Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Housing Services on shared Home Improvement Agency Services.

20 Minutes.

(Councillor T V Rogers, Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

With the aid of a report by the Head of Housing Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel gave consideration to a proposal to establish a shared Home Improvement Agency Service with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

By way of background, the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services reported on the terms of the proposal for the Home Improvement Agency Service to be managed by Cambridge City Council from South Cambridgeshire District Council’s offices.

The Panel asked questions about a number of matters relating to the proposals including the adoption of best practice methods and the need to ensure that appropriate standards were maintained by other providers who contributed towards the delivery of the service. However, in the absence of an Officer to respond to their questions, Members requested that this item was placed on the Agenda for their next meeting to enable them to give further consideration to this matter.

Having been informed that the Cabinet had already agreed in principle to the establishment of a shared Home Improvement Agency Service and authorised the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects), following consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services and the Managing Director (Resources), to establish a shared service, the Panel

RESOLVED

  that the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects), together with the Head of Housing Services and the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services, be requested to attend the September 2011 meeting of the Panel to respond to the questions raised by Members in respect of the establishment of a shared Home Improvement Agency Service with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

To consider a report by the Head of Housing Services regarding a proposal to establish a shared Home Improvement Agency service with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Approved in principle the establishment of a shared Home Improvement Agency (HIA) Service with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils. Authorised the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services and the Managing Director (Resources) to approve the establishment of the shared service and suggested that any that any comments received from the Scrutiny Panel’s (Social Well-Being) meeting on 5^th July 2011 on the proposal be considered by the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services.

With the assistance of a report by the Head of Housing Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered a proposal to establish a shared Home Improvement Agency (HIA) Service with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

Having considered the issues involved in managing the service, the scope for achieving efficiency savings and in noting that the report would be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being) on 5th July 2011, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the establishment of a Shared Home Improvement Agency with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils be approved in principle;

  (b)  that the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services and the Managing Director (Resources) to approve the establishment of the shared service; and

  (c)  that any comments received from the Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being) on the proposal be considered by the Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services.