GENERAL MEETING 23 FEBRUARY 2010

1.       Welcome & Introduction -

Rena welcomed everyone to the meeting.  She then introduced; Gordon Birrell, Housing Strategy Manager; John Wolstencroft, Housing Quality & Performance Manager and Fiona Reekie, Anti Social Behaviour Team

   2.       Adoption of Minutes of General Meeting held on 17 November 2009 -

          Proposed by Jessie Gault and seconded by Stella Carrington

Matters Arising:   

          There were no matters arising

3.            Gordon Birrell, Housing Strategy Manager, Dundee City Council

Update on Derby Street

Gordon informed those present that a decision had been taken to keep the Derby Street multis in the demolition programme as it was not financially feasible to retain them.

The Derby Street RTO had been informed and a public meeting has been held to inform the remaining tenants in the blocks.

Gordon advised that there will be a Tenants Conference on Sunday 16 May. A venue for this has still to be identified.

4.            John Wolstencroft – Housing Quality and Performance Manager,

Dundee City Council

         Allocations

         Policy Agreed by (Dundee City Council in 2006)

•                  Aims and Objectives:

–         Keep voids down

–         Prioritise people with greatest housing need

–         Help regeneration to progress

–         Transparency

–         Social inclusion, equality of opportunity

–         Flexible to meet changing requirements

•         Legislation

•         Scottish Housing Regulator

Groups

•         4 main groups

•         All applicants with an assessed need are given points

•         Where same points, the date of application applies

•         Targets set for lets

•         Applicants can only be in one group

Groups and Targets

•         Homeless 45%

•         General Needs 40%

•         Redevelopment 10%

•         Choice 5%

Targets will be reviewed annually by the Director of Housing

Points Awarded

•         Homeless - 70

•         BTS - 70

•         Overcrowded - 40 to 70

•         Under-occupied - 40 to 70

•         Medical - 20 to 70

•         Social Need - 40

•         Want own tenancy - 10

•         Sharing facilities - 20

•         Redevelopment - 20 to 70

•         Choice – 0

Key Points

•         People can get multiple points

•         Can apply for any size of house but we will let to the family whose needs best match the accommodation

•         Redevelopment – more points for length of tenancy

Policy Amendments 2010

•         Allow sharing a bedroom for children of different sexes up to the age of eight years.

•         Ex-service personnel considered for housing up to nine months prior to discharge

•         Prisoners serving custodial sentences considered for housing up to six months prior to discharge

•         Overcrowding

•         40 points where one additional bedroom is required and,

•         70 points where two ore more additional bedrooms are required

•         Social Points

•         a single award of 40 points where there is an assessed need

Currently –

•         Many elements of policy implemented

•         IT system developed to support policy

•         Selection according to new groups and points can only proceed when IT system goes live (in March)

•         Media being prepared for system going live

•         Training

5.   Fiona Reekie – Anti Social Behaviour Team

Anti Social Behaviour Processes

v      RECEIVING COMPLAINTS

v      -ASB Advice Line

v      -Website

v      -ASBT by telephone call or personal visit

v      -District Offices (East & West)

Categories

     The ASB policy outlines the types of behaviour the team investigates:

v      Noise – most common type of complaint;

v      Violence;

v      Racial Harassment;

v      Harassment;

v      Vandalism;

v      Disturbance Due to Drugs;

v      Youth Disorder;

v      Fire Raising;

     Tenures

The tenure of the alleged offender is the key; The ASB Team will deal with complaints against people that are:

v      Council tenants;

v      Owner Occupiers;

v      Tenants of a Private Landlord.

Multi Tenure

In certain circumstances the ASB Team will also deal with complaints against RSL tenants:

v      When complaints of ASB do not relate to the behaviour within or around the household

Type of Complaints they don’t deal with

v      Dog Fouling – Dog Wardens;

v      ASB involving someone of the same household – Own legal remedies;

v      Rubbish in communal areas – Environmental Health, Housing Officer;

v      Communal cleaning – Housing Officer

Once a complaint is received

v      Details will be noted and input onto the ASB database;

v      An Investigation Officer (IO) will be assigned to the case for investigation;

v      The IO will aim to make first contact with the complainer within the target timescale

First Contact

First contact includes:

v      Interviewing the complainer;

v      Business card through complainers door;

v      Speaking over the phone or leaving a message on answering machine.

Corroboration

IO attempts to substantiate the complaint:

v      Speaking to nearby neighbours;

v      Liaison with police (CIU);

v      NTNT evidence/warnings;

v      OOH calls/evidence;

v      Surveillance;

Actions

When a complaint has been verified an IO has a number of actions to resolve the issue:

v      Referrals – mediation, housing support, victim support, DFP etc.

v      Advice on how to prevent further complaints

v      Warnings – tenancy / ASBO

v      Legal Action

Monitor

Once action has been taken, the complainer/s will be contacted to inform them, of this and the case will be monitored for up to 6 weeks.

Pier

v      Prevention

v      Intervention

v      Enforcement

v      Rehabilitation

     Aims of Partnership Working

v      DCC & Partners in Dundee will work together on ASB.

v      Ensure any instances of ASB in Dundee addressed consistently, achieving the earliest and most suitable resolution.

v      The 2004 Act provides a legal protection for those who disclose information for the purposes of tackling ASB.

Taking Action through Partnership Working

If problems recur the IO will take further action where possible.

Rena thanked Gordon, John and Fiona for their presentations and the tenants who attended the meeting.

For information  -

NTNT               Night Time Noise Team

OOH                Out of Hours

IO                    Investigating Officer

DFP                 Dundee Family Project

DCC                Dundee City Council

DCS                Dundee Contract Services

DFTA               Dundee Federation of Tenants Associations

ASBO              Anti Social Behaviour Order

CIU                  Criminal Investigation Unit

BTS                 Below Tolerable Standard

Date of Next General Meeting:  20 April 2010