Agenda and minutes

Appendix A lists those Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs), which have satisfactorily completed the registration process at the date of despatch of this agenda. It gives details of the representatives of those TRAs to be co-opted onto the DMC, in accordance with the constitution, together with the names of the substitutes.

Appendix B lists those TRAs whose registrations have lapsed. If a TRA wishes to register it must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM), open to all members, once a year (with an independent observer in attendance). The minutes must be sent to the Tenant Participation Service together with a membership list and a completed registered form.

The DMC considered the updated list of registered tenant and resident associations (TRAs) provided by the Tenant Participation Service listed at Appendix A to the agenda and those TRAs whose registration had lapsed, which were listed at Appendix B.

RESOLVED –

THAT the ‘A’ and ‘B’ lists be noted.

Apologies were received from Ramona Damiean, Neighbourhood Housing Manager.

Re-ordering the agenda

The meeting agreed that the minutes and action tracker items would be considered at the end of the meeting. Also, there would an update regarding the current and future working arrangements for the Camden Contact Centre which would be considered under the ‘Local Issues’ item.

Special DMC

The meeting was advised that there would be a special DMC in October on a date and time to be determined regarding local issues, action tracker update along with HRA Budgetary issues including heating charges.

ACTION BY: Director of Finance (MW)/Tenant Participation (SM)/Other relevant officers

Sharon Calvey and Graeme Beedham leaving event

The meeting was advised that the event would be held on Friday 22^nd September at Ampthill Square TRA Hall at a time to be determined. Cards for both had been circulated for DMC representatives to sign.

Mrs Helia Evans

The meeting was advised that Mrs Helia Evans heath had improved a little and she was now being looked after at a Care Home in Kentish Town.

There were none.

There were none.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of Camden Town DMC held on 14^th June 2023 and the special meeting on 19^th July 2023.

The DMC agreed the following revisions to the minutes of the meeting on 14^th June;

HRA Budget Monitoring report

That this should include reference to the lack of the ‘Council draft accounts being available’.

Item 10 Constitution and Code of Conduct

Delete all under current and proposed wording and insert;

‘Proposed wording

(a)     The DMCs are Advisory bodies of elected resident representatives to the London Borough of Camden’s Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and the Housing Scrutiny Committees.

(b)     The five DMCs covering the entire borough will discuss and make recommendations regarding council housing and related issues in the area covered by their DMC.

Current wording

(a)  District Management Committees (DMCs) are advisory forums to address Council housing issues and related issues relevant to the area covered by the DMC

(b)The DMC will discuss and make recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and the Housing Scrutiny Committee’

Estate Parking

Replace ‘scrutiny’ with ‘security’

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 14^th June as revised be approved as a correct record and the notes of the special meeting held on 19^th July 2023 be noted.

To consider the actions update arising from the June DMC cycle of meetings.

Voids and Allocations

The DMC asked that officers set up the proposed session with other DMCs regarding voids and allocations as had previously been agreed.

ACTION BY: Head of Allocations, Lettings and Private Housing Services

Due to lack of time, the remaining action points were to be considered at the special meeting of the DMC that would be held in October.

To consider the proposed changes to the Constitution and the meeting’s etiquette guide arising from the Code of Conduct.

Consideration was given to the paper that had been provided by the Chair of the DMC.

The DMC then discussed the proposed constitutional changes as set out below:

Proposed changes in GREEN, current clauses in RED

Role and Remit of District Management Committees

(a)     The DMCs are Advisory bodies of elected resident representatives to the London Borough of Camden’s Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and the Housing Scrutiny Committees.

(b)     The five DMCs covering the entire borough will discuss and make recommendations regarding council housing and related issues in the area covered by their DMC.

(a)    District Management Committees (DMCs) are advisory forums to address Council housing issues and related issues relevant to the area covered by the DMC

(b)    The DMC will discuss and make recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and the Housing Scrutiny Committee

The DMC agreed the proposed changes.

The DMC then discussed the proposed meeting etiquette as set out below:

MEETING ETIQUETTE

1.          Arrive on time to prevent disturbing meetings

2.          Turn off mobile phones

3.          Only record meeting with permission of all present

4.          Listen to and respect others’ views and contributions

5.          Signal to the chair/facilitator your wish to speak

6.          Do not interrupt of otherwise disrupt discussions

7.          When contributing keep to matters under discussion

8.          Keep contributions short to allow others to input 

9.          Discuss all issues and suggestions politely

10.   If consensus cannot be reached hold ballot

11.       Do not repeat confidential matters outside meeting

 12.      Nominate person to carry out agreed Actions  

The meeting agreed to change ‘of’ to ‘or’ in point 6.

RESOLVED –

THAT the Camden Town DMC constitution be revised as set out in red above and the meeting etiquette be agreed as revised and be displayed at all its DMC meetings.

                                                              ACTION BY: Tenant Participation

i)           To elect the DMC’s representative to the Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board.

Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board

“Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board is a community-led charity that brings together the community, police and council with the aim of reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in Camden.

“We oversee three main strands of activities:

• Public meetings and community conversations – these provide residents from across Camden the chance to challenge the Police Borough Commander and senior officers from the Community Safety Partnership about crime 

• Stop and Search – the Camden Stop and Search Monitoring Group meets four times a year. We also have a panel of 18 Camden Independent Youth Advisors with a keen interest in Stop and Search. 

• Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board Trustees – we hold six meetings a year where a small group of Trustees having been appointed by the CSNB hold the police and Partnership to account for performance in crime and antisocial behaviour. The Trustees oversee the work and set the policies for the CSNB.”

For more information, visit https://camdenconnected.com/

ii)          To elect representatives to any other bodies as needed.

RESOLVED –

THAT the appointment to the Safer Neighbourhood Board be deffered to the November 2023 meeting of the DMC.

To consider the report of the Director of Housing and the Director of Property Management

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Housing and the Director of Property Management

Consolidated report

The DMC felt that in future the Housing Services consolidated report should cover key issues for the service in an impartial and objective way, identified where gaps where, and would ensure issues of concern were being identified along with the Council’s proposed plans for dealing with those issues.

ACTION BY: Director of Housing and the Director of Property Management

Officers reminded the DMC that they were unable to respond directly to individual issues raised at the meeting, and such matters should be raised through the proper channels.

                                                              ACTION BY: DMC representatives

HRA Budget Monitoring Report

The DMC were advised that within paragraph 1.4 the figure £2.6m should say £3.6m. Also, the DMC was advised that the HRA borrowed money from the Council’s General Fund at a floating rate (currently 4.65%, compared to 1.13% at this point last year), but this was still a better rate than going through other providers.

The Council’s Audit and Corporate Governance Committee at its meeting in June 23, had considered the position regarding why the draft accounts had been unavailable, and whilst the draft accounts for 19/20, 20/21 were now available work was still being done regarding the accounts for 21/22 and 22/23.

The DMC expressed its concern regarding this situation as other local authorities had been able to produce and make public this information, and it wanted to be reassured that the HRA Budget was fit for purpose and would be able to meet its needs; whether the Council had a plan to meet the capital programme shortfall; the outcomes from its past stock conditions survey; and the Council would not fall into financial difficulty like some local authorities had done. Some members of the DMC felt that these concerns, which had been raised on a number of occasions, had not been responded to adequately by the Council.  

The DMC also agreed that the special meeting due to take place in October would do a deep dive into the heating and hot water costs of the current provision to tenants and leaseholders. The meeting would look at the annualised costs; standing charges; individual meeting installation programme; paying for actual usage only; the position relating to the use of the one-off sale to help keep the heating pool cost down this year; what the proposals would be to help tenants this year; the position of electricity sold back to the national grid; whether a breakdown of charges could be given to tenants; cost comparison between those not in the heating pool with those that were; tenants paying standing charges even when the property was unused. DMC representatives would also seek to identify specific questions to officers in advance of the special meeting.

ACTION BY: Director of Finance (MW)/Tenant Participation (SM)/Other relevant officers

Repairs

The meeting was advised that the Council had issued a statement in relation to its schools and building regarding the position on Reinforced  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Report of the Head of Neighbourhood Services.

In line with the DMC funding guidelines, TRAs will be asked to provide an update to the meeting regarding the progress of agreed bids, including an update on the associated spend. TRAs are invited to circulate any relevant information in advance through the clerk.

TRAs are encouraged to submit bids as soon as possible, so they can be properly assessed and prepared by officers, ready for submission to the DMC. TRAs are reminded that verbal bids cannot be accepted at DMC meetings as, in line with the guidelines, officers need to be able to assess bids before passing them to the DMC.

For more information on DMC bids, please see our webpages: www.camden.gov.uk/district-management-committees.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Neighbourhood Services.

The DMC gave consideration to the bid from Walker House TRA, to fund an increased supplier cost at a cost of £1,000. The bid was discussed and approved by the DMC.

The DMC asked for future budget reports to follow the previous practice of including information on previous years bids, and estate bid breakdown in relation to size of estate.

ACTION BY: Neighbourhood Managers

Officers agreed to meet with David Auger regarding his concerns on the DMC budget process and following this, if he still felt it necessary, he should provide officers with a note that specifically outlined what issues he wished to raise, so that an officer response could be provided.

ACTION BY: Neighbourhood Managers

Officers would also seek to provide an update on the Metro bins and the Ampthill Square pathway.

ACTION BY: Neighbourhood Managers

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid outlined above be approved

ACTION BY: Neighbourhood Managers

To discuss local issues raised at the meeting.

Camden Contact Centre update

Phil Quickenden, Head of Customer and Registration Services, gave the DMC an update regarding the key issues for the service along with future developments that would improve the process for the public when they raised issues through the Contact Centre.

The meeting was advised that normally calls followed a particular yearly pattern that allowed the service to accurately plan for peaks and troughs throughout the year. Since January 2023 this had changed with there being a huge shift in the number and types of calls coming through to the Contact Centre. Also, the pattern had changed with large spikes and massive dips, meaning the service was finding it difficult to match service demand. Officers felt that these changes arose from the cost-of-living crisis that people in the borough were having to face, with many more people now seeking advice on tackling rent or council tax arrears and other financial assistance.

The service was seeking to put in places a number of processes to enable it to meet this varying demand. This included recruiting more full-time and temporary staff (who would need to be fully trained before they could undertake their duties), putting in place new working practices for staff so that all staff could deal with the variety of calls, along with a new Contact Centre platform that would make the process easier and quicker for staff and the public to use. This new platform would allow for greater self-navigation, along with voice navigation through the service options available. The greater use of the self-service options for the more transactional functions would allow for the freeing up of resources to support the calls that required a more in-depth relationship approach to be undertaken by the call operator. The new platform would allow for more pictures and videos to be uploaded, which in turn would help the operator to deal with the enquiry. The service would also be using data mapping to help the service plan for the future. 

Officers agreed to provide further data for information.

ACTION BY: Head of Customer and Registration Services

The DMC then thanked Phil Quickenden for the update he had provided.

There were none.