The report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer is enclosed.

The Committee received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer which provided an update on the partnerships where a ‘Reasonable’ or ‘Limited’ rating was recorded, following the 2022 annual assessment, and presented to the Audit Committee in June 2023.

The report provided:

·       An overview of partnership governance arrangements with a Reasonable Strength Rating, namely; Manchester Safeguarding Partnership

·       An overview of partnership governance arrangements with a Limited Strength Rating, namely, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), AVRO Hollows Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), and SHOUT Tenant Management Organisation (TMO)

In respect of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), the Committee was informed that a number of actions  were in place with clearly defined timelines for delivery.

In respect of SHOUT Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), the Head of Strategic Housing provided an outline of the number of properties managed by the TMO highlighting that the Council undertakes most of the repairs and maintenance work. In terms of its governance arrangements, a Board had recently been appointed and a meeting to establish how the board was progressing was due in December 2023. He gave assurance that there was less concern about the operation of this particular TMO.

In respect of AVRO Hollows Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), the Head of Strategic Housing outlined the legal basis for TMOs and the modular agreement that is in place nationally in terms of how they operate. The Committee noted that there were concerns about the TMO’s retention of staff and board members which could impact on governance arrangements. Additionally, Avro Hollows had elected to employ its own repairs contractor (which it is legally entitled to do) and that those repairs were carried out by a small to medium enterprise, however this was described as a concern in its own right. In terms of assurance, however, a formal assessment of works undertaken on a recently remediated long term empty property (known as a ‘void’ property)  had found no breaches of any fire safety work and no concerns about the quality of work that had been undertaken. In respect of the TMO’s responsibility for the management of four tower blocks as part of its housing stock, the Head of Strategic Housing gave assurance that the Council retained responsibility for major health and safety related works such as fire risk assessment, lift maintenance and legionella testing. In view of there being no rights to ‘step in’ with the regard to the operation of the TMO, next steps were outlined as well as interim arrangements to ensure that the Council was well-sighted on a range of matters as they develop. The Committee noted the procedural basis that would lead to the cessation of the TMO subject to certain findings.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development thanked officers for their continued support and oversight of the relationship with the TMO and its overall operation.

The Committee resolved to request that an update on progress of the TMO is submitted to the Committee in approximately 6 months and asked officers to give consideration to a communications outreach to tenants around what actions the Council was planning to undertake and the reasons why.

Decision

To note the report.