The TSA neighbourhood and community standard & local co-operation Councils with ALMOs Group 26 March 2010 Gill Leng - Exec Director Strategic Housing

Outcomes An understanding of the implications of the neighbourhood and community standard for councils As strategic housing authorities As landlords with ALMOs Ideas for action that could be taken as individual authorities or collectively Focus is particularly on the local co-operation outcome

What should registered providers do? Neighbourhood management keep the neighbourhood and communal areas associated with the homes that they own clean and safe. They shall work in partnership with their tenants and other providers and public bodies where it is effective to do so. Local area co-operation co-operate with relevant partners to help promote social, environmental and economic well being in the areas where they own properties. Anti-social behaviour work in partnership with other public agencies to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhoods where they own homes.

Local area co-operation Having taken account of their presence and impact within the areas where they own properties, shall: identify and publish the roles they are able to play within the areas where they have properties co-operate with Local Strategic Partnerships and strategic housing functions of local authorities where they are able to assist them in achieving their objectives

Strategic housing objective To prevent homelessness How can providers assist in achieving this objective? What do we know about providers and their ability to assist with the objective? Proportionate? Council landlord? What involvement should strategic housing authorities have Establishing the provider’s role? Measuring the contribution providers make? Is there a role for other partners in this?

Community objective To reduce anti-social behaviour How can providers assist in achieving this objective? What do we know about providers and their ability to assist with the objective? Proportionate? Council landlord? What involvement should strategic housing authorities have Establishing the provider’s role? Measuring the contribution providers make? Is there a role for other partners in this?

Partnership objective To improve economic performance How can providers assist in achieving this objective? What do we know about providers and their ability to assist with the objective? Proportionate? Council landlord? What involvement should strategic housing authorities have Establishing the provider’s role? Measuring the contribution providers make? Is there a role for other partners in this?

The right environment for landlords? As a strategic housing authority Are we clear with others about what our objectives are? Are we clear about what success looks like and how we might measure this? About providers Do we know enough about providers to know what they can and can’t do? Do we have the right relationships with providers to enable a better understanding? As a landlord Are our expectations of our own landlord different? Do we have the right relationships with our landlord to enable a better understanding?

Local? Co-operation = administrative boundaries? But TSA not defined elsewhere: landlords can consider obligations under co-operation consider whether offer improved by participating in area offer no regulatory obligation to agree local offer (previously local standard) If desirable for co-operation to relate to other ‘local’ areas what does this mean?

Local authority as a landlord with ALMO Is your own landlord function ‘co-operating’ with you in your strategic role? Context – strategic objectives for the area, not organisation Democratically accountable and public sector organisation: local authority governance and local authority finances Different local authority and partner expectations Different support Regulation Audit Commission governance and viability ALMOs who are also landlords? How do we ensure the ALMO is operating in a way that supports the expectations of us as landlords?

Measuring success, managing performance How can we measure success in co-operation? Providers Our own landlord role ALMO as property manager How can we measure our own success in co- operation? As strategic housing authority Strategic partners

Roles of others Need to be clear about role and relationships with TSA Audit Commission Providers, own landlord function and ALMO Other strategic partners With strategic housing authority in relation to Providers? Own landlord? ALMO? With local authority as landlord? With other strategic partners?

Next steps? What will you do from today?

Questions and comments Gill Leng Executive Director, Strategic Housing Services Telephone: