PROTOCOL- ANNEX TO THE DELIVERY PLAN AND ALMO MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

Relationship between Salford City Council and New Prospect Housing Ltd.

The relationship between the authority and the arms length company is defined in the management agreement which sets out the obligations of each party. The detailed document is based on Government guidance and covers:-

  • The functions to be carried out by the company
  • The standards to which they are to be carried out
  • Arrangements for reporting on and monitoring performance
  • Requirements for involvement of tenants in decision making
  • The financial relationship and obligations of each party (including liability for claims from events before the setting up of the company)
  • Arrangements for liaison and consultation between the authority and the arms length company
  • The role of the company in helping deliver the authority's housing strategy
  • The length of the agreement (an initial period of 5 years, renewable)
  • Any warranties to be given to the directors
  • The actions to be taken where there is non-compliance or failure
  • Arrangements for termination

This protocol complements the management agreement and identifies practical arrangements for implementation the ALMO delivery plan and management agreement.

Named Council Officers

The council officer will be Harry Seaton supported by Bob Osborne, Alan Eastwood and John Spink or their nominees.

Monthly Meetings

The delivery plan refers to officer meetings between the Arms Length Housing Management Organisation and the Council. The Council will be represented at these meetings by Harry Seaton as the Council Representative (or his nominee in his absence) and at the discretion of the Council representative, Bob Osborne, Alan Eastwood and John Spink or their nominee. New Prospect Housing Ltd. will be represented by John Townsend (or his nominee in his absence), and, at the Chief Executive's discretion, Keith Pearson, Roger Taylor and Peter Davidson. Standard agenda items will include:-

  • Progress against the ALMO delivery plan
  • Constraints, revisions and updates of the delivery plan
  • Housing policy issues and contribution to achieving the housing pledge and other Council pledges
  • The delivery of services and information from the Council to NPHL
  • Performance monitoring including:
  • NPHL Best value and service improvement plan
  • Achievement of those performance indicators identified within the Delivery Plan
  • Comprehensive performance assessment
  • Feedback on referrals from theCouncil
  • Responses to government. This will include consultation papers or standard returns required by government
  • Practical interface issues between the ALMO and the City Council
  • Financial information as defined within the Management Agreement
  • Any other business

The meetings will take place on the first Wednesday of each month between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the ground floor conference room of Turnpike House. The dates for the meeting are:-

2nd October 2002

6th November 2002

4th December 2002

8th January 2003

5th February 2003

5th March 2003

2nd April 2003

7th May 2003

4th June 2003

2nd July 2003

6th August 2003

3rd September 2003

1st October 2003

5th November 2003

3rd December 2003

The Council's officer will prepare an agenda based on agenda items submitted to him at least 7 working days in advance of the meeting. He will produce Minutes and action points which will be circulated to all people attending the meeting within 5 working days. Action points agreed by both NPHL and the Council will be checked at the subsequent monthly meeting and will be actioned in accordance with the timescales agreed at the meetings.

Practical Arrangements between the City Council and the Arms Length Housing Management Organisation

The Arms Length Housing Management Organisation (NPHL) will advise all tenants of the new arrangements which will commence on 16th September 2002. All tenants should be advised of the name of the new company and contact arrangements by telephone, fax, e-mail, letters, etc. All correspondence directed to the Council for the attention of the arms length organisation after this date will be redirected to the Chief Executive of NPHL. All correspondence and telephone contacts will be responded to by NPHL in accordance with its customer service standards.

There will be a requirement for precise arrangements to respond to local councillors, local political executives, enquires from Lead Member and Deputy Lead Members, requests from Cabinet, Scrutiny and from Members of Parliament. In addition clear arrangements will be required between the Council's corporate organisation and the NPHL. The following arrangements have been agreed between the City Council and NPHL.

Enquiries from Ward Councillors and MPs

Direct referrals to Group Managers have worked well and should continue. Ward Councillors and MPs will be encouraged to contact Group Managers direct and consistent arrangements should be developed by NPHL to record MPs' and Councillors' enquires, investigate and respond in accordance with the customer service standards and timescales. The Council's Officer reserves the right to follow up specific enquiries and monitor responses. Any enquiry referred to the Director of Housing Services relating to the work of NPHL will be acknowledged and referred to the Chief Executive of NPHL for a detailed reply.

In the event that the Councillor or MP is unhappy with the service provided by the Group Manager he should raise this with the Chief Executive of NPHL. If a satisfactory resolution is not reached then full written details of the nature of the complaint, date referred, date of review and reason for dissatisfaction should be submitted by the Councillor to the Council's officer who will ensure that this is raised as part of the monthly officer meeting and appropriate action and feedback to the Councillor/MP.

Arrangements with Lead Member

The Lead Member for Housing is responsible for developing the Council's housing policy, strategy and ensuring that housing activities contribute to the Council's pledges and policy objectives. Policy issues can arise from national, regional and local issues.

The Lead Member for Housing will also have the direct responsibility at a political level for ensuring the adequacy of monitoring arrangements and consultation arrangements between the Council and NPHL. He will have responsibility for achievement of the housing pledge, implementation of policy and achievement of improvements in performance via arrangements with NPHL and will report on these issues to Cabinet and Scrutiny Committees.

Any policy revision arising from the Government's national agenda or local priority issues will be promoted by the Housing Lead Member and included by the Council's representative in the agenda of the monthly meetings. The Council will consult NPHL on all proposed changes to housing policy affecting the company and its operations prior to being enacted. Where NPHL wishes to recommend changes to policy it will refer such matters to the Council's representative at a monthly meeting.

Ward Councillors and local political executivesmay raise housing issues of an operational or policy matter which may require detailed consideration. Issues for inclusion (requiring a policy decision)should be referred to the Lead Member on the agenda for the monthly officers' meeting prior to a report to the Lead Member for Housing for formal consideration. Any policy change will be communicated to the ALMO by the Council's representative and, where necessary amendment agreed to of the delivery plan.

Items of urgent business of a policy nature should be kept to a minimum and will be communicated between the Council's officer and the Chief Executive of NPHL by e-mail.

Cabinet

It is likely that the main items of business between the Council (via the Cabinet) and NPHL will be on performance management and review of pledges (Appendix A lists items planned for Cabinet discussions between October 2002 and April 2003). NPHL will provide performance information and comments to facilitate quarterly reports to Scrutiny,Cabinet and the Council. Reports will normally be presented by the Lead Member for Housing and Council representative, however, the Council reserve the right to request the attendance of the Chief Executive of NPHL to explain operational arrangements to deliver service improvements. Similar arrangements are required for Scrutiny Committee.

Scrutiny Committee

Scrutiny Committee will focus on the delivery and service improvement plans and continuous improvements in performance indicators as set out in the service improvement plan. It will be their role to focus on achieving high level outcomes freeing the NPHL Board to concentrate on delivery of the service. Scrutiny Committee will also monitor progress of projects against the timescales agreed in the service improvement plan. Reports to Scrutiny will be presented by the Lead Member for Housing and the Council Officer, although the Council reserve the right to request the attendance of the Chief Executive of NPHL as set out above.

Corporate Requirements

Currently many external agencies and partners of the city council refer operational housing matters with potential corporate implications direct to the Director of Housing Services.

The management agreement provides a clear commitment to partnership working between Salford City Council and NPHL on corporate initiatives in the delivery plan. In future, in order to stream line arrangements that agencies will refer all matters of an operational nature direct to the Chief Executive of NPHL. The Chief Executive of NPHL will ensure that a response is provided to the appropriate agencies. Where issues have a direct bearing on the Council, copies of correspondence between NPHL and other agencies will be copied to the Council's officer. These could include policy issues, consultation documents and statistical returns.

Similarly, issues of a corporate nature will be raised at Directors' meetings. In many cases these will require input from or will have implications for NPHL. In such cases the Director of Housing Services will communicate to the Chief Executive by e-mail within 24 hours of the Directors meeting and will forward any appropriate documents for consideration by NPHL. The Chief Executive of NPHL will ensure a response to the Council's officer within any reasonable deadline set.

Where it is not possible for NPHL to reply within the deadline, or where the request does not accord with the programme and priorities of NPHL then the Chief Executive will discuss and agree a revised timetable with the Council's Officer and respond to the enquiry direct within the revised timetable with a copy to the Council's Officer.

Quarterly Meetings

These will focus on the delivery of the delivery plan financial and performance indicator and will feed into quarterly performance review meetings of Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet.

Housing Policy Objectives

The Council retains responsibility for the development of Housing Policies, these will include rent setting, homelessness and allocations, achievement of the decent home standards, etc. Any suggested changes will be the subject of consultation between the Council and NPHL before implementation. The Council and NPHL will work closely to ensure that the policy objectives of the City Council are achieved through the procedures and practices of NPHL. The Council's Officer will be responsible for communicating policy revisions to the Chief Executive of NPHL so that these can be reflected where appropriate by changes to the delivery plan and/or procedures and practices. The following are examples where cohesion between policy objectives, strategic direction and operational delivery will be essential.

  • Rents
  • Allocations
  • Homelessness
  • Customer access, service quality, including out of hours provision includes operational issues where NPHL must have a decision making role
  • Equality issues
  • Supporting people
  • Tenant participation

APPENDIX A

October/November

  • Performance Management
  • Review of Pledges
  • Report from Budget Committee

November/December

  • Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlement
  • Performance Management (Quarterly Status Report)
  • Review of Pledges
  • Report from Budget Committee
  • New Government Initiatives/Funding Opportunities (Quarterly Review)

December/January

  • Arrangements for Budget Consultation
  • District Auditor’s Management Letter
  • Review of Area Plans
  • Education Development Plan
  • Quality Protects Plan
  • Performance Management
  • Review of Pledges
  • Report from Budget Committee

January/February

  • School Admission Arrangements
  • Performance Management
  • Review of Pledges
  • Report from Budget Committee

February/March

  • Treasury Management Policy and Strategy
  • Performance Management (Quarterly Status Report)
  • Review of Pledges
  • Report from Budget Committee
  • New Government Initiatives/Funding Opportunities (Quarterly Review)

March/April

  • Review of Constitution
  • Review of Policy Framework
  • Performance Management
  • Review of Pledges
  • Report from Budget Committee

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