Management Committee for Abbey Road Community Housing Ltd, London

What does the Management Committee do?

The Management Committee is responsible to the members for the overall running of the estate. Members of the Committee meet every month to ensure that staff run the Estate properly on a day-to-day basis and to make policies in line with the Management Agreement. Management Committee members are responsible for:

• Employing staff

• Deciding how money is spent on the Estate

• Ensuring the estate is kept clean

• Overseeing the way that repairs are organised

• Improvements which take place on the Estate (within financial constraints).

• Holding estate manager accountable

You can ask to attend a Management Committee meeting or write to the Management Committee at any time.

Where does the money come from?

The Co-operative receives an allowance from the Council to enable it to carry out its responsibilities. The Co-operative does NOT pay itself out of rent money. The Council collects all rents due and undertakes rents and arrears management to ensure tenants pay their rents on time.

Who works for the Co-operative?

The Co-operative employs an Estate Manager, who takes day-to-day responsibility for managing the estate on behalf of the Management Committee. The Manager oversees the activities of the other members of staff, who are:

• Estate Officer

• Housing Administrator

• Residential Caretaker

• Caretaker Handyman

• Estate Cleaner

The Co-operative also employs the services of a variety of contractors, including repair and engineering contractors, Auditors, Bookkeeper and a IT Support Company.

Does the Council have any responsibilities left on the Estate?

Yes, the Council is responsible for repairs that cost more than £2,000.

The Council is also responsible for the heating and the hot water supply and for the lifts and entry phone systems. In practice, the Co-operative raise orders when faults occur with these items, but it does so with the Council’s contractors through the contact centre staff.

The Council decides who comes to live on the estate, and who gets a transfer to any other property, either on or off the Estate. The Co-operative has no control over these matters at all.

Finally, the Council also has a general responsibility for ensuring that the Co-operative manages itself properly. It does this through the Housing and Adult Social Care Unit, which monitors the cooperative’s activities on a regular basis. A liaison officer from the Unit undertakes regular monitoring and is invited to attend some Management Committee meetings and Annual General Meetings.

PLEASE REMEMBER – The Co-operative relies on the support of resident members. Contact the estate office on 020 7624 6309 for details of how to join.

The minutes can be found in the state office.