Gwynedd Council’s Housing Maintenance Service has improved since being inspected in 2001, according to a report released today by the Auditor General. But, the report calls on Gwynedd Council to sustain this improvement and ensure that proposed changes are actually delivered.
Since the 2001 inspection, the Council has published a clear set of service standards. It has communicated this to tenants through a Tenant Handbook and a series of service information leaflets. This is an important first step, but there continues to be a variation in the standard of service provided across the county. And, the Council is not systematically monitoring service delivery to ensure standards are actually being met.
The report found improvements in the arrangements for managing the housing maintenance service, including better Information Technology systems to record data. But, it found that levels of emergency and urgent repairs completed on time remain weak in comparison to other local authorities. There were also significant inconsistencies in how the Council manages repairs to empty homes, and in how the Council manages operational risk to its frontline staff, for example, work orders not identifying high risk or vulnerable clients. A procedure to ensure that a stock condition database is updated when works are completed is not being followed, resulting in an inconsistent picture of investment.
Despite this, the Council is demonstrating improved practice in relation to the servicing of appliances, including:
• Developing a new procedure on how to deal with access to properties.
• Providing information on gas servicing to tenants through council newsletters.
• Developing proposals to fit data link equipment to properties where difficulties continue in gaining access.
While the Council has not yet determined its strategy for achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by 2012, it has adopted a seven year strategic Housing Improvement Programme, which is designed to provide consistent services across the county. It is also designed to ensure that the housing stock complies with the WHQS by 2012; to effectively manage housing stock and ensure that the service responds to the needs of tenants and the community.
The report makes a number of recommendations for improvement, including calls to:
• Ensure agreed standards are being met
• Review operational performance and aim for quicker improvement in performance for emergency and urgent work.
• Ensure consistent delivery of policy and service throughout the county.
• Improve arrangements for the management of annual appliance servicing and performance of contractors.
• Identify the preferred option for achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and consult with tenants.
Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman said today:
“Gwynedd Council has improved its Housing Maintenance Service and I am pleased that it has agreed an action plan to ensure that services continue to improve. The Council must now also focus on determining a strategy to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2012 ”
Notes to Editors:
• Gwynedd Council’s Housing Maintenance Service was first inspected in 2001 by the Audit Commission in Wales, when it was found to be ‘poor’ with uncertain prospects for improvement.
• An Interim review was undertaken in July 2003, with some progress being made. A further detailed review was undertaken in 2005. This report is the result of the detailed review in 2005, along with a subsequent Further Progress review made in May 2006.
• The Wales Audit Office is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure.
• The Wales Audit Office was created in April 2005 through the Public Audit (Wales) Act, 2004, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staffs from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.
For more information please contact Lisa Smyth on 029 2026 2673 or email lisa.smyth@wao.gov.uk
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