Issue - meetings

Following a report of the Group Manager for Housing, the Homes Policy Development Group had made the following recommendation: that the revised Tenant Involvement Policy be approved subject to a revision of paragraph 9 on Equality and Diversity to state the following:

As a registered provider of social housing, the Council has an equality duty and is bound by the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. This means that the Housing Service must ensure that there will be no discrimination or unfair treatment on the grounds of gender (or gender reassignment), race, colour, ethnicity or national origin, faith, sexual orientation, marital/civil partnership status, age, disability, politics or trade union membership. We will not tolerate any discriminatory remarks or actions and will challenge anyone who behaves in that manner. Tenants will be excluded from any further involvement if they continue to behave in an offensive or discriminatory manner.

The Cabinet had before it a * report of the Group Manager for Housing, the Homes Policy Development Group had considered the report and had made the following recommendation:  the Tenant Involvement Policy be approved subject to a revision of paragraph 9 on Equality and Diversity to state that:

As a registered provider of social housing, the Council has an equality duty and is bound by the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. This means that the Housing Service must ensure that there will be no discrimination or unfair treatment on the grounds of gender (or gender reassignment), race, colour, ethnicity or national origin, faith, sexual orientation, marital/civil partnership status, age, disability, politics or trade union membership. We will not tolerate any discriminatory remarks or actions and will challenge anyone who behaves in that manner. Tenants will be excluded from any further involvement if they continue to behave in an offensive or discriminatory manner.

The Cabinet Member for Housing outlined the contents of the report highlighting the proposed changes to the policy, the importance of the Tenants Together Group and the good work that had taken place.

RESOLVED that the recommendation of the Policy Development Group be approved.

(Proposed by Cllr R L Stanley and seconded by Cllr C R Slade)

Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.

To receive a report from the Group Manager for Housing. The Housing Service’s Tenant Involvement Policy is now due for review. This work has been completed and the draft policy takes account of changes to the regulatory framework and new means of consulting with stakeholders.

The Group had before it a report * from the Group Manager for Housing Services presenting the revised Tenant Involvement Policy. The contents of the report were outlined with reference to the following:

·         Whilst closely related to the Strategy the ‘Policy’ talked about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of Tenant Involvement.

·         A revision to the wording in relation to ‘Equality and Diversity’ at section 9 was suggested as tenants had indicated they wanted meetings to be as open and as inclusive as possible but with safeguards in place so as to deter offensive remarks. It was AGREED that the first paragraph of section 9 of the draft policy be reworded slightly.

RECOMMENDED to the Cabinet that the revised Tenant Involvement Policy be approved subject to a revision of paragraph 9 on Equality and Diversity to state the following:

As a registered provider of social housing, the Council has an equality duty and is bound by the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. This means that the Housing Service must ensure that there will be no discrimination or unfair treatment on the grounds of gender (or gender reassignment), race, colour, ethnicity or national origin, faith, sexual orientation, marital/civil partnership status, age, disability, politics or trade union membership. We will not tolerate any discriminatory remarks or actions and will challenge anyone who behaves in that manner. Tenants will be excluded from any further involvement if they continue to behave in an offensive or discriminatory manner.

(Proposed by Cllr D R Coren and seconded by Cllr J D Squire)

Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes