To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Board.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Hutchings.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on  12 February 2025.

The minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 12 February 2025 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the Quarterly Housing Audit and Compliance report which provides oversight of the Council’s housing stock.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Finance, Councillor Tyerman, Managing Director, Liam Montgomery, and Housing Manager, Anita Merritt presented the submitted Quarterly Housing Audit and Compliance Report for Quarter 3 2024/2025 for all housing stock for TorVista Homes and those that had been transferred to the Council together with the temporary accommodation units and responded to questions. 

Members were updated that the data in red relating to temporary accommodation was all compliant and had been completed but the Council was just waiting for some dates to come through.  There was some outstanding PAT testing which had been ordered for temporary accommodation, but the dates were still to be confirmed.  Temporary accommodation was currently being managed by a different Team of Officers, but it was intended to bring all housing elements together to ensure a consistent approach to all the Council’s housing stock.

The Board asked questions in relation to there being two or three properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating below C, with new lettings being required to be C or above later in the year, what plans did the Council have to look at EPC ratings on those properties and does the Council have any ambitions to uprate the C rated properties to A or B; it was understood that all properties from TorVista Homes were being transferred to the Council, what was the reason that this had not happened; was it expected that the Council would not be able to transfer existing tenants from TorVista Homes to the Council; the report mentioned adaptations such as wet rooms and level access showers, would the properties have other accessible elements as well; when accessible properties become vacant would they be considered for use by people fleeing domestic abuse; page 8 referred to a vacant property and alternative use being explored, what was this; and had fire risk assessments been completed for the temporary accommodation.

In response to questions in respect of EPCs, Members were advised that upgrading EPCs was part of the wider programme linked to climate change looking at all Council properties including the housing stock.  It would be included as part of the ongoing repairs and maintenance.  The Council would ensure that all properties were rated C or above within the required timeframe to ensure compliance.

The Board was advised that it had been planned for all TorVista Homes properties to be transferred to the Council, but this had been delayed as some of the tenancies could not be changed for existing tenants, those would be transferred as they become vacant.  The Council was aware that there were some limitations on the type of accommodation that Councils could offer as this was one of the reasons that TorVista Homes was set up in the first place, but it was a surprise that the Council would have to rely on them becoming vacant before they could be transferred.  This made it hard to put an end date on the process.  All those that could be transferred had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

To consider the submitted report on the latest position regarding the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment Refresh.

The Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, Councillor Tranter, and the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Commissioning and Strategy Lead, Shirley Beauchamp, presented the submitted report on the Domestic Abuse Service Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment Refresh and responded to questions.  The Director of Adult and Community Services, Jo Williams also attended the meeting and responded to questions.  An updated Action Plan (Appendix 2) was circulated prior to the meeting following confirmation of changes the additional £400k funding.

Members were advised that out of 23 units there were only 3 or 4 single person units and the Council was looking to increase the number of single persons units.  There had been an increase in demand of people accessing the Domestic Abuse Service by 58% being referred.  This did not necessarily translate into the need for safe accommodation but highlighted the increase in demand for support since the new Domestic Abuse Duty came into force in October 2021.  It was noted that there was also an issue with people presenting themselves as fleeing from domestic abuse to secure safe accommodation, however, in many cases following a risk assessment this was as a result of relationship breakdown rather than domestic abuse.

The Board was informed that the Government had confirmed an additional £400k funding for Domestic Abuse included within the Base Budget which would enable longer term commissioning.  There remained a number of short term grant funds supporting the Service which had been extended to March 2026.  The Team was awaiting the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review due in June 2025 to have a view on longer term funding and sustainability for some of the projects.  Members were advised that the Team was working with Children’s Services colleagues looking at emotional and therapeutic support to children and their families impacted by domestic abuse and would be procuring the Adult and Young People’s Recovery Toolkit as a way to support this. 

Members asked questions in relation to how the Peninsula therapeutic approach would work; how long did people stay in safe accommodation (this was 6 to 9 months); what was economic abuse; how was the Service reaching out to minority groups; what action was taken to try to keep people’s pets with them when they flee domestic abuse; what was being done in respect of behaviour change programmes for perpetrators and what would the cost be; the launch of the Older People’s Charter was due in November 2024 but was now scheduled for April 2025, was this on schedule; paragraph 2.4 of the report referred to reliable Devon and Cornwall Police data not being available, was this still the case; there had been a 58% increase in referrals how many people did that equate to and was that a result of increased awareness of the Service; in other areas it had been raised that people from the transgender community were unable to access domestic abuse safe accommodation for women and were placed in unsafe temporary accommodation, how were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.