderly

(ii) Information about the number of Whitefriars properties with condensation issues.

(8) Officers be requested to investigate the potential use of Section 106 funding for insulation improvements to existing properties in the appropriate area.

(9) An update report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board in approximately two years providing information on the heating data collected from the new houses at Manor Farm.