A new plan to enforce housing and social care rules could be agreed - to protect vulnerable tenants and help the council avoid financial losses through fraud.

Cllr Debbie Andre, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, will next week decide on a social care and housing enforcement policy amid a 'rise in fraud' and 'housing related crime'.

The Adult Social Care and Housing Enforcement Policy is a 'formal decision-making process' to assist enforcement action across all adult social care and housing services provided by County Hall.

Enforcement could apply to issues such as fraud, theft, unlawful eviction, failure to comply with housing licensing requirements or housing enforcement notices and debt recovery action.

The policy allows authorised council officers to consider actions including a referral to another agency, civil penalty, licence suspension or revocation, simple caution or prosecution.

Pursuing more serious actions such as a licence revocation, civil penalty or prosecution require meetings called 'authority panels' to be held which deliberate on the best course of action.

A report signed by Cllr Andre and director of adult social care and housing Laura Gaudion said: "Given the rise in fraud and in housing related crime there is a need to ensure such issues can be addressed and therefore the need for a directorate specific policy to provide the framework for this.

"The new policy seeks to ensure openness and transparency as well as consistency in decisions relating to enforcement.

"A robust and transparent policy will ensure the most vulnerable members of our community are protected from being treated unfairly.

"The policy will ensure access to good quality care and support and good quality housing both in turn supporting the reduction in poverty.

"It provides a clear and transparent framework for addressing criminal activity which causes financial loss to the council."

A decision on the policy is due on Tuesday, December 3.