Housing Company's 12-Month Plan in Spotlight

Cabinet will be asked next week to agree South Tyneside Homes' strategic priorities for the next 12 months, and how the company will deliver on them.

The delivery plan is based on the borough's housing challenges and aims to provide quality homes, sustain tenancies and neighbourhoods, and to provide excellent customer service.

South Tyneside Homes manages and maintains over 16,000 properties on behalf of the council and the company's annual plan and projects reflect the council's ambitions and vision.

The council must demonstrate, that as landlord, it is achieving standards set out by the Regulator of Social Housing, including gathering feedback on services through new Tenant Satisfaction Measures, which will help identify any areas for improvement.

This year's strategic objectives include providing safe, warm, well maintained and sustainable homes, preventing homelessness and rough sleeping, ensuring tenants have access to debt, welfare and benefits advice, and helping them to become more digitally 'switched on'.

There will also be a transfer of the area management service from Handy Estates back into the council, to better integrate with other operational services such as grounds maintenance and CCTV operation.

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "The delivery plan sets out South Tyneside Homes' key priorities and projects, as well as how outcomes will be measured and monitored.

"The new Tenant Satisfaction Measures will allow us to understand tenants' concerns and ensure that they are acted on in a timely manner.

"We'll also be transferring the area management function to the council, and we hope this will lead to more joined up working with our partners, and better results for issues like litter and fly-tipping."

The report and delivery plan will be presented at the Cabinet meeting next Wednesday, 15 March.