estate_management__asb___estate_safety

Leaseholders and Freeholders Conference 26 January 2008 : 

Leaseholders and Freeholders Conference 26 January 2008 A presentation on services to Leaseholders from the Neighbourhood Housing Partners Mouchel Pinnacle Pathmeads

‘Housing Management’ services provided to leaseholders from your local Neighbourhood Housing Office (NHO) : 

‘Housing Management’ services provided to leaseholders from your local Neighbourhood Housing Office (NHO) Your management fee: what are you paying for? The “Partners” – Pathmeads, Pinnacle, Mouchel Parkman Our staff – estate management staff and dedicated leasehold officers Reception services Provide a reception service to personal callers including offering easy access to leaseholders living within the 5 Contract Areas (DeBeauvoir & Queensbridge, Homerton, Shoreditch, North-West, and North-East) neighbourhoods ‘Leasehold Management’ services The prime role of the Housing Management Partners is to deal with enquiries from leaseholders and provide them with relevant information Ensure that leases and their terms are complied with during the course of day to day management e.g. dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour or nuisance Liaise with and co-operate with the Leasehold and Right To Buy Services (LRB) team over Right-to-Buy enquiries Service Charge Disputes Liaise with and provide information to the LRB team to resolve disputes raised by leaseholders Major Works and Improvements, Invoicing for works and Income collection The LRB team is responsible for consultation with leaseholders on major works and improvements, invoicing and collection of all income; however all the neighbourhood housing partners liaise with and cooperate with the LRB team to ensure any queries from leaseholders are addressed

Housing Management services provided to leaseholders from your local Neighbourhood Housing Office (NHO) continued… : 

Housing Management services provided to leaseholders from your local Neighbourhood Housing Office (NHO) continued… Landlord’s consent to leaseholders’ alterations Although LRB team has responsibility for this function, all the neighbourhood housing management partners:- Provide forms for applications by leaseholders to carry out works to their homes subject to lessees having obtained the required formal consent of the landlord Liaise with the LRB team and refer any applications for extensions of living space into attic spaces etc, to the relevant department as appropriate Liaise with the LRB team and other departments and agencies as appropriate to resolve any lease variations as appropriate Provide advice to leaseholders on how to apply and provide assistance where requested in completing the appropriate forms Pre-sale responsibilities, Repurchase of sold dwellings, Freehold purchases The NHOs liaise with and refer tenants’ requests to the LRB team

Services from the NHOs …continued : 

Services from the NHOs …continued Assisting and advising leaseholders –e.g. where affected by disrepair from another property (even if caused from within another leasehold property) Liaison, assistance and advice to TMOs who have leaseholders within their stock Offering advice/mediation in cases where disputes may arise e.g. nuisance, parking etc Liaison with relevant teams and provision of information on the Decent Homes programme as appropriate Issuing and or distribution of communal fobs/keys (proof of residence is requested at all times) Administration and allocation of garages and parking permits Support for and liaison with local residents associations Carrying out estate inspections and quarterly walkabouts, identifying communal repairs and reporting and ensuring these are resolved as appropriate

Our contributions- the story so far… : 

Our contributions- the story so far… Mouchel Sponsorship of neighbourhood events Financial and practical support Pinnacle Elevate charity Donation funding available Summer holiday schemes in Hackney Haggerston football clinics Genesis Community (Pathmeads) Youth sports projects Outreach work – Turkish Outreach worker and surgeries Community chest grants Trips to the seaside

Contact Us : 

Contact Us DeBeauvoir & Queensbridge NHO. Tel no. 0208 356 6600 Team manager and Neighbourhood Leasehold Officer – Ade Jacobs; Homerton NHO, Tel no. 0208 356 7800 Team manager – Joanne Davies; North West NHO, Tel no. 0208 356 6 Team manager – David Nkrumah-Buansi; Leasehold Officer – Clive Green Shoreditch NHO, Tel no. 0208 356 Team manager – Julie Elizabeth North East NHO, Tel no. 0208 356 Team manager – Team 1 Loualla Timineys; Team 2 Siobhan McAuliffe Leasehold Officer – Diana Otieno

RESPECTin Hackney : 

RESPECTin Hackney By David Saxon

RESPECT – 6 Core Commitments : 

RESPECT – 6 Core Commitments Accountability, leadership and commitment Empowerment and reassuring residents Prevention and early intervention Tailored services for residents and provision of support for victims and witnesses Protecting communities through swift enforcement Support to tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour

Accountability, leadership and commitment : 

Accountability, leadership and commitment Citizens Panel ASB resident champions Reports to neighbourhood panels/TRA’s Development of community activities/open days etc.. Detailed analysis, mapping of need, asb working groups, staff awards scheme Evaluation of costs

Empowerment and reassuring residents : 

Empowerment and reassuring residents Youth involvement project Communications strategy Residents training Review reporting mechanisms Residents steering group Awards scheme Residents on ASB panels Resident led budget for communal improvements to improve areas including designing out crime remit

Prevention and early intervention : 

Prevention and early intervention Revise tenancy conditions Review how tenants are made aware eg sign up process Good neighbour agreements Special needs assessments for mental health cases Develop violent and dangerous tenants procedure through multi- agency working Tackle low level ASB effectively Youth facilities

Tailored services for residents and provision of support for victims and witnesses : 

Tailored services for residents and provision of support for victims and witnesses ASB victim and witness support scheme Develop minimum service standards Streamline system for obtaining police disclosure Develop effective training programme Effective partnership working – review format, effectiveness and consistency of case panels

Protecting communities through swift enforcement : 

Protecting communities through swift enforcement Improve services to deal with minor ASB early Undertake limited sound proofing Effective joint working with police – sharing facilities Develop role of neighbourhood wardens Track households that have been evicted Utilising all legal tools available – innovations – eg forfeiture of lease

Support to tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour : 

Support to tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour Family intervention projects/parenting schemes Evaluation of input of youth intervention schemes Youth training – apprenticeships, mentoring Floating support Referrals for drugs/alcohol/mental health teams

Complainant Satisfaction Survey : 

Complainant Satisfaction Survey This measures overall satisfaction with the service and the outcome of cases Was it easy to report a complaint? How would you rate the response? Were you kept up to date with the progress of the case? How willing would you be to report this to us again?

Resident Perception Survey : 

Resident Perception Survey This is a survey to build up a picture of ASB concerns in an area Do you feel safe going out during the day? Do you feel safe going out during the night? In your area, do you feel (noise, rubbish, drugs, vandalism, gangs of youths) are a problem? Have you been affected by ASB in the last year? If so, who did you report it to? Are you aware of the youth club, warden scheme etc operating in the neighbourhood?

ESTATE SAFETY TEAMWayne HyltonEstate Safety Manager : 

ESTATE SAFETY TEAMWayne HyltonEstate Safety Manager Protecting Hackney Homes Against Crime & Fraud

COMBATING HOUSING FRAUD : 

COMBATING HOUSING FRAUD It is estimated that between 1% and 5% of Hackney’s housing stock is unlawfully sub-let at any one time. This fraud deprives the Council of vital rehousing resources and keeps people in temporary accommodation for longer. Estate Safety has dealt with over a thousand fraud cases since it started.

NATIONAL FRAUD INITIATIVE [N.F.I.] : 

NATIONAL FRAUD INITIATIVE [N.F.I.] The Government now runs a biennial “data matching” exercise that examines housing records, HB claims and many other records to check for fraud and “double claims” etc. This is a key part of the Audit Commission’s work. Hackney Council is now legally obliged to co-operate fully with this exercise. Estate Safety assists with the housing fraud elements of this. This part of the NFI is dealt with by Estate Safety under conditions of strictest confidence and has resulted in reclaiming properties and stopping many other frauds.

THE RESULTS : 

THE RESULTS As a result of the work on the National Fraud Initiative, block audits and random referrals, Estate Safety recovered 53 properties last year – which can be relet to people in genuine housing need. In addition, many other serious discrepancies were referred to Housing Benefit Fraud Team and other investigative bodies.

DRUGS ON ESTATES : 

DRUGS ON ESTATES The use and sale of Class A Drugs in Council property makes many tenants lives a total misery. Estate Safety work with the Police to apprehend offenders and close down dangerous addresses. Over the last three years the Crackdown Project has been based with us to expand this work.

THE CRACKDOWN PROJECT : 

THE CRACKDOWN PROJECT The Crackdown Project is funded by the Home Office to ensure “the sustainable closure of crackhouses”. It is based with the Estate Safety Team on Nightingale. It has three elements – a seconded Police Officer, a Housing Worker and a Vulnerable Persons Worker. It aims to combine effective closure action with treatment referral and support.

PIRATE RADIO NUISANCE : 

PIRATE RADIO NUISANCE Pirate radio masts on roofs of tower blocks & other sites are dangerous, cause damage & scare tenants. The pirate radio operators are linked to the drug supply industry & advertise raves and illegal gatherings. They also interfere with licensed radio stations, aircraft transmissions and other broadcasts. Last year Estate Safety removed 59 illegal masts and transmitters from housing sites. This work was often done in conjunction with Ofcom.

GAS SAFETY CHECKS : 

GAS SAFETY CHECKS Hackney Homes, as a landlord, is legally required to check all gas appliances in its properties once every year. A great many addresses never reply to cards left, and some are unlawfully let or used for criminal purposes. Estate Safety have accompanied the gas fitters to all problematic addresses over the last year – recovering properties and providing witness statements for action etc.

SAFER COMMUNITIES – AND MORE SECURE HOMES ! : 

SAFER COMMUNITIES – AND MORE SECURE HOMES ! Last year the Estate Safety Team assisted with advice and recommendations on many estates and individual addresses to provide safer and more secure homes. We assist with the nomination of homes for the SAFER CITIES doors programme. We also advise on anti-burglary and public safety issues. We attend meetings with the Police on burglary statistics and prevention. Hackney now has one of the best burglary reduction records in London.

SURVEILLANCE & R.I.P.A. : 

SURVEILLANCE & R.I.P.A. Estate Safety works with our contractors “Direct Surveillance” to carry out electronic surveillance of serious crime addresses. All surveillance carried out by the Team is conducted under rules laid down in the REGULATION OF INVESTIGATORY POWERS ACT 2000 [“RIPA”]. We also have to abide by the DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998. We work in partnership with the Police and most of the evidence we collect is used to justify Police raids under either the MISUSE of DRUGS ACT 1971 or the CONTROL of FIREARMS ACT 1963 etc.

LONDON-WIDE LIAISON : 

LONDON-WIDE LIAISON We also work with the General Registry Office in tracking stolen and forged birth and marriage certificates. The Estate Safety Team is an integral part of London Borough’s Fraud Investigators Group (“L.B.Fig”) and has a representative on its Executive Committee. We helped establish the London-wide “local authorities anti-pirate radio forum” and hosted it’s second meeting.

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU : 

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU Leaseholders are entitled to the “safe enjoyment of their homes” exactly the same as our tenants. If you have any information on drugs use, pirate radio activities or any other serious criminal behaviour, ring our 24 hour “hot-line” on 0208-356-3333 and let us know. If you have anything about the above issues on you would like to discuss with, ring during office hours on : 0208-356-1905 or 1901/2/3/4/7.