Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report of the Head of Housing.

The Head of Housing presented the Dover District Tenant Engagement Strategy 2022-27.

The report set out how the housing service would strengthen relationships, give an effective voice to council tenants and leaseholders and increase the opportunities for them to collaborate with the council. The Strategy has been developed in conjunction with tenant and leaseholder representatives and was intended to build stronger, more inclusive tenant engagement in the future.

Members considered the following points:

·         The role that ward councillors could have in encouraging tenants and leaseholders to engage with the council. This could include joining officers in estate walks.

·         The challenge in reaching the majority of tenants who either did not want to engage with the council or only engaged with the council when they had a problem.

·         The importance of engaging through a wide range of mediums and not excluding those without digital access or who were reluctant to use digital methods.

The Chair thanked the Head of Housing for the report.

(Councillor S C Manion withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of this item of business.)

To consider the attached report of the Head of Housing.

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Social Housing, Port Health, Skills and Education

It was agreed:

(a)   That the draft Tenant Engagement Strategy and Action Plan at Appendix 1 of the report be approved for consultation purposes.

(b)   That the draft consultation plan for the Tenant Engagement Strategy for formal consultation with tenants and leaseholders for a 4-week period be approved.

(c)   That the Strategic Director (Corporate Resources) be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Social Housing, Port Health, Skills and Education, to consider the consultation responses and to make any minor amendments arising therefrom and, thereafter, to adopt the document on behalf of the Council with effect from 7 November 2022.  Should more significant amendments be considered desirable, the matter shall be the subject of a further report to Cabinet.

(d)   That the Strategic Director (Corporate Resources) be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Social Housing, Port Health, Skills and Education, to make future minor amendments to the Strategy as required.