This council notes that, in the July meeting agenda of the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee there was an item covering proposed changes to the Camden Remedies Policy & Procedure Complaints (service failure), Property Management, which is considered in dealing with formal complaints. This sought and obtained, the clear majority of the Committee’s approval for the revised policy.
Almost all of this policy seems reasonable and will be useful in dealing with common issues experienced in shortfall of Council response to resident experience. There were three elements that made it impossible for the Conservative Group to accept the overall report.
These covered the suggested payments to cover issues that either had the effect to “severely disrupt a child’s education”, “severe and ongoing issues that seriously impact health, safety or ability to use the home” which “may include widespread mould, structural damage or complete failure of essential services like heating or electricity” or the “severe and ongoing risks that threaten health or safety” including “widespread damp, or prolonged fire safety failures”. The tariff for these items is £300-400, £500-£1000 and £500-£1000 respectively.
That these matters are set down in a standard tariff schedule is not only deeply concerning but frankly dismissive of the serious impact on residents’ lives and wellbeing. It is not acceptable that the defence offered for these suggested payments is that they are copied from the policies of other boroughs. Camden should make every endeavour to cut a path, not follow one.
The council therefore moves to remove these items from the standard tariff section, make plain that in serious cases such as these, specific attention shall be given to the effect of a failing and the suitable recompense and that this should be overseen by a cross-party members’ panel. In this manner confidence can be restored in this report.
