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Corporate Landlord Service 

The Council is in the process of establishing a new Corporate Landlord Service. The creation of this service will bring together a number of existing functions to help better manage the Council’s buildings.  

The Corporate Landlord Service will bring staff together from a number of teams across the Council. In the main this will be from Property Operations in Corporate Resources Directorate and Building Services in Environment & Housing but there are also a small number of staff in scope in Adult Social Care, Regeneration, Community Centres, Libraries and Adult & Community Learning. 

The new service will encompass all aspects of managing and maintaining the Council’s Property Assets which can be summarised across the three functional areas below: 

  • Estate Management – strategic overview of the estate, property management information including GIS along with acquisitions and disposals 
  • Facilities Management - security, cleaning and caretaking along with the responsibility for general repairs and maintenance 
  • Buildings Management - construction including design, commissioning, compliance including fire safety, health & safety and decarbonisation. 

Implementation of the service will also require all of the property budgets covering repairs & maintenance, rent and rates, utilities etc, to be brought together. 

Background Papers

Questions and Answers 

  • Why is the Council proposing to establish a Corporate Landlord Service?  
    The Council has a highly devolved approach to managing its assets which is out of line with how most local authorities operate. The Corporate Landlord approach will enable a better strategic overview of the estate and ensure that service needs are better met. The restructure is part of our ongoing efforts to deliver services more efficiently, respond to budgetary pressures, and meet the changing needs of our communities. It also aligns with our strategic priorities and statutory obligations.
  • Who is leading the restructure process?  
    The process is being led by the Director of Corporate Resources and Head of Finance in consultation with HR, trade unions, and service managers, in line with Council policies.
  • When will the restructure take place?  
    The proposals presented to Cabinet on 4th September set out the vision for a Corporate Landlord model and those current posts and property related budgets which are in scope. Detailed work with senior officers in the impacted services will commence in September and it is anticipated that there will be a structure to consult on in October.

    Consultation will be in line with Council Policy and there will be staff briefings as part of this process as well as liaison with Trades Unions, SLT and Cabinet. 
    We will keep staff informed throughout where possible. 
  • How will I know if my role is affected?  
    No posts are at risk at this point. If your post is at risk of redundancy or subject to change following the detailed structure work outlined above, you will be notified in writing and invited to a formal consultation meeting. We expect the vast majority of roles within these service areas will not be affected by these changes in terms of their day to day responsibilities. Reporting structures may change.  
  • What does it mean if my role is ‘at risk’?  
    It means your current post may be deleted, changed significantly, or subject to competitive selection. This does not mean you are being made redundant.
  • Will there be opportunities for redeployment within the Council? 
    Yes. We are committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies wherever possible. Affected staff will be given priority access to suitable alternative roles. 
  • What is the formal consultation process?  
    It is a legal requirement where the Council discusses any proposed changes with affected staff and trade unions. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and suggest alternatives. 
  • How long will the consultation last? 
    The statutory minimum is 30 days. Due to the anticipated detailed proposals coming forward and the relatively low impact expected, the statutory minimum consultation period will apply. 
  • Can I be accompanied to meetings?  
    Yes. You may bring a trade union representative or a work colleague to any formal consultation or redundancy meetings.
  • What support is available to me?  

    Support includes:

    - Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) 
    - Career coaching and CV writing workshops 
    - Redeployment support and interview preparation 
    - Time off for job interviews 
    - Westfield Health – Contact via 0800 0920987 and quote 72115  
    - Occupational health service – please speak to your Line Manager for further details 

  • Who can I speak to for advice?
    You can speak to your line manager, HR, or your trade union representative. All conversations will be treated confidentially. 
  • Will I receive redundancy pay?  
    Yes, if you are made redundant and meet the qualifying criteria. Redundancy pay is calculated based on your age, length of service, and weekly pay, in line with statutory and local government terms.
  • What notice period will I receive?  
    Your notice period will depend on your contract and length of service. This will be confirmed in writing if redundancy is confirmed.
  • Would I be eligible for voluntary redundancy? 
    It’s too early at this stage to give clear guidance on whether voluntary redundancy would be considered. There are a number of specialist roles and skills within the scope of the proposals which the Council will want to retain.
  • What should I do now?  
    No posts are at risk at this point but as set out above this will not be the case until the detailed proposals are consulted on in October and it is anticipated that a very small number of posts may be at risk at that time. If you’ve been informed your role is affected, attend all meetings, engage with the consultation process, and explore redeployment options. Support will be available to help you through this. 
  • Where can I find updates and documents?  
    Updates will be shared via Staffnet+, via email, and through team briefings. You can also request information from HR. 
  • Will teams coming across to the Corporate Landlord who are currently part of a trading account set up in Balance Sheets still be operating as a trading account or be part of the base budget like the other teams? 
    The Council is attempting to reduce the use of trading accounts and recharging wherever possible. This will generally be the position but won’t be possible where services are being provided to the Housing Revenue Account which is ring fenced through regulation or schools who have delegated budgets.
  • Are we able to fill urgent vacancies before the new structure is in place i.e. member of the team is retiring shortly and crucial that we replace them before the new structure is in place.  
    Posts will need to be considered on a case by case basis but a pragmatic approach will be followed so there isn’t an adverse impact on critical services. 
  • The proposal for the Leisure Centres not to be included in scope – I had expected the property/maintenance aspects of the Leisure Management arrangements to be in scope given Property fulfils this function at present  
    Any revenue maintenance will be the responsibility of the Corporate Landlord as will any capital maintenance through the Council’s Capital Programme. Day to day property costs such as utilities and cleaning will remain the responsibility of the operator, Parkwood Leisure. 
  • The transfer of Community Centres Development Officer – whilst understanding this as the majority of what the post does at present is related to responsive repairs, I would be grateful if you could confirm that the other responsibilities that go with this post will also transfer as there would be no other resources available to pick up these items.  
    Post will need to transfer in with Corporate Landlord responsibilities only if this forms the majority of the role’s responsibilities. There are a number of roles in scope where existing supervision and management won’t also come across as Corporate Landlord doesn’t form a significant element of the role. 
  • Since the last discussions 2022/23 the process has moved quite quickly.
    The initial external piece of work was concluded in May 2023 which had included a number of 1:1s with staff and teams as well as desktop research. A follow up more detailed Outline Business Case was commissioned but this took some time to be delivered and its conclusion coincided with work on the budget and the new Corporate Plan. The work was picked up in April/May and has been progressed through SLT and Business Cabinet over the past three months.
  • The 90k for building repairs etc. efficiency taken from the service for the Corporate Landlord in 2022/23 which has left the service in deficit each year was queried and whether the service would have it back.  
    The £90K efficiency was a reduction to the Council’s overall budget and was not held for the Corporate Landlord. There have been a number of reductions to service property budgets over the past three years which will present the Corporate Landlord with financial challenge when all of the existing budgets are brought together. 
  • The Social Services handymen should be out of scope for the corporate landlord. This is due to the supervision requirements, residents care and support needs, the level of direction and instruction they require from the Registered manager and deputy. They take residents on day trips and run clubs at each home and their roles are very strongly linked to each home and meeting those client needs  
    This feedback is appreciated, the comments will be considered as part of the detailed work on the structure post Cabinet.